Isn't It a Pity

There are plenty of places to start exploring Nina Simone’s music, from the songs that have worked their way into our cultural fabric through soundtracks and TV commercials to the more challenging music she made as she evolved musically, personally, and politically. One thing we’d beg you to check out on the way is her epic expansion of George Harrison’s “Isn’t It A Pity.”                                                                                                            Isn't it a pity  

                                                          Isn't it a pity 

You don't know what I'm talking about yet

 But I will tell you soon

 It's a pity

 Isn't it a pity

 Isn't it a shame

 Yes, how we break each other's hearts And cause each other pain

 How we take each other's love

 Without thinking anymore

 Forgetting to give back

 Forgetting to remember

 Just forgetting and no thank you

 

Isn't it a pity

 Some things take so long

 But how do I explain

 Why not too many people can see

 That we are all just the same

 We're all guilty

 Because of all the tears

 Our eyes just can't hope to see

 But I don't think it's applicable to me

 The beauty that surrounds them

 Child isn't it a pity

 How we break each other's hearts

 And cause each other pain

 How we take each other's love The most precious thing

 Without thinking anymore

 Forgetting to give back 

Forgetting to keep open our door

 Isn't it a pity Isn't it a pity

 Some things take so long 

But how do I explain

 Isn't it a pity 

Why not too many people

 Can see we're all the same

 Because we cry so much

 Our eyes can't, can't hope to see 

That's not quite true 

The beauty that surrounds them

 Maybe that's why we cry God, isn't it a pity

 Lord knows it's a pity

 Mankind has been so programmed

 That they don't care about nothin'

 That has to do with care C-a-r-e

 How we take each other's love The most precious thing

 Without thinking anymore

 Forgetting to give back

 Forgetting to keep open the door

 But I understand some things take so long

 But how do I explain

 Why not too many people Can see we're just the same

 And because of all their tears

 Their eyes can't hope to see 

The beauty that surrounds them

 God, isn't it a pity 

The beauty that surrounds them

 It's a pity We take each other's love

 Just take it for granted Without thinking anymore

 We give each other pain And we shut every door

 We take each other's minds 

And we're capable of taking each other's souls

 We do it every day Just to reach some financial goal

 Lord, isn't it a pity, my God

 Isn't it a pity, my God

 And so unnecessary

 Just a little time, a little care A little note was written in the air

 

Just the little thank you,

 We just forget to give back 

Cause we're moving too fast Moving too fast

 Forgetting to give back But some things take so long

 And I cannot explain 

The beauty that surrounds us

 And we don't see it We think things are just the same

 We've been programmed that way

 Isn't it a pity

 If you want to feel sorry Isn't it a pity

 Isn't it a pity

 The beauty sets the beauty that surrounds us 

Because of all our tears

 Our eyes can't hope to see

 Maybe one day at least

 I'll see me And just concentrate on givin',

 givin', givin', givin' 

And till that day

 Mankind doesn't stand a chance 

Don't know nothin' about romance

 Everything is plastic Isn't it a pity My God.

 Harrison wrote the song about the breakup of the Beatles, but Simone moves it somewhere more personal in terms of her own struggles and more global in terms of the civil rights movement and the disillusionment that followed. She makes critical changes to the lyrics — sometimes as simple as changing a pronoun, sometimes profound as adding entire lines that call the motives, morality, and future of all mankind into question — and with little more than her voice and piano, turns a rock song into an expansive mix of all the music she knows, from Bach to the blues to gospel to jazz. She sings she cries, she preaches. And she plays her ass off. It’s a performance as complex and beautiful and challenging as Miss Simone herself.