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
feelings
Nina Simone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me, yeah
It's a new day
It's a new life for me, ooh
And I'm feeling good
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
River running free, you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
And I'm feeling good
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know?
Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean
And this old world, is a new world
And a bold world for me, yeah-yeah
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
Oh, freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
It's a new day
It's a new life for me
I'm feeling good
Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" is an anthem for those who are finally discovering a new beginning. The song is a dazzling portrayal of confidence and self-assurance, where the singer sings about feeling empowered and invincible. The scene is set with the opening lines, where Simone compares the world to a new beginning, something fresh and exciting. She describes the feeling of liberation and unbounded possibilities that lie in front of her. The use of imagery evokes a sense of awe and grandeur, like stars shining and a scent of fresh pine. These vivid descriptions allow the listener to visualize and feel the ecstasy of the song.
The next verse of the song continues this uplifting attitude, comparing the freedom and joy of life to the carefree fluttering of dragonflies and butterflies. Simone sings about the peace and tranquility of experiencing and embracing the end of the day. The chorus is repeated twice more, emphasizing Simone's excitement about the new beginning and the potential of new opportunities.
The final verse brings it all together, declaring that freedom is hers, and she knows how it feels. With this, Nina Simone brings the listener on a journey of self-discovery and liberation, allowing them to find their voice and recognize the power and potential they possess.
Line by Line Meaning
Birds flying high, you know how I feel
The feeling of being free and limitless, just like the birds flying high
Sun in the sky, you know how I feel
The feeling of warmth and comfort, just like the sun in the sky
Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel
The feeling of calmness and ease, just like the breeze drifting by
It's a new dawn
The start of a new day and a new beginning
It's a new day
The opportunity to experience and accomplish new things
It's a new life for me, yeah
Having a fresh start, a new perspective and a chance to pursue happiness
Fish in the sea, you know how I feel
The abundance of opportunities and possibilities, like the fish in the sea
River running free, you know how I feel
The flowing, energetic and liberated feeling of the river running free
Blossom on the tree, you know how I feel
The beauty, growth and potential represented by the blossom on the tree
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don't you know?
The feeling of being alive and the awareness of the world's beauty, that can be represented by a dragonfly out in the sun
Butterflies all havin' fun, you know what I mean
The joyfulness and carefree nature, that can be reflected in the butterflies having fun
Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean
The satisfaction and comfort that comes from a peaceful and fulfilling day
And this old world, is a new world
The perception of the world as a new and exciting place, with endless possibilities
And a bold world for me, yeah-yeah
A world to explore and take risks in, with a sense of self-confidence and courage
Stars when you shine, you know how I feel
The awe-inspiring and majestic feeling of the shining stars
Scent of the pine, you know how I feel
The invigorating, refreshing and peaceful sensation conveyed by the scent of pine
Oh, freedom is mine
The sense of freedom of thought, expression and feeling
And I know how I feel
Having a deep and clear comprehension of oneself and one's emotions
It's a new dawn
The beginning of a new phase of life or a new project
It's a new day
A fresh start and a new opportunity to pursue happiness and fulfillment
It's a new life for me
A revitalizing change, with new possibilities and experiences
I'm feeling good
The state of being content, energized and positive
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@zhzh2848
Stars, they come and go, they come fast or slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
And all you see is glory
Hey but it gets lonely there when there's no one here to share
We can shake it away, if you'll hear a story
People lust for fame like athletes in a game,
we break our collarbones and come up swinging,
some of us are downed
some of us are crowned, and some are lost and never found
But most have seen it all,
they live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
They always come up singing
Some make it when they're young,
before the world has done its dirty job
and later on someone will say
"You've had your day, now you must make way"
But they'll never know the pain of living with a name you never owned
or the many years forgetting what you know too well
That the ones who gave the crown have been let down
You try to make amends without defending
Perhaps pretending you never saw the eyes of grown men of twenty-five
that follow as you walk and ask for autographs
Or kiss you on the cheek and you never can believe they really loved you
Some make it when they're old
(Perhaps they have a soul they're not afraid to bare
or perhaps there's nothing there)
Stars, they come and go, they come fast they come slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
And all you see is glory
But most have seen it all,
they live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
They always have a story
Some women have a body men will want to see
and so they put it on display
Some people play a fine guitar, I could listen to them play all day
Some ladies really move across the stage and gee, they sure can dance
I guess I could learn how, if I gave it half a chance
But I always feel so funny when my body tries to soar
And I seem to always worry about missing the next chord
I guess there isn't anything to put up on display
Except the tunes, and whatever else I say
But anyway, that isn't really what I meant to say
I meant to tell a story, I live from day to day
Stars, they come and go, they're coming fast they come slow
They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze
And all you see is glory
But most have seen it all,
who live their lives in sad cafes and music halls
And we always have a story
So if you don't lose patience with my fumbling around
I'll come up singing for you, even when I'm down
@laceynerness2042
I've literally never seen someone be this real. In public. To music. Where have I been all this time? I'm crying.
@sxwe11
I said the same thing. Feel ashamed of myself at age 58, I just discovered her. I've listened to her over and over. She's a genius, a legend an icon 👏
@coam3708
She died in Paris all alone
@coam3708
She was going through bipolar disorder episodes during this time
@danielp7394
32, played guitar for 20 years and I've played classical, jazz bands, prog metal, everything. I just discovered her about a year ago.....I cried immediately at her scoffing at fame, the whole damn thing. I have written instrumentals that made people cry and what she did here is on such a human level I can't touch....it's Daniel Johnston mixed with your unabashed grandma mixed with childlike curiosity and honesty
@coam3708
@Daniel P I am surprised u have not heard of her she died alone in Paris I think it was about 76 I first heard her
@beckya640
Watching someone “in the zone,” as she clearly was, is a spiritual experience. This is sublime.
@xv621
Indeed...she was in pain...and when you are in pain ...you let GO ...YOU LOOSE FEAR..
YOU REACH INFINITY
YOU CRY USING MELODY,EMOTION.
YOU LOOSE YOURSELF TO YOUR FEELING...
@titagee305
I was there for this performance. She was awesome.
@RedRosamond
WOW I have sat endless hours watching this performance for years wondering what it must have felt like to be there! Absolutely a gift you received :)