Aretha Franklin

Released: October 12, 1968

Songwriter: Jimmy Holiday Ronnie Shannon

Producer: Jerry Wexler

If you want my lovin'
If you really do
Don’t be afraid, baby
Just ask me
You know I'm gonna give it to you
Oh, and I do declare (I do)
I want to see you with it (Good God)
Stretch out your arms, little boy
You're gonna get it
’Cause I love you (Baby, baby baby, I love you)
There ain't no doubt about it
Hey, baby, I love you (Baby, baby baby, I love you)
I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, baby I love you
Yeah, you know I do

If you feel you want to kiss me
Go right ahead, I don't mind
All you got to do is
Snap your fingers and I'll come running
I ain't lying (I ain't lying)
And oh, what you want
Little boy, you know you got it
I'd deny my own self
Before I see you do without it
Because I love you (Baby, baby baby, I love you)
Ain't no doubt about it
Baby, I love you (Baby, baby baby, I love you)
I love you, I love you, I love you
I love you, baby I love you
Yeah, you know I do

Someday you might want to run away
And leave me sittin’ here cryin’
But if it's all the same to you, baby
I’m gonna stop you from sayin' goodbye
Baby, I love ya
Hey, baby I need ya
Yeah, baby, I want ya
And I got to have you, baby
Don't let your neighbors
Tell you that I don't want you
Yeah, and don’t let your
Low-down friends say that I don't need ya
Baby, I love you
Hey hey hey, baby, I need ya
Huh huh huh, baby, I want ya
Yeah, you know I do

Aretha Franklin is both a 20th and 21st century musical and cultural icon known simply by her first Aretha. She is the reigning and undisputed “Queen Of Soul” with a legacy that spans five decades. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Aretha began her career singing gospel at her father, minister C. L. Franklin’s church as a child. In 1960, at the age of 18, Aretha embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records with modest success.

After moving to Atlantic Records in 1967, she released a steady string of US top ten hits through 1973 including “Spanish Harlem”, “Chain Of Fools”, “Baby I Love You”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Daydreaming”, “The House That Jack Built”, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", ”Think“ and her first chart-topper “Respect” – a song that also won Aretha her first of 18 Grammys. During this time, several of her songs were also successful overseas.

By the mid-70s, Aretha’s commercial success waned and she left Atlantic for Clive Davis' Arista Records in 1980. Her 1982 song “Jump to It,” returned her to the top 40 for the first time in six years. 1985’s Who’s Zoomin' Who? got her back into the top 10 twice with its title track and “Freeway Of Love”. Four more songs reached the top 40 through 1986.

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