Crying to the Lord: Nina Simone's "Sinnerman" - VoegelinView
: Simone learned the song as a child from her mother, a Methodist minister, who used it at revival meetings to help people confess their sins. Nina Simone - Sinnerman
: The lyrics draw heavily from the Book of Exodus and Psalm 78 , depicting a sinner attempting to hide from God’s wrath on Judgment Day. The sinner seeks refuge in "the rock," "the river," and "the sea," only to find no place to hide. Crying to the Lord: Nina Simone's "Sinnerman" -
: Some critics view the song as an exploration of identity and the "creative destruction" required for personal growth and transformation. : Some critics view the song as an
: Before recording it for Pastel Blues , Simone often used "Sinnerman" to close her sets in Greenwich Village, intending to "shake people up" so they would leave the club "in pieces". Musical Composition
: The song is an African American traditional spiritual that dates back to the early 20th century.