"Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen"

Du Bois's Souls of Black Folk consistently juxtaposes "high," canonical poetry with musical notations of black spirituals. Here's a recording of Sam Cooke singing "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen," the musical notes that lead off Du Bois's first chapter, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings." You can find the lyrics below the video.




Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows my sorrow.
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Glory, Hallelujah!

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows my sorrow.
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Glory, Hallelujah!

Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down;
Oh, yes, Lord.
Sometimes I'm almost to the ground;
Oh, yes, Lord.

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows my sorrow.
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Glory, Hallelujah!

I wish that I could find a way;
Oh, yes, Lord.
But life is just one long, rainy day;
Oh, yes, Lord.

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows my sorrow.
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen;
Glory, Hallelujah!