An emotional performance. Reaction & Vocal Analysis of Eva Cassidy singing Over the Rainbow 

I can't hear Eva Cassidy without choking up, she is such a beautiful soul. Rest in Peace dear lady.

Eva didn't just sing the song. She was the song! It embodied her heart and her soul, And she emoted in a way I've never seen. A master storyteller. Not to mention a phenomenal guitarist. The tone of this arrangement and the fact that she passed within a year of the performance is haunting in a strange way. The way her eyes seem to look up and off into the distance is just as haunting. She was a legend even in her short time and more people need to know about her. Who knows what she would have been if she were still alive. RIP Eva Cassidy.

Gordon Sumner (Sting for those that don't know) publicly said in an interview that she performed Fields of gold better than he ever did ... That is how good she is/was. Thankfully through the web her soul and music will live forever. I saw her live at The Blues Alley and I left happy but emotional... The world really lost a true magnificent singer when she passed away. ❤

Terry Wogan brought Eva Cassidy into popularity after she died by playing her CD on the radio. The whole CD is hauntingly beautiful and one of my favourites.

Thank you for showcasing Eva Cassidy, one of the best vocalists ever! She and Karen Carpenter left us way too soon... 😢. ☮️❤️😎

A good friend’s family owned the nursery where Eva worked for more than a dozen years. She worked outdoors in nice weather, but he mostly recalls the holidays when Eva would sing like an angel in the flower shop while making arraignments. I am envious that he got to experience such loveliness so often.

Eva's father taught her how to play guitar. This is my favorite version of this iconic song. Her phrasing is so original. Her refusal to sign with a record label was certainly partly because she wanted to remain diverse in what she wanted to sing rather than be grouped in any single genre. Eva is truly one of the greatest voices to come upon the music scene. It is ironic that she became more well known after she passed away because she didn't really care to be fussed over (from accounts from people who really knew her). Thank you for the reaction to this remarkable singer.

I heard Eva for the first time in a record shop in Martha’s Vineyard playing through the speakers in the store. I asked the shop owner who was singing and she said Eva Cassidy. It was the most beautiful voice I ever heard and bought a CD on the spot! RIP beautiful girl.

Eva and Judy Garland both sing this song so very differently. Judy is young, on a farm in Kansas, in a family and situation that she will soon long to go back to. Her dreams are the dreams of a child wanting adventure. Eva puts so much regret and adult experience into this performance. Both versions are on another planet. IMO this is the best song ever written for a musical.

When she performs she owns these songs ....

I was driving with my mom the first time I heard this, in fact the first time I ever heard of Eva Cassidy. We thought this was the most beautiful version of this song that I actually cried a bit. It was so special to hear this with my mom, and we had such a nice moment that I had this played at the end of my mom's funeral. It was so special.

There are so many talented singers and musicians in the world, but Eva was in a universe of her own. Pure beauty, pure emotion, pure voice. We were very lucky to have her here for the short time she was on this earth. Thank you Eva.

This was the first Eva Cassidy song I heard and by the end (actually, way before the end) I was an emotional wreck due to the combination of her jaw-dropping performance and knowing that she passed away from metastatic melanoma just a few months after this was filmed (and to add insult to injury...prior to her music going "viral" in the US and Europe). She is one of the greatest female vocalists I've ever heard. Her vocal tone, control and phrasing were incredible and her guitar playing, interesting and sophisticated arrangements and emotional connection to the songs brought her performances to another level. RIP Eva.

I'm a 65 year old metal head, and this performance calls the onion ninjas here every. damn. time.

Listening to Eva you realize that OMG really means something.

Eva performed several acoustic songs. As I feel and hear this - her Over The Rainbow - she stands so high above every other person who has tried to cover the song by making it her journey. She takes us, her audience, on her journey as individual confidants. She goes to a place inside that I imagine not many are allowed to view. It took a few times of listening to discover this is a duet. After I got to the acceptance of how pure and heartfelt her singing is, I realized her guitar was her singing partner, singing warmly, in euphonious chorus with her. Her Guild and her touch on its strings are, indeed, her duet partner. No accompanist could have done the same. Nobody will ever be able to reach the depths of my soul such as Eva did with her journey Over The Rainbow.

