Due to restrictive contracts preventing BMI and ASCAP writers from collaborating, Ott’s name was replaced in the credits by Caldwell’s.
While many associate the track with the rock-and-roll energy of , it was originally written for Simone in 1964 by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott, and Sol Marcus.
Horace Ott first conceived the melody and chorus after a heated argument with his then-girlfriend (and later wife), Gloria Caldwell.
Simone recorded it for her album Broadway-Blues-Ballads as a downtempo, orchestrated ballad . Unlike later high-energy covers, her version featured prominent harp and a brooding, melancholic arrangement. Layers of Meaning
The haunting plea of stands as one of Nina Simone's most enduring recordings, though its journey from a songwriter's apology to a civil rights anthem and a rock-and-roll staple is as complex as the High Priestess of Soul herself. The Story Behind the Song
Simone’s interpretation transformed a standard apology into something much larger.
