"Mississippi Goddam" emphasized Nina Simone's support for the Civil Rights movement when it debuted in 1964. This made it arguably the most personal album Simone released during her Philips contract throughout the decade. The singer and pianist is accompanied by a quartet on the album. Some of the songs are among her most socially conscious expressions of African-American pride: "Old Jim Crow," "Pirate Jenny," "Go Limp," and especially "Mississippi Goddam" were among the most candid musical reflections of the civil rights movement available at the time. In a more traditional style, she also performs her hit "I Loves You, Porgy" and the jazz ballad "Don't Smoke in Bed."