Her phrasing makes this rendition so unique and effective👌

The one For Me that was Absolutely Amazing was Her cover of Christine Mc vie 's ( RIP )( Songbird) 😁👍👍😎🎶🎵🎸 The like button 🔘 has been Illuminated 😀

Her guitar is subtle. Her phrasing is subtle. Her choices of chord changes are subtle. It makes this performance beyond beautiful.

She was still fighting the tail end of a cold that night. There were a couple of times she couldn't quite round it out - or it dropped out on her a little (there at the very end). But damn - I hear nothing but angels, and I cry every time.

This is - in my opinion - the best cover of this song. Ever! This live prefotmance makes me cry. Every time. So much soul and emotions in this....

So many people have done this song ... and this is IMO the best version. I always turn into a pile of goo (either howling or crying) during that last "Somewhere over the rainbow" run where she lets it all out. All my hairs stand up on end. I know I'm in the presence of genius.

I love it when singing experts and vocal coaches are left speechless by Eva. This is one of the greatest vocal performances of all time and almost no one saw it. Thank God it was filmed! As a singer myself I'm especially appreciative of how she can sing softly without any wavering of pitch. That is one of the hardest things to do. RIP Eva - you are the best

Aaaah, Eva Cassidy, such an original singer, leaving out glamorous appearances, and fluff. Just herself, with voice and a guitar. Bethany, are you going to react to Eva's interpretation of "Fields of Gold" too, please? This song is composed by Sting, his voice is great too, but Eva turns it into true gold. She gave it all, before passing over, an angel leaving planet Earth. 🧡🧚‍♀️

She was friends with Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, who, via his contacts, and after much persuasion, managed to get her to go to a meeting with a record company in New York. She came back in tears saying, "they want to turn me into something I'm not..." and never tried again. That tells you pretty much all you need to know about the modern music business...😡

Eva Cassidy molds songs we know so well. She makes those song all her own. Interpreting a song is a wonderful art, and Eva does it so well. She has broken my heart. My heart is broken again, to know that she has passed us by, on her way to Heaven.

I like her rendition of "Autumn Leaves" in particular.

Eva Cassidy's estate has allowed for some of her performances to be rerecorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and they are extraordinary. Her version of Buffy Saint Marie's 'Tall Trees In Georgia' is simply gorgeous.

Eva looks into another dimension. Her eyes reflect her very soul. And it is very very.

I LOVE this performance. Eva almost always causes me to tear up. FEW singers have that effect on me.

Eva Cassidy is like a perfect wine. The more you drink it the more your palate gets used to it. Then the $25 wine you enjoyed drinking before, now tastes like vinegar. If you listen to Eva Cassidy long enough, you will start finding flaws in other singers. Your ears will calibrate to perfection; because she is the perfect singer with the perfect voice.

I look at her beautiful yet, haunted face during that performance, and see a need to leave the world her story. She did that and more. Such a precious gift to us all. God bless her!

The greatest rendition of this classic song I have ever witnessed ! Eva emotionally charged the lyrics in such a way that brings me to tears every time I hear her beautiful voice ! Her guitar playing is so fantastic and blends so beautifully with her vocals ! Thank you for reminding me of this magnificent singer gone far too soon from us ! So much appreciated , I loved it totally and thank you from the bottom of my heart ! Keep posting you're always one of my must watch channel ! Thank from Canada ! 👍👍🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️❤️

Live and playing a guitar as she sings. That plus a unique interpretation of a classic. Genius.

Life can be so unfair. Eva should have been big, a real star. Instead she died just when she was getting a break. So sad. Thanks for listening to her and bringing la Cassidy to a wider public. She deserves it.

When you listen to Eva Cassidy cover a familiar song it is like hearing it again for the first time.

She sings from her soul.

