Mississippi Goddam
Nina Simone
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The name of this tune is Mississippi goddam And I mean every word of it Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Can't you see it Can't you feel it It's all in the air I can't stand the pressure much longer Somebody say a prayer Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam This is a show tune But the show hasn't been written for it, yet Hound dogs on my trail School children sitting in jail Black cat cross my path I think every day's gonna be my last Lord have mercy on this land of mine We all gonna get it in due time I don't belong here I don't belong there I've even stopped believing in prayer Don't tell me I tell you Me and my people just about due I've been there so I know They keep on saying 'Go slow!' But that's just the trouble 'Do it slow' Washing the windows 'Do it slow' Picking the cotton 'Do it slow' You're just plain rotten 'Do it slow' You're too damn lazy 'Do it slow' The thinking's crazy 'Do it slow' Where am I going What am I doing I don't know I don't know Just try to do your very best Stand up be counted with all the rest For everybody knows about Mississippi goddam I made you thought I was kiddin' Picket lines School boy cots They try to say it's a communist plot All I want is equality For my sister my brother my people and me Yes you lied to me all these years You told me to wash and clean my ears And talk real fine just like a lady And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie Oh but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you any more You keep on saying 'Go slow!' 'Go slow!' But that's just the trouble 'Do it slow' Desegregation 'Do it slow' Mass participation 'Do it slow' Reunification 'Do it slow' Do things gradually 'Do it slow' But bring more tragedy 'Do it slow' Why don't you see it Why don't you feel it I don't know I don't know You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about Mississippi Everybody knows about Alabama Everybody knows about Mississippi goddam, that's it
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Written by: Nina Simone
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Song Origin"Mississippi Goddam" was a song written and performed by American singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone, released in 1964.
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Civil Rights MovementThe song was Simone's response to the murder of Medgar Evers in Mississippi and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, both incidents took place in 1963 which escalated the Civil Rights Movement.
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Song GenreUnlike most of her other works, "Mississippi Goddam" is a civil rights protest song couched in a show tune style.
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Bold MessageThe song captured Simone's commitment to the civil rights movement and articulated her anger, pain, and frustration with the racial injustice Black people continued to face.
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Use of Profanity"Mississippi Goddam" was one of the first songs to use the racial swear word openly. It spoke volumes about the anger and despair felt by African-Americans during the civil rights struggle.
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Live PerformanceThe song was first performed in front of a predominantly white audience at Carnegie Hall. The immediate reaction was shock which gave way to a standing ovation.
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Song ReceptionAfter the release of "Mississippi Goddam", Simone received a considerable amount of hate mail and the song was banned in several Southern states.
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Powerful LyricsSimone didn't mince words in her lyrics, singing, "Alabama's got me so upset, Tennessee made me lose my rest, And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam."
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Historical ImpactDespite the controversy, "Mississippi Goddam" became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, and is considered one of Simone's most notable songs.
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LegacyThe song is preserved in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The protest song continues to be relevant and is often referenced by scholars and civil rights activists.
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Citation
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"Mississippi Goddam Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/6767056/Nina+Simone/Mississippi+Goddam>.
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