Songwriter: George Harrison

Producer: Nina Simone Andy Stroud Weldon Irvine

[Intro]
Isn't it a pity
You don't know what I'm talking about yet
But I'm gon' tell you soon
It's a pity

[Verse 1]
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

[Bridge]
Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people can see
That we are all just the same
We're all guilty

[Verse 2]
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

[Bridge]
Some things take so long
But how do I explain
Isn't it a pity
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same

[Verse 3]
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, it's 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
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

[Outro]
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 written in the air
Just a 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 wanna 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 'til that day
Mankind don't stand a chance
Don't know nothin' about romance
Everything is plastic
Isn't it a pity
My God

Nina Simone

She was one of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth century, an icon of American music.

Simone occupied a broad range of musical styles including jazz, blues, folk, classical, R&B, gospel and more. Born in North Carolina – the sixth child of a preacher –Eunice Waymon aspired to be a concert pianist. To make a living, she decided to change her name to “Nina Simone” in order to disguise herself from family members, as she played cocktail piano in nightclubs. Until she was told she had to sing her own accompaniment, her jazz vocalist career was effectively launched.

Nina has recorded more than 40 studio albums; she was the recipient of a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 2000 and has additionally received 15 nominations throughout her career. After nearly 3 decades, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2018 class.