The songs that Eva sings sound like it's the first time you've heard the song. She gives them her personality. Accompanied by perfect guitar.

Its the tenderness, longing and vulnerability all at the same time that makes this and her exceptional.

I've never been able to see/hear this performance without tears rolling down my face, it is so delicate, yet so incredibly powerful.

I love that Eva put the breaks in the beginning in different places than every version I've heard before. She sang a hopeful and mellow version. Simply beautiful.

Thank you so much for your analysis of Eva Cassidy's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". The thing I admire most about her, in addition to all of her skill and finesse, is her ability to re-interpret a well-known standard song and make it completely new to the listener. I skill (or gift) that I wish I possessed more of as a singer, in this day and age where copying recording artists' versions exactly is a more popular trend.

Thank you for reacting to this incredible video. Eva is unmatched in today's music scene. Eva is just a guitar and an incredible voice with no autotune. Artists today cant touch that except for Debbii Dawson right now. She was a TALENT that was taken from this earth far too soon. I listen to her music constantly.

One of the most pure voices of all time. Perfection.

The guitar is amazing. The way she produced it she gives the song a jass feeling, genius!

Her versions of Autumn Leaves and Fields of Gold are also fantastic

I first heard her singing "Kathie's Song" (by Paul Simon) in the movie "Maid in Manhattan." I went directly to the cd store (remember those?) to find out who she was. And soon after that learned her story. What a loss! Beautiful reaction. Thank you.

I can still distinctly remember the first time I heard Eva. I've watched this video dozens of times and I tear up every single time.

Watching this wonderful reaction to this amazingly beautiful and talented lady through tears. Thank you for showcasing her incredible gift...RIP Eva!

I'm watching this on Easter morning. Why do I think this performance by Eva should be heard every Holiday. This is the most remarkable rendition of this classic song I've ever listened to and Eva is into it not 100% but, if possible, to a degree somewhere beyond anything we can contemplate. The way she handles the guitar is masterful. If I can have the liberty of comparing what I'm listening to, to something else it is this. Emotionally, it's like I'm listening to 'Memory' from 'Cat's' !!! "Happy Easter", Beth.

I was in the military stationed in the UK when she suddenly became very popular due to the Top of the Pops show. About 10 years later, after my father's death, his brother came for the funeral. My uncle was a jazz musician in his youth, so I asked if he had heard of Eva Cassidy before. He had not, so I went through an old box I had put some CDs in and put the Songbird album on for him. Even though his brother had just been buried, this exact song you're playing now brought a smile to his face. He is gone now too, but I still smile thinking about that day sitting on the porch with my uncle after the funeral.

We can feel your joy of music as you are educating us! Thank you for showcasing Eva. She was a rare brilliant light in her artistry, and storytelling. She transports you to another time and place. 💕

Normally singers/musicians pulling the time around all over the place sets off my musical OCD and I hate it, but somehow she does it and it still sounds.....right. A rare talent taken too soon. All of her music is just beautiful.

Thank You for sharing this video.I am/was not familiar with Eva,Wow.I always thought IZ's version of the song was unbeatable,but tyhis lady proved that the best is always changing.Thank You also for analyzing the technical and physical parts that make up the whole.I am not musical,I thought people just sang,but there is much I don;t know,too bad you were not one of my English grammer teachers,you even make that interesting!

I love her pure voice. She doesn’t over embellish it with that vocal frie (sp?) that has become so commonplace. You can tell she puts her soul into it making it all the more moving. I used to think the “Judy version” was the only one that was truly great, but this is so beautiful and real that I love it as much.

When you revisit, listen to Eva's breathing particularly just before the instrumental break when she sings, "that's where you'll find (breath) me". The first few times I heard this I wondered why a singer with her control breathed in a place where she obviously didn't need to. Eventually, I realized she's setting me up for the moment after the break. She needs that breath when she repeats the same phrase but with an entirely different dynamic approach.

Eva owned every song she covered. Thank you for mentioning her superb guitar skills.

