This song is featured on an incredible album by the legendary pianist and singer Nina Simone. A true artist, Nina possessed extraordinary skill in her craft and was also a fearless civil rights activist, expressing her thoughts and emotions boldly through her music.

Nina grew up in a poor family, aspiring to become a concert pianist. Although she was denied entry to Juilliard—a rejection she attributed to racism—she eventually found her way to performing in an Atlantic City nightclub in 1958. Her family disapproved of her choice to play what they considered “devil’s music,” leading her to adopt the stage name Nina Simone, replacing her birth name, Eunice Kathleen Waymon. The following year, she released her debut studio album, Little Girl Blue, and went on to record 40 albums over the next 15 years.

Nina’s style and ability were unparalleled. She effortlessly fused genres and incorporated techniques like Bach-inspired counterpoint into folk and pop tunes. She often engaged in dialogue with her audience, used silence as a powerful musical tool, and wasn’t afraid to express her frustration when crowds were disrespectful or inattentive. Her demand for respect mirrored her unwavering commitment to her artistry, creating unforgettable performances.

This particular song, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” was composed by jazz pianist Billy Taylor and became an anthem for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Originally recorded as an instrumental, lyrics were later added by Dick Dallas. Nina recorded her stunning version in 1967 for her album Silk & Soul.

Live Performance: If you want to experience Nina’s magic, take six minutes to watch one of her live performances of this song. Her ability to fully commit to a feeling, emotion, or idea is breathtaking. You can see it in her expressions as she experiments with every shade of her musical palette. At around the 3:30 mark, I get chills. And her piano skills in the intro and throughout? Simply incredible.

Juilliard Fact: Although Nina was denied admission to Juilliard early in her life, the institution awarded her an honorary degree just days before her death in 2003—an acknowledgment of her monumental impact.

I Hope you enjoy this moving song!

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free
I wish I could break all the chains holding me
I wish I could say all the things that I should say
Say ’em loud, say ’em clear
For the whole round world to hear

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I wish I could share all the love that’s in my heart
Remove all the bars that keep us apart
I wish you could know what it means to be me
Then you’d see and agree
That every man should be free

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I wish I could give all I’m longing to give
I wish I could live like I’m longing to live
I wish I could do all the things that I can do
Though I’m way overdue, I’d be starting anew

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Well, I wish I could be like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be if I found I could fly
Oh, I’d soar to the sun and look down at the sea
And then I’d sing ’cause I’d know
How it feels to be free

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My name is Michael Sanchez and I’m an avid record collector and obscure song searcher. My goal is to post (hopefully) one song a day that’s been on my stereo/turntable frequently. If you don’t like the song… too bad 🙂 You can just wait for the next one. All the info I find is from wikipedia/youtube/interviews/news articles/personal stories I’ve heard/random googling. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

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