“Sinnerman” is one of Nina Simone’s most powerful and transcendental recordings. Although based on a traditional African American spiritual, Simone created a definitive 10-minute arrangement that blends gospel intensity, jazz improvisation, blues depth, and relentless rhythmic propulsion. The track unfolds in waves: pounding piano ostinatos, call-and-response vocals, driving handclaps, congas, and dynamic orchestration that escalate into a cathartic climax. Lyrically, the song portrays a sinner running from divine judgment, with Simone’s voice rising from whispered urgency to prophetic thunder. Over the decades, “Sinnerman” has become an iconic piece of protest music and spiritual resistance, widely used in films, television, and sampled in modern genres for its hypnotic energy and emotional force.