Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on 21st February 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, USA, one of eight children. Like a number of other black singers in the U.S., she was inspired as a child by Marian Anderson, and began singing at her local church, also showing great talent as a pianist. Her public debut, a piano recital, was made at the age of ten. Her parents, who had taken seats in the front row, were forced to move to the back of the hall to make way for white audience members. This incident contributed to her later involvement in the civil rights movement.
Simone's mother, Mary Kate Waymon (who lived into her late nineties) was a strict Methodist minister; her father, John Divine Waymon, was a handyman and sometime barber who suffered bouts of ill-health. Mrs Waymon worked as a maid, and her employer, hearing of Nina's talent, provided funds for piano lessons for the little girl. Subsequently, a local fund was set up to assist in Eunice's continued education.
At seventeen, Simone moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she taught piano and accompanied singers. She was able to begin studying piano at New York City's prestigious Juilliard School of Music but lack of funds meant that she was unable to fulfill her dream of becoming America's first Black classical pianist. She later had an interview to study piano at the Curtis Institute, but was rejected. Simone believed this rejection, which fueled her hatred of racism, was because she was black.
Simone turned to blues and jazz after getting her start at the Midtown Bar & Grill on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, taking the name Nina Simone in 1954; "Nina" was her boyfriend's nickname for her, and "Simone" was after the French actress Simone Signoret. She first came to public notice in 1959 with her wrenching rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" (from Porgy and Bess), her only Top-Forty hit in the United States. This was soon followed by the single "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (this was also a hit in the 1980s in the United Kingdom when used for television advertisements for Chanel No 5 perfume).
Throughout the 1960s, Simone was involved in the civil rights movement and recorded a number of political songs, including "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (later covered by Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway), "Backlash Blues", "Mississippi Goddam" (a response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama killing four black children), "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free", and Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny", from The Threepenny Opera, re-cast in a southern town.
In 1961, Simone recorded a version of the traditional song "House of the Rising Sun", which was then covered by folk-blues artist, Dave Van Ronk, and later recorded by Bob Dylan, where it was picked up by The Animals and became their signature hit. Other songs she is famous for include "I Put a Spell on You" (originally by Screamin' Jay Hawkins), The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun", "Four Women", Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody", and "Ain't Got No (I Got Life)". The latter, from the musical Hair, was her debut in the UK charts, reaching number two in 1968, and a remixed version of the recording by Groovefinder was a UK Top Thirty hit in 2006.
Broadway musicals also supplied several hits for Simone: "My Baby Just Cares for Me", "Love Me or Leave Me", "Feeling Good", and "Ne Me Quitte Pas". Also "You Can Have Him" on the LP Live at Town Hall recorded when she was twenty-six years old; at the end of this operatic performance, which displays her great skill as an actress as well as a musician, she whoops with joy. This single recording encapsulates her extraordinary power, wit, flexibility, sensuality and occasional menace.
In 1987 Nina experienced a resurgence in popularity when "My Baby Just Cares for Me", a track from her first Bethlehem Records album (1958) became a huge hit in the UK and elsewhere. Nina's versatility as an artist was evident in all her music, which often had a folk-music simplicity.
In a single concert, she moved easily from gospel-inspired tunes to blues and jazz and, in numbers like "For All We Know", to numbers infused with European classical stylings, and counterpoint fugues.
Throughout most of her career she was accompanied by percussionist Leopoldo Flemming and guitarist and musical director Al Shackman.
In 1971, Simone left the United States following disagreements with her agents, record labels, and the tax authorities, citing racism as the reason. She returned in 1978 and was arrested for tax evasion (she had withheld several years of income tax as a protest against the Vietnam War). She lived in various countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe, continuing to perform into her 60s. In the 1980s, she performed regularly at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London. In 1995, Simone reportedly shot and wounded her neighbour's son with an air pistol after his laughing disturbed her concentration.
She had a reputation in the music industry for being volatile and sometimes difficult to deal with, a characterization with which Simone strenuously took issue.
Though her onstage style could be somewhat haughty and aloof, in later years, Simone particularly seemed to enjoy engaging her adoring audiences by recounting sometimes humorous anecdotes related to her career and music and soliciting requests. Simone's regal bearing and commanding stage presence earned her the title the "High Priestess of Soul."
In 1993, she settled near Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. She had been ill with cancer for several years before she died on 21st April 2003 in her sleep at her home in Carry-le-Rouet.
