Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (audio) -

The song was written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott, and Sol Marcus specifically for Simone's album . Its inception was deeply personal; Horace Ott came up with the melody and chorus following a heated argument with his then-girlfriend, Gloria Caldwell. Due to industry rules at the time, Ott credited Caldwell as a co-writer.

Though originally a song about a lovers' quarrel, the meaning of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" shifted the moment it touched Simone’s voice. Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (Audio)

: The lyrics—particularly lines like "Sometimes it seems all I have is worry / and then you're bound to see my other side" —are often viewed through the lens of Simone’s notoriously difficult marriage and her own mental health battles. The song was written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace

: In the context of 1964, many heard the song as a plea for the humanity of Black Americans. It became a "Great Black American song" that demanded ethical recognition during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. Though originally a song about a lovers' quarrel,