"Don't Misunderstand" is a composition by Gordon Parks, written for the 1972 film Shaft's Big Score!, the sequel to the original Shaft. Parks, who directed the film, also composed its entire soundtrack in just two weeks after Isaac Hayes, who had scored the first film, was unavailable. The tune is a soulful, intimate ballad with lyrics exploring emotional caution in romance, featuring the recurring motif "Don't misunderstand / we are only strangers." Parks was a remarkably multi-talented figure -- a self-taught musician who began as a brothel pianist and traveling jazz band member before becoming one of America's most celebrated photographers, writers, and filmmakers. His musical sensibility was shaped by admiration for Duke Ellington, and he went on to compose orchestral works including a piano concerto premiered in 1953. The original recording of "Don't Misunderstand" features vocalist O.C. Smith, with orchestration by Dick Hazard and Tom McIntosh. Nancy Wilson also recorded a version associated with the film. The composition remains a deep cut from the blaxploitation era's rich musical output, reflecting Parks' jazz-inflected sophistication and his ability to craft material that stands apart from the funk-driven action scoring that dominated the genre. It is seldom covered but holds a distinctive place in Parks' creative legacy.
