I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free - wikipedia I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free This article is about the song by Billy Taylor. For the album, see I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free ( album ). `` I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free '' Single by Nina Simone from the album Silk & Soul Released 1967 Genre Gospel, Jazz Length 3 : 06 Label RCA Records Songwriter ( s ) Billy Taylor, Richard Carroll Lamb ( Dick Dallas ) `` I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free '' is a jazz song written by Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas. Taylor 's original version ( as `` I Wish I Knew '' ) was recorded on November 12, 1963, and released on his Right Here, Right Now ! album ( Capitol ST - 2039 ) the following year. His 1967 instrumental take was later used as the theme music for the Film... review programme series on BBC Television. Taylor said : `` I wrote this song, perhaps my best - known composition, for my daughter Kim. This is one of the best renditions I 've done because it is very spiritual. '' Cover versions The song served as an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement in America in the 1960s. It was used as the theme for the 2004 Olympics, and as the music for Coca - Cola ( 2004, featuring Sharlene Hector of Basement Jaxx ), and during the 2017 Super for a Ford commercial. and Swisscom ( 2012 ) commercials. A widely played version was recorded by Nina Simone in 1967 on her Silk & Soul album Other artists who have covered the song include Illinois Jacquet ( 1968 ), John Denver ( 1969 ), Jools Holland ( 1997 ) and Emeli Sandé ( 2012 ) References Jump up ^ Billy Taylor Discography Jump up ^ Anderson, Sheila E. How to Grow as a Musician : What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed, Allworth Communications, Inc. p. 67 ( 2005 ) - ISBN 1 - 58115 - 416 - X External links `` I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free ''. American Treasures of the Library of Congress. July 27, 2010. Nina Simone Studio albums Little Girl Blue Nina Simone and Her Friends The Amazing Nina Simone Forbidden Fruit Nina Simone Sings Ellington Broadway - Blues - Ballads I Put a Spell on You Pastel Blues Nina Simone with Strings Wild Is the Wind High Priestess of Soul Nina Simone Sings the Blues Silk & Soul Nina Simone and Piano To Love Somebody Here Comes the Sun Baltimore Fodder on My Wings A Single Woman Compilation albums Nina 's Choice The Soul of Nina Simone The Very Best of Nina Simone Live albums Nina Simone at Newport Nina at the Village Gate Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall Folksy Nina Nina Simone in Concert Black Gold Live at Ronnie Scott 's The Great Show Live in Paris Emergency Ward ! Live and studio albums Nina Simone at Town Hall Let It All Out ' Nuff Said ! It Is Finished Remix albums Remixed and Reimagined Related articles Discography I Put a Spell on You ( book ) What Happened, Miss Simone ? Songs and singles `` Ai n't Got No, I Got Life '' `` Alone Again ( Naturally ) '' `` Angel of the Morning '' `` Ballad of Hollis Brown '' `` Baubles, Bangles, & Beads '' `` Black Is the Colour ( Of My True Love 's Hair ) '' `` Brown Eyed Handsome Man '' `` Cherish '' `` Cotton - Eyed Joe '' `` Do Nothing till You Hear from Me '' `` Do n't Let Me Be Misunderstood '' `` Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye '' `` Exactly Like You '' `` Falling in Love Again ( Ca n't Help It ) '' `` Feeling Good '' `` Fine and Mellow '' `` For All We Know '' `` Four Women '' `` Go Limp '' `` He 's Got the Whole World in His Hands '' `` Here Comes the Sun '' `` The House of the Rising Sun '' `` I Get Along Without You Very Well ( Except Sometimes ) '' `` I Loves You, Porgy '' `` I Put a Spell on You '' `` I Shall Be Released '' `` I Think It 's Going to Rain Today '' `` I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free '' `` If I Should Lose You '' `` It Do n't Mean a Thing ( If It Ai n't Got That Swing ) '' `` It Might as Well Be Spring '' `` Just Like Tom Thumb 's Blues '' `` Just Like a Woman '' `` Lilac Wine '' `` Little Girl Blue '' `` The Look of Love '' `` Love Me or Leave Me '' `` Mississippi Goddam '' `` Mood Indigo '' `` The More I See You '' `` Mr. Bojangles '' `` My Baby Just Cares for Me '' `` My Sweet Lord '' `` My Way '' `` Ne me quitte pas '' `` Nobody '' `` Nobody 's Fault but Mine '' `` Papa, Can You Hear Me ? '' `` The Pusher '' `` Rich Girl '' `` ( In My ) Solitude '' `` Satin Doll '' `` Sea Lion Woman '' `` Sign o ' the Times '' `` Since I Fell for You '' `` Sinnerman '' `` Someone to Watch Over Me '' `` Something Wonderful '' `` Spring Is Here '' `` Strange Fruit '' `` Summertime '' `` Suzanne '' `` Take My Hand, Precious Lord '' `` That 's All '' `` That 's All I Want from You '' `` The Times They Are a-Changin ' '' `` To Be Young, Gifted and Black '' `` To Love Somebody '' `` Trouble in Mind '' `` Turn ! Turn ! Turn ! '' `` Who Knows Where the Time Goes ? '' `` Wild Is the Wind '' `` Willow Weep for Me '' `` You 'd Be So Nice to Come Home To '' Book : Nina Simone Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I_Wish_I_Knew_How_It_Would_Feel_to_Be_Free&oldid=803293129 '' Categories : 1967 songs Nina Simone songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016 Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 1 October 2017, at 16 : 59. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote i wish i knew how it would feel to be free
Answer: Billy Taylor