Simone was the recipient of a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2000 for her song "I Loves You Porgy." She has also received fifteen Grammy Award nominations. On Human Kindness Day 1974 in Washington, D.C., more than 10,000 people paid tribute to Simone. Simone received two honorary degrees in music and humanities, from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Malcolm X College. She preferred to be called "Dr. Nina Simone" after these honors were bestowed upon her. Only two days before her death, Simone was awarded an honorary degree by the Curtis Institute, the music school that had refused to admit her as a student at the beginning of her career.
In 2002, the city of Nijmegen (The Netherlands) named a street after her, the Nina Simonestraat. Simone lived in Nijmegen between 1988 and 1990.
Simone was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
In 2010 a statue in her honor was erected in Trade Street, Tryon, North Carolina, her place of birth.
*Official site
Let It Be Me
Nina Simone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If sometimes you see that I'm mad
Don't you know that no one alive can always be an angel?
When everything goes wrong, you see some bad
But oh, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Oh, with a joy that's hard to hide
And then sometimes again it seems that all I have is worry
And then you're bound to see my other side
But 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
I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems
And I get more than my share
But that's one thing I never mean to do
'Cause I love you
Oh, baby, I'm just human
Don't you know I have faults like anyone?
Sometimes I find myself alone regretting some little foolish thing
Some simple thing that I've done
'Cause I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Don't let me be misunderstood
I try so hard, so please don't let me be misunderstood
No, no, no
The song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Nina Simone is a plea to be understood and to not be judged too harshly by the people around her. She starts off by asking if her companion understands her when she is feeling upset, angry or when life is not going according to plan. She acknowledges that everyone has flaws and sometimes acts in ways that can be perceived as negative, but she appeals to the listener to see past her negative actions and see her good intentions. She admits that sometimes she is carefree and happy, but other times she worries about things and becomes upset, and she fears that others will only see her negative side. She implores the listener to understand that she is only human and that she has faults like anyone else, but she also tries to do good and live a positive life, so she asks the Lord to help others see that about her and not misunderstand her.
The lyrics of the song speak to the experience of feeling misunderstood and judged by others. It is a common fear for many people to worry that others will not see their good intentions and only judge them by their negative actions. The song shows the vulnerability of the artist and how frustrating it can be to feel like others do not see who she truly is.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you understand me now?
Can you comprehend who I am and what I feel?
If sometimes you see that I'm mad
When I'm angry, don't judge me as bad
Don't you know that no one alive can always be an angel?
Everyone has their own shortcomings and nobody can be perfect all the time
When everything goes wrong, you see some bad
Under stress, sometimes my bad qualities show up
But oh, I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Despite my flaws, I always strive to do good things
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
I hope you see me for who I really am and not just my occasional faults
You know sometimes, baby I'm so carefree
Sometimes I'm joyfully free-spirited and easy-going
Oh, with a joy that's hard to hide
My excitement and happiness is difficult to conceal
And then sometimes again it seems that all I have is worry
But at other times, all I can think of is my concerns
And then you're bound to see my other side
And when that occurs, you'll witness my negative behavior
If I seem edgy
When I act irritable or nervous
I want you to know
I need you to understand
I never mean to take it out on you
I don't intend to hurt you despite my demeanor
Life has its problems
There are so many difficulties in life
And I get more than my share
It sometimes feels like I'm dealing with more than my fair share of issues
But that's one thing I never mean to do
But one thing I would never do is take my stress out on you
'Cause I love you
Because I care about you deeply
Oh, baby, I'm just human
I'm not perfect, I'm just a fallible human being
Don't you know I have faults like anyone?
I have flaws like all human beings do
Sometimes I find myself alone regretting some little foolish thing
I sometimes feel guilty about small mistakes I've made when I'm by myself
Some simple thing that I've done
Small, insignificant errors I've made
'Cause I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
But at the end of the day, I'm someone who tries hard to do the right thing
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
My only wish is to be understood for who I actually am
Don't let me be misunderstood
Please do not misinterpret my words or actions
I try so hard, so please don't let me be misunderstood
I give my all and it would be heartbreaking if I was judged unfairly
No, no, no
I plead with you to understand me, no matter the cost
Lyrics © WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Norma J.
Beautiful rendition of a beautiful love song, thanks so much for sharing, never heard it sung by Nina before.
Martin
this is so beautiful! thank you :)
Elaine8492
It is and you're welcome! ;)
John Benn
GOD
Nina is a musical Godess & her brother is great also.
From a 72yo mad keen Aussie fan.
Enzo Ombrablu
Grandissima, Nina!!! The best..........
Gary Leddy
what a voice,
LightBoxDays
my favourite. Noone like Nina. Thank you.
Mika Brizard
la plus grande,diva
ADAM SCOTT
THANK YOU!!!
Elaine8492
em1256: Yes, her brother, Samuel, is singing with her.