You know the feeling. That soaring, brassy swell of music that makes you want to throw open the windows and scream at the top of your lungs. It’s one of the most recognizable openings in music history. When Nina Simone sings and you know how i feel lyrics in the iconic track "Feeling Good," she isn't just describing a mood. She’s claiming a whole new existence.
It’s a song about liberation. Pure and simple.
But here’s the thing—most people don't realize Nina Simone didn’t write it. It wasn’t even originally a jazz standard. It started its life on a stage in the UK, written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for a 1964 musical called The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd. Cy Grant sang it first, but Nina? She breathed a soul into it that changed the trajectory of the song forever.
The Raw Power Behind the Lyrics
The song opens a cappella. No drums. No piano. Just that voice. When she hits that first line about the birds flying high, she's setting a scene of natural, effortless freedom. It’s a direct contrast to the heavy, grounded reality many people were living in 1965.
Why does it resonate so much? Because it captures the specific moment when a person decides they aren't going to be a victim of their circumstances anymore.
"Fish in the ocean, you know how I feel."
It’s such a simple metaphor. Nature doesn’t ask for permission to exist. The sun doesn't apologize for shining. By the time Simone gets to the line and you know how i feel lyrics in the second verse, the instrumentation has kicked in, and the song has transformed from a quiet prayer into a defiant anthem. It’s heavy. It’s triumphant. It’s also a bit scary if you’re the person standing in her way.
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Why Everyone Sampled This Song
If you’re a hip-hop head, you probably heard this through Kanye West and Jay-Z first. In "New Day" from Watch the Throne, they take that haunting "birds flying high" vocal and pitch it down, turning a song of triumph into something more introspective and complicated.
Then you’ve got Muse. Matt Bellamy took the track and turned it into a distorted, space-rock behemoth. Michael Bublé turned it into a polished, big-band staple that plays in every grocery store in America.
But none of them quite capture the grit of the original 1965 recording. Nina Simone’s version has a "snap" to it. You can hear her smirk during the "Dragonfly in the sun" line. She knows something you don't. She’s found a secret doorway to a new dawn, a new day, and a new life. Honestly, most covers play it too safe. They treat it like a song about being happy. Nina treated it like a song about being free, which is a very different emotion.
The Cultural Context You Might Be Missing
To understand the weight of these lyrics, you have to look at 1965. The Civil Rights Movement was at a boiling point. Nina Simone was a fierce activist. For a Black woman in America to stand on a stage and belt out "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me... and I'm feeling good" wasn't just entertainment. It was a political statement.
It was a reclamation of joy.
- The Musical Structure: It starts in a minor key (G minor), which usually feels sad or tense.
- The Shift: As the brass section builds, the "feeling" shifts from tension to release.
- The Climax: That final "Freedom is mine!" is one of the most cathartic moments in 20th-century recording.
People often forget that Nina was a classically trained pianist. She wanted to be the first Black female concert pianist. When that dream was deferred due to the systemic racism of the time, she channeled that frustration into her music. That’s why there’s a certain "edge" to her voice even when she’s singing about butterflies.
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Misheard Lyrics and Common Confusion
People get the words mixed up all the time. Sometimes people think she’s saying "blossom on the tree" when she’s actually talking about the "scent of the pine." It’s also common for listeners to search for and you know how i feel lyrics thinking it’s the title of the song because that phrase is the emotional anchor of every verse.
The repetitive nature of "you know how I feel" acts like a conversation. She’s calling out to the natural world—the stars, the river, the reeds—asking them to bear witness to her transformation. It’s almost shamanic.
The Technical Brilliance of the 1965 Recording
Let’s talk about the arrangement by Hal Mooney. The way the brass section stabs at the rhythm is incredible. It’s not a smooth, flowing jazz piece. It’s jagged. It’s got teeth.
Most modern pop songs are compressed to death. You lose the "air" in the room. If you listen to the 1965 master of "Feeling Good," you can hear the physical space. You can hear the way her voice bounces off the walls. That’s why it feels so human. It’s imperfect. There are tiny cracks in the notes that a modern producer would "fix" with Auto-Tune, but those cracks are where the soul lives.
How to Use This Song Today
If you’re a creator, or just someone who needs a mental reset, there’s a reason this song is the "go-to" for every movie montage where a character finally gets their life together. It’s the ultimate "main character energy" track.
But don't just use it as background noise. Really listen to the bridge.
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"Sleep in peace when day is done, that's what I mean."
That line is arguably the most important part of the song. Freedom isn't just about shouting and dancing; it’s about the ability to sleep without fear. To be at peace with yourself when the lights go out.
Real Ways to Engage with the Music:
- Listen to the Mono version. If you can find it, the mono mix has a punch that the stereo version lacks. It hits you right in the chest.
- Compare the covers. Listen to Nina, then listen to Nina’s live version from Montreux in 1976. It’s much slower, more agonizing, and deeply beautiful.
- Read the Bricusse lyrics. See how they were intended for a "white-face" vs "black-face" metaphorical play and realize how Nina Simone completely subverted that original context to create a Black anthem.
The legacy of the and you know how i feel lyrics isn't going anywhere. It’s been featured in everything from The Man in the High Castle to Cruella. It’s been used to sell cars and perfumes. But at its core, it remains a song about the raw, unfiltered human spirit.
Next time you hear those opening notes, don't just hum along. Think about what it took to sing those words in 1965. Think about the "new dawn" she was dreaming of.
To truly appreciate the song, find a high-quality vinyl pressing or a lossless digital stream. Avoid the low-bitrate YouTube rips. You need to hear the texture of her voice to get the full effect. After that, look up her performance at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival; it’s a masterclass in stage presence and emotional storytelling that puts modern stadium tours to shame.