Beautiful reaction, Bethany 🙂 You are very much forgiven for not going into a full break-down with this one. It is an extremely beautiful rendition of this song, by far my personal favourite. And I can't help but feel that this song had a particular meaning to her here, as this was recorded not too long before she passed away from the cancer. For ME at least, it just adds another layer to it all. I hope that you've had a great Easter! I'm always looking forward to your next reaction, and if it happens to be to Angelina, I will be ecstatic 😉 Much love from Norway ♥♥♥♥♥

It breaks my heart to watch her performing now, knowing she is no longer with us. She had such a unique & magical tone, rather like another singer who had a unique effortless tone, and too was taken from us far too early, Karen carpenter. I am hopefully a long way from my time to leave this world but I have already chosen this performance of this song as my music to accompany me on my final journey ( didn’t mean for that to sound morbid, it’s just a fact about something that happens to us all eventually ). This whole show was released on album. It is from a well know club in the US & the whole thing is brilliant but as it is the middle of the night here in the UK & I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the album (typical) but I will send you the link at a more reasonable hour when I find it. BTW well done for keeping it together, I was watching your face & I was expecting you to cry at any moment which isn’t surprising if you feel just 50% of the way it makes me feel, I wouldn’t have been so composed. I think the performance itself is all the things you said but I think knowing her story & that she is no longer with us just magnifies all the feeling this performance generates.

Thank you Bethany its one of those songs were you just listen, feel and appreciate how special EVA was. Such a loss. It also brings me to tears every time lol

You are about the ninth reaction to this performance I have watched in a very short period of time. All of her styles, all of her genres and all of her covers to many wonderful songs, simply blow me away. This song though is the very best example of her diverse talent. To be totally honest, each and every time I listen to it, I am crying tears of joy bathe time she hits the first four notes on her guitar, because it totally moves me. Other than a group of people who knew and followed her live performances way back when she did this in 1996, most likely thousands of us never would have been graced to hear her if it wasn't for the reaction videos that recently exploded on RU-vid of this song. Even most of the reactions were 1st time hearing her. She is not the only amazing talent the world has been introduced to for the first time either. Some of the greatest voices out there in the World would never have been heard of if not for You Tube Reaction videos. One other such talent because of his mostly single commitment to Contemporary Christian Music, ( although he has done covers of Classical, Operatic and Secular Pop songs) is David Phelps, maybe the most talented tenor voice in the World today. For me luckily I had vern watching The Gaither Homecoming Concert videos since about 1998, I have heard him solo, sing duets, sing with the Gaither Vocal Band and his own group that he performs with now. Like Eva Cassidy, the one song that he performed in a 2000 Homecoming Christmas Concert was OH HOLY NIGHT. Many many people have reacted to that performance because it was their first time hearing him sing. Many more reactions of him have happened since the ones of that performance. If one is not really into the Contemporary Christian Music. Then they still can hear reactions to his covers to songs like the Righteous Brothers' " UNCHAINED MELODY", " BRING HIM HOME" from Les Mis and Whitney Houston's "I HAVE NOTHING" to name a few. If you have never reacted to David Phelps, as a vocal coach you simply must.

Beautiful Eva…it’s as though she took a deep breath & just let her heart open wide in wistful thoughts of life’s mysteries & yearning. So human, so relatable, supremely pure & refreshing…perfection 🕊️ 💕.

Such a vocal genius... that so few notice her absolutely incredible guitar work. So glad you acknowledge, because the dynamics and interface of guitar and voice is just stunning. Such a combination is so very, very rare. Not one since.

Eva's story is one of pure astonishment and wonder. The fact her music was popularized posthumously shows how truly talented she was. it also show cases the misguided ideology of some if not most record producers for not recognizing her talent while she was alive. Whenever I listen to her I'm filled with so many emotions, thank you for doing this. 👌😍😢

By being her own accompanist, Eva is free to vary the tempo in a way that she couldn’t do if accompanied by others. And the way she flats the final note …. sheer perfection!

