Nina Simone - Why? (The King of Love is Dead) [Full Live Version]

Nina Simone - Why? (The King of Love is Dead) [Full Live Version]


Recorded on April 7, 1968, live three days after the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. and performed at the Westbury Music Fair. Nina Simone dedicated her performance to King's memory.
"Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", written by Nina's bass player Gene Taylor after the news of Dr. King's death had reached him. It was performed here for the first time. The song was heavily cut from the longer original recording, which featured a lot of Simone's monologue

"Pourquoi? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", écrit par le bassiste de Nina Gene Taylor après la mort du Dr King. Elle a été exécutée pour la première fois. La chanson a été fortement coupé à partir de l'enregistrement original un tres long monologue de Simone.

Lyrics
What's gonna happen now? In all of our cities?
My people are rising; they're living in lies.
Even if they have to die
Even if they have to die at the moment they know what life is
Even at that one moment that ya know what life is
If you have to die, it's all right
Cause you know what life is
You know what freedom is for one moment of your life

But he had seen the mountaintop
And he knew he could not stop
Always living with the threat of death ahead
Folks you'd better stop and think
Everybody knows we're on the brink
What will happen, now that the King is dead?

We can all shed tears; it won't change a thing
Teach your people: Will they ever learn?
Must you always kill with burn and burn with guns
And kill with guns and burn - don't you know how we gotta react?

But he had seen the mountaintop
And he knew he could not stop
Always living with the threat of death ahead
Folks you'd better stop and think
Everybody knows we're on the brink
What will happen, now that the King of love is dead?