LogFAQs > #954719142

191. Nina Simone Feeling Good (1965)
from the album I Put a Spell on You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5Y11hwjMNs

Key lyrics:
Oh, freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

Though Nina Simone did not write Feeling Good herself, she certainly managed to claim it as her own. Simone is a vocal powerhouse, and this song is the perfect showcase. The lyrics are straightforward, a rather simple show tune but she sings with such passion to fill every word with grander meaning. Even without any explicit lyrics, it is easy to take Simones performance as one standing for black liberation. In every part of the natural world, she finds joy and solidarity. Theres no need for specifics; Feeling Good is a celebration of the universal value of freedom.

The song structure is fittingly grandiose for a show tune. For the first forty seconds, Nina Simone sings a capella. The instruments drop in with great force, at first rivalling Simone for the spotlight. During the next verse, she is given more room to breathe, the instrumental focus shifting to a quieter piano. The instruments then return to their full force, but Simone pushes herself beyond them, exploding into a barrage of scatting before giving one last powerful shout of Im feeling good as the song closes. Few singers have ever sounded this powerful and self-assured. Feeling Good is a blast of pure optimism.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/