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Just about every current or recent rendition of "Feeling Good" uses elements of the arrangement popularized by Nina Simone's version of the song as found on her 1965 album "I Put a Spell on You".
That's okay, I guess. :) Simone's version put a certain "swagger" into the song. You can almost picture anyone singing it that way, sort of strutting on stage and raising first one shoulder and then another.
It's a far cry, though, from the original intent of the song, which had to do with a character's amazement, wonder, and appreciation of the experience of freedom itself.
From the 1965 original Broadway cast recording of "The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd", here's the wonderful Gilbert Price with "Feeling Good", written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.
Thanks to YouTuber veradaro1839 who commented: "Wonderful Mr. Price, a mere 23 years old at the time, conquered Broadway with this one song! He was literally "the talk of the town!" Anthony Newley, the star of the show, said Gilbert was all wrong for the part, but that he had "the best bloody voice I've ever heard!" This is from 1965."
