Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood - Other Versions

Other Versions

The Animals' Eric Burdon has re-recorded the song throughout the years, notably an eight-minute version on his 1974 album Sun Secrets and a heavy metal performance in 1976 later released on his Live at the Roxy album. Burdon has performed it since the early 1980s in a reggae style. In a different version, it was performed during The Animals' 1983 reunion, as documented on the following year's Greatest Hits Live (Rip It to Shreds) release.

A version by Joe Cocker (from his 1969 debut album) played over the ending credits of the 2004 film Layer Cake. Other artists who have recorded the song include The Moody Blues, Elvis Costello, Cyndi Lauper, Arthur Brown, Uthanda, Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger, Mike Batt, Trevor Rabin, Dwight Adams, No Mercy, Alabina (retitled "Lolole"), John Legend, Lou Rawls, Gary Moore, Robben Ford, OffBeat, Kellylee Evans, Julian Thome, Ray Darwin, Dolapdere Big Gang, New Buffalo, Farhad Mehrad, The Killers, Ulli Bögershausen, the Doug Anthony All Stars, Lyambiko, The Lucky Devils, Di'Anno, Me’shell NdegeOcello, Strangefruit, Savage Circus, and Place of Skulls.

In their 1980s concerts, Dire Straits played the central theme of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" during an instrumental introduction to their "Tunnel of Love", as Mark Knopfler talked about The Animals' hometown of Newcastle upon Tyne, in whose Spanish City that song is set.

There is also a version by the three-person Italian eurobeat group King Kong & D'Jungle Girls in 1987 (Flea Records).

Cat Stevens was pleased as a young musician to be compared to the song's first performer, Nina Simone, by an interviewer from Melody Maker. After converting to Islam and changing his name to Yusuf Islam, several incidents where he has felt misunderstood — including a recitation from the Qur'an that he maintains was either a misquote or taken out of context, which was alleged to be supportive of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, and allegations that he provided funds to terrorist organizations resulted in his deportation from both Israel and the U.S. — sparked his recording of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" with some lyrical alterations, featured on his 2006 album An Other Cup.

Rapper Common's "Misunderstood" sampled Nina Simone's original version for his 2007 album Finding Forever. The song was also sampled for the 2008 Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III, in the song "DontGetIt" and it was performed by Leona Lewis on the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards during a Lil Wayne performance. It has also been remixed by Granite & Sugarman for Nicola Fasano.

The song has been played in the style of The Animals by Cutting Crew on their 2008 tour as a tribute to lead singer Nick Van Eede's first manager, Chas Chandler of The Animals.

The song's key lines are used as the hook of the Regina Spektor song "Oh Marcello!" (2012)