She was singing in Blues Alley, Washington, DC , under the Whitehurst Freeway, a l very small venue ( a cave) in a city which is not about art, a real voice in the wilderness. She covered a wide variety of songs and every Eva Cassidy version of every song is the best version ever done of that song.

Been waiting for this . Thank you for reacting 👏 👏 Her "songbird" is my fav. Gone too soon.

Hi Bethany! First time listener/subscriber. I found you as a result of your Burton Cummings video. So, I'll apologize up front in case I go long, but Eva is someone I think so highly of. Firstly, you mentioned her guitar playing. I agree with you that it is so good, and exactly what it needed to be for this cover. Eva, did not think she was a very good guitar player. Also, towards the end of her life, she wanted to do one more "good bye" gig to thank all her fans for their support. Just to show you the kind of person she was, the first song in that gig was "What A Wonderful World". I've said on other channels that I feel that she was an Angel here on Earth that we all got to share. I still believe that. I feel blessed that I was alive when she was. I never got to see/meet her, but still am thankful we resided on the planet at the same time. Anyway, thanks for the review! Look forward to others and, if I might make a suggestion for one, look up Dan Fogelberg. Kind of a similar story (died from cancer). I'd recommend both his "Souvenirs" and "Windows and Walls" albums. Peace...

OMG Eva is my number one, so glad you're doing her. Most perfect vocalist I've ever heard. I listen to her daily.

Omg!! I never heard of this girl til now. I am so hooked. What an incredible voice and guitar playing. Wow wow wow! Ty voice teacher.

Thank you so much for the beautiful reaction! I have loved Eva since I first heard her in 2000, when her studio recording of Over the Rainbow was featured on NPR as one of the top 100 recordings of the 20th century. I only discovered this handful of videos from the Blues Alley performance a few months ago, and while I'm very grateful to get to see her perform the song, it brings me to tears every. single. time. That's not really a problem, except if I watch a bunch of reaction videos, and end up sitting there leaking tears for an hour! I wanted to comment one thing about her phrasing in this. She breaks lines in unusual places - especially compared with the original and other versions of the song - and that, along with the slow tempo and the fact that the song is so well known, creates an enormous amount of anticipation throughout. She often ends a line with the first word or two of the next line before pausing. It makes you hang on every word - Somewhere. over. the rainbow way. up high. It's so beautifully done. She does the same thing with Autumn Leaves. It sounds like you're pretty familiar with Eva's music, but just in case: one of the things that's always amazed me was how her voice could range from a razor's-edge whisper to a sky-piercing belt. A couple of great examples of this are Blues in the Night and Oh, Had I a Golden Thread. Thanks again, loved your reaction to this and look forward to some more Eva! And if you get a chance, maybe some more of my other favorite singer of all time, Haley Reinhart! Cheers!

Thankyou you picked up on the shear genius of this Beautiful Artist,my god what she could have given us.She’s gone but her memory will live on❤❤❤❤❤

Music is such a beautiful thing. Couldn't resist playing along with Eva. Her changing the Ab to Abma7 (I'm assuming my guitar is standard tuned to Eb) in spots was wonderful, she was a beautiful guitar player, and her phrasing, having us wait for the word "rainbow" was so good. Thank you for reacting to her. New subscriber.

Gone too soon❤ What a phenomenal talent

In my opinion this is the best cover of any song ever. As you said...perfection...

Thank goodness someone recorded this performance. I believe at Blues Alley in Washington DC. Cassidy was one of the best American vocalist in any genre. Gone way too soon, thanks for covering her. If you aren't crying, check your pulse!

I have listened to this for times beyond count ... and it never fails to touch me. Tears as I ttype. Truly a rare mastepiece performance. Of course, the same could be said about so many songs she left us.

I cry every time, it is so beautiful and about longing. Longing to live.

*_THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FEMALE SINGING VOICE I’VE EVER HEARD_* 🙌🏾 Portland Oregon USA 🇺🇸

I just love her take on this timeless classic. Looking at life with bittersweet melancholy, experiencing it with all it's pain and shortcomings, yet all the while assuring others that dreams can still come true. It reminds me a bit of Tom Wait's take on West Side Story's "Somewhere".

