Horace Ott first conceived the melody and chorus after a heated argument with his then-girlfriend (and later wife), Gloria Caldwell.
Simone’s interpretation transformed a standard apology into something much larger. Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Simone recorded it for her album Broadway-Blues-Ballads as a downtempo, orchestrated ballad . Unlike later high-energy covers, her version featured prominent harp and a brooding, melancholic arrangement. Layers of Meaning Horace Ott first conceived the melody and chorus
Due to restrictive contracts preventing BMI and ASCAP writers from collaborating, Ott’s name was replaced in the credits by Caldwell’s. and Sol Marcus.
While many associate the track with the rock-and-roll energy of , it was originally written for Simone in 1964 by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott, and Sol Marcus.