<P> "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" is an African - American spiritual song that originated during the period of slavery but was not published until 1867 . The song is well known and many cover versions of it have been done by artists such as Marian Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Harry James, Paul Robeson, Sam Cooke among others . Anderson had her first successful recording with a version of this song on the Victor label in 1925 . Horne recorded a version of the song in 1946 . Deep River Boys recorded their version in Oslo on August 29, 1958 . It was released on the extended play Negro Spirituals Vol. 1 (HMV 7EGN 27). The song was arranged by Harry Douglas . </P> <P> It is one of the five spirituals included in the oratorio A Child of Our Time, first performed in 1944, by the classical composer Michael Tippett (1905--98). </P> <Dl> <Dd> Nobody knows the trouble I've been through </Dd> <Dd> Nobody knows my sorrow </Dd> <Dd> Nobody knows the trouble I've seen </Dd> <Dd> Glory hallelujah! </Dd> </Dl>

Nobody knows the trouble i've seen porgy and bess