I really appreciate your reaction and comments re: this song. You really put into words so many of my thoughts and it is wonderful to hear someone with so much knowledge re: the art of singing share how much they appreciate Eva's artistry and talent and skill

She was a total stylist. Impeccable phrasing and emotion. I can't listen to anyone else sing this song and many others she made her own.

Love her rendition of "time after time" from same performance. You should also check out her mash-up with Angelina Jordan of Fields of Gold👍👍

Beyond the flawless execution and the technical brilliance is simply stunning emotion and achingly beautiful expression. Even after all these years, this still brings tears to my eyes.

I hadn't seen/heard this in a while, either. Serves as a gentle reminder that I need to pick up another copy of Live at Blues Alley. I'm not always a fan of people messing with the original melody too much, but Eva did it so beautifully that you just didn't care. Her taste, instincts, and abilities were simply on another plane. As always, going to have to watch this again to catch everything you've said about what's happening in this classic performance. It's a flawless one, that's for sure.

I'm a guitar player, and I'm so grateful you said something about that. Eva had an angelic voice,but also nwas a a great guitar player. And she do both things at same time as a very short club of people can do it.

Her phrasing is just impeccable.

I bless the day that I discovered Eva Cassidy. What a loss her passing was. And I adore her voice, and as a once-upon-a-time guitarist, I envy her clear and sensitive guitar-playing style.

her use of dynamics on her guitar to push or pull her vocal is stunning .. shows how well she could play but also how well she not only understood her own instrument but also the guitar .and how they service each other ... stunning ...

Autumn Leaves!! Autumn Leaves!! You really will love her rendition of Autumn Leaves, possibly one of the finest I've ever heard. Let's have some more Eva Cassidy!

For all the hundreds of reaction videos done on Eva's live performance of this song, with all the technical evaluation of her talents: singing, guitar playing and picture painting, emotion displaying, precise enunciation of every word and note, everyone seems to get hung up on the word "COVER". The obvious point should be that what Eva actually does is "UNCOVER" a new and brighter interpretation of the songs and why it easily moves us to tears of joy. Three elements should be brought to light, especially for this song. Element One is her talents Element Two is He who blessed her with these talents

Every song Eva sings becomes her song because she understands the emotions related to the song. I’m 80 years old & I have heard many versions of the song “Autumn Leaves”(by Nat King Cole, Eric Clapton etc etc). No one gave this song the true meaning & feeling like Eva. This is a very sad song. Every time I listen to Eva sing Autumn Leaves, I get teary. The world lost an angel. RIP Eva, God bless you & keep you. Listen to her singing “Danny Boy” & “Chain of Fools

A masterpiece. What a loss that she is no longer with us to see where else she may have taken us. Thanks for reaction to her. We seemed to tear up about the same moments. Loved her "Fields of Gold" by Sting ! Thanks from Louisiana!

Great choice of music to comment on... and Eva Cassidy is "teaching singing" here.... the phrasing,the vibrato... the breath control.... not to mention the guitar and her outstanding fingerpicking. Thanks for reminding me of this one of a kind talent - and great channel btw. :)

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 absolutely beautiful thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭💫💫💖💖

That was such a beautiful rendition of this song. So sad that she is no longer with us. She died at only 33 years of age. I also love the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. Sadly he also died young at 38 years of age. At least we have their music left as a legacy.

Oh my lord. Listening to her beautiful voice and watch your face at the same time brought tears to my eyes. Thank you.❤

Beautiful beautiful voice. Gone to soon. I didn't discover her until after she had passed. Which seems to be the case for many of her fans. Her voice was comfort to me many times.

I'm so glad she got the recognition that she deserved. 😢

Another good song that emphasizes her unreal range is Oh Had I a Golden Thread. But this one hits me in the feels every single time. Plus, she had a cold when she did this concert, so that makes it even more amazing.