Sinner Man is an American negrospiritual. The song was probably created in the 19th century.
Sinner Man is about a man who turned away from God, not only by stopping prayer but also by leading a sinful life. Eventually he finds that the devil waits for him. The number is a warning to keep God faithful. It is also a disguised protest song against racist violence.
Known versions are those of Les Baxter in 1956 and The Weavers folk version of 1959. Most famous is the ten-minute blues and gospel version Sinnerman of Nina Simone from 1965. In the sixties, Jamaican singers brought Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston repeatedly released a reggae version. In addition, the song is also used in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair, with the version published on the CD made by Bill Conti. Here is the version of Nina Simone. The performance of Nina Simone was also used in a Sherlock episode (Season 2, Episode 3: The Reichenbach Fall).
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