Nobody
Nina Simone Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ah, nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
Tryin' to raise my soul to light

Ah, have a bible in my home
Have a bible in my home
Tryin' to raise my soul to light
Taught me how to read
Taught me how to read
Tryin' to raise my soul to light
Nobody's fault but mine.

Oh Lord, nobody's fault but mine
Tryin' to raise my soul to light
Ah have a bible in my home
Have a bible in my home
Tryin' to raise my soul to light
Oh, buddy she taught me how to read
Buddy she taught me how to read
Tryin' to raise my soul to light.

Ah, Lord, Lord, nobody's fault but mine
Bible and my soul tonight
And sister she taught me how to read
Sister she taught me how to read
Bible and my soul tonight.

Ah, no, no, nobody's fault but mine.
Bible and my soul tonight.
Nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
Tryin' to raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine

Got a bible in my home
Got a bible in my home
Tryin' to raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine - yeah!

Sister she taught me to roll
My sister she taught me to roll
I roll along the line
Nobody's fault but mine

Nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
I'll raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine
Take it on, take it on

I got a monkey on my back
I gotta monkey on my back, back, back
I'll raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine - yeah

Nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
I'll raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine
Whoo!

Naw.
Nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
I'll raise my soul to the light
Nobody's fault but mine

Nobody's fault but mine
Nobody's fault but mine
Tryin' raise my soul to the light




Nobody's fault but mine
Oh!

Overall Meaning

The song "Nobody's fault but mine" by Nina Simone is a powerful gospel blues that captures the essence of personal responsibility and self-reliance. Throughout the lyrics, we see the singer professing her faith in Christianity and how having a bible in her home has been instrumental in her quest to "raise [her] soul to the light." Simone emphasizes that nobody but herself is responsible for her spiritual journey, hence the repeated lyrics of "Nobody's fault but mine." She acknowledges the help she has received from her sister, who taught her how to read and roll, but ultimately believes that it is upon her to take responsibility for her soul and her relationship with God.


Simone's raw, emotive singing and her use of call-and-response capture the depth of her conviction and longing for spiritual enlightenment. This song represents the internal struggles of one person's journey to redemption and shows that a person's religious journey is ultimately their own.


Line by Line Meaning

Ah, nobody's fault but mine
I am solely responsible for my actions and decisions.


Tryin' to raise my soul to light
I am striving to achieve spiritual enlightenment.


Have a bible in my home
I possess the holy book for guidance and inspiration.


Taught me how to read
I have learned to read and interpret the Bible's teachings on my own.


Oh Lord, nobody's fault but mine
I acknowledge that my current situation is solely my responsibility.


Buddy she taught me how to read
My friend has helped me comprehend the messages in the Bible.


Ah, Lord, Lord, nobody's fault but mine
I implore God for guidance and recognize that I am accountable for my actions.


Bible and my soul tonight
I am devoting myself to understanding the scriptures.


Sister she taught me how to read
My sister has taught me to find meaning in the Bible's teachings.


No, no, nobody's fault but mine.
I cannot blame others for my situation.


Got a bible in my home
I possess the holy book for guidance and inspiration.


Take it on, take it on
I am taking responsibility for my past mistakes and moving forward.


I gotta monkey on my back, back, back
I am burdened by my past mistakes but striving to overcome them.


Whoo!
I am expressing relief and release from my burdens.


Naw.
I am rejecting the idea that others are to blame for my situation.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBERT ANTHONY PLANT, JAMES PATRICK (JIMMY) PAGE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

GeoffDuke

Awesome lyrics  "Until I get me somethin’ from somebody, sometime/ I don’t intend to do nothin’ for nobody, no time"

I wish I could have heard this lady live.

Fan Made Videos

Nina captures the beautiful sadness that is loneliness

Amber Carter

NINA! Kills it everytime!!! LOVE this!

The Marble Index

Turned the radio on to my local jazz station at work & heard this song. A great discovery.

Les The Best

Nina Simone was a creative genius. On this album she not only paid homage to Broadway standards but the long forgotten first Black Superstar of Stage, Screen and Recordings, Bert Williams . I order to achieve this he had to demean himself by wearing BlAckface. Nina was not only a great singer-pianist but an intellectual giant far ahead of her time and she resurrected Williams for a specific reason.

Barry Thomas

Composer of this song: Bert Williams, a great black star of the Ziegfield Follies of the early 20th century.. Just like he did, Nina nails it!

willie steel

the absolute greatest!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

conrad newton

SOOOOOOOO TURE !!!

conrad newton

2019!!!

aaron4wilkins

Bert Williams song

More Versions