Nina Simone – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood

“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is a song written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott and Sol Marcus for the American singer-songwriter and pianist Nina Simone, who recorded the first version in 1964.

“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was one of five songs written by Benjamin and Marcus and presented for Nina Simone’s 1964 album Broadway-Blues-Ballads. There, the song was taken at a very slow tempo and arranged around the harp and other orchestral elements including a backing choir that appears at several points. Simone sings it in her typically difficult-to-categorize style.

Like all enduring songs, the meaning behind the lyrics is open to interpretation. What is clear, however, is that it is Nina Simone’s stunning vocal performance in this track that allows the song to take on so many different meanings. Her rapid, trilling vibrato adds a layer of heartache, whilst those notes she belts with all her lung power convey an unwavering resilience. Nina Simone truly was one of America’s greatest gifts to the world.

Like so many unique artists, Nina Simone’s work was shamefully underappreciated during her lifetime. Despite her obvious talent, her early albums rarely made much of an impact on the charts, and she was continually overshadowed by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Billie Holiday. Her unusual vocal register and uncompromising live performances also made her a bewildering, divisive character in the eyes of the public. To many, she was an artist who was constantly cycling through “fits of outrage and improvisational genius”.

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Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood02:42

Today, Nina Simone’s voice is regarded as one of the most evocative sounds in all American music. Her contralto register gives her music a resonant warmth which is as comforting as it is moving. She was able to imbue her songs with such emotion that she could have sung anything and made it sound as though she’d lived a thousand lifetimes. Certainly, the life she did lead was full of euphoric highs and equally devastating lows, and no song captures that more so than her song ‘Don’t Let Me Be Understood’. This recording of Simone’s isolated vocals from that track gives us an opportunity to listen to the subtle nuances and intense virtuosity of Simone’s performance.

Lyrics/Versuri:
Baby, do you understand me now?
Sometimes I feel a little mad
But don’t you know that no one alive can always be an angel
When things go wrong I feel real bad.
I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Baby, sometimes I’m so carefree
With a joy that’s hard to hide
And sometimes it seems that, all I have to do is worry
And then you’re bound to see my other side
I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
If I seem edgy, I want you to know,
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems, and I get my share,
And that’s one thing I never mean to do
Cause I love you,
Oh,
Oh, oh, oh, baby – don’t you know I’m human
I have thoughts like any other one
Sometimes I find myself, Lord, regretting
Some foolish thing, some little simple thing I’ve done

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