The first time I've seen this live performance of Ain't Got No - I Got Life by Nina Simone, somewhere in London in 1968. In the four minutes of playing it, I was one of 132 viewers and 66,874,610 (and counting) since it was posted on YouTube in 2010. No surprise, I ended up watching it three times in a row.
It's markedly different from either the single or album versions that I'm more familiar with, starting off with gentle, downtempo piano and low key backing from the band, subtly and gradually building up, coming in strong with the latter 'I Got Life' section and ending in such uplifting, rousing fashion that you just want to play it again.
Originally two songs, written by James Rado, Gerome Ragni and Galt MacDermot for the musical Hair, Nina reworked and repurposed it as a single song in two parts, almost a call and response. 'Ain't Got No' is the naysayers or inner voice of doubt, telling you in great detail that you've got nothing. 'I Got Life' is the counterpoint, the empowered two-fingered response, that sense of self and life within that can get you through. Nina completely owns the song in every single performance, not just this one.
No wonder the studio audience appear to be so enraptured by the performance. Just imagine being there, seeing Nina and the band work their magic on the song. The guy sitting directly behind Nina clapping along is so absorbed (and/or stoned) that he appears to have lost all sense of rhythm...or is simply making his own.
It's been a difficult week for many reasons but sometimes a song or a performance can randomly resurface and make a difference. Today it was this song and this performance.
Nina Simone would have celebrated her 90th birthday on 21st February. Instead, 21st April will mark 20 years since her passing. Nina Simone should never be forgotten.
Ain't got no home, ain't got no shoesAin't got no money, ain't got no classAin't got no friends, ain't got no schoolingAin't got no wear, ain't got no jobAin't got no money, no place to stay
Ain't got no father, ain't got no motherAin't got no children, ain't got no sisters aboveAin't got no earth, ain't got no faithAin't got no touch, ain't got no godAin't got no love
Ain't got no wine, no cigarettesAin't got no clothes, no countryNo class, no schoolingNo friends, no nothingAin't got no godAin't got one more
Ain't got no earth, no ?No food, no homeI said I ain't got no clothesNo job, no nothingAin't got long to liveAnd I ain't got no love
But what have I got?Let me tell ya what I've gotThat nobody's gonna take away
I got my hair on my headI got my brains, I got my earsI got my eyes, I got my noseI got my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, I got my chinI got my neck, I got my boobiesI got my heart, I got my soulI got my back, I got my sex
I got my arms, I got my handsI got my fingers, got my legsI got my feet, I got my toesI got my liver, got my blood
Got life, I got my life
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