The cast of a film or television program might occasionally draw you in. Sometimes it’s due to the quality of the production, the direction, or the intriguing backstory. Sometimes the music is the cause. Additionally, all those factors come into play at times: The miniseries Love & Death, which premiered on HBO in April 2023, is simple to enjoy. Elizabeth Olsen does an amazing job portraying Candy Montgomery and the actual events from 1980. The show’s theme tune, which pulls you down on the dark side of the plot in the opening credits, is surely another reason you may have loved it in addition to all the other reasons you might have. Although we’ve heard many renditions of this timeless song, not everyone has knows about it. Let’s discover it.
You can watch the official trailer for HBO’s Love & Death here on Youtube.
HBO’s Love & Death: the opening credits theme song
The theme song in the opening credits of HBO’s miniseries Love & Death is Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone. You can hear it in full streaming below.
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood was originally written by Bennie Benjamin, Horace Ott, and Sol Marcus for Nina Simone, in 1964. The version above is the first version of this song, in his Blues/Jazz dress. The track was covered many times over the years, and other versions became famous for different generations: among the most successful version, you probably heard The Animals’ take in 1965, the disco version by the band Santa Esmeralda in 1977, and Elvis Costello’s interpretation in 1986.
It is impossible to forget because Nina Simone sings it with such passion. The words of the song speak of the shadow side that we all occasionally experience: despite our best efforts to be nice people, there are times when we switch “to the other side” and concentrate on our issues. Our loved ones can see the worst side of us when it is exposed at that time. We are not bad, though, as the chorus aims to clarify; after all, we have a nice soul, therefore we want those who are close to us to comprehend who we truly are.
Below you can find the lyrics you hear in the opening credits of HBO’s Love & Death:
Baby, understand me now
If sometimes you see that I’m mad
Don’t you know no one alive can always be an angel?
When everything goes wrong, you see some badBut oh, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstoodOh baby, I’m just human
Don’t you know I have faults, like anyone?
Sometimes I find myself alone, regretting some little foolish things
Some simple thing that I’ve doneBut oh, I’m just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood
Don’t let me be misunderstood
I try so hard, so please, don’t let me be misunderstood
The song plays over footage of Candy Montgomery (Elizabeth Olsen), the movie’s lead character, fusing scenes from her family life with those from her extramarital romance. The contrast between her spotless kitchen and the blood on her fingers, as well as between her stylish motel dress and the holy book she keeps in the drawer, is evident.
It’s clear why it became well-known following its premiere because it’s unquestionably one of the series’ most engaging moments. And if you need any more justifications for loving the show, you can read this article to learn about the real-life incident that served as its inspiration.