Aretha Franklin

Released: October 12, 1968

Songwriter: Aretha Franklin Teddy White

Producer: Jerry Wexler

Baby baby, sweet baby
There's something that I just got to say
Baby baby, sweet baby
You left me hurtin' in a real cold way

Speak your name
And I'll feel a thrill
You said I do
And I said I will

I tell you that I'll stay true
And give you just a little time
Wait on me baby
I want you to be all mine
I just get so blue

Since you've been gone, ah baby
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)
Since you've been gone, yeah
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)

[Bridge]

Baby baby, sweet baby
I didn't mean to run you away
It was pride on my lips
But not in my heart
To say the things that made you stray
But ah, baby
Hey hey, hear me, hear me now
(Hear me)
I don't know what I'm gonna do
(Hear me)
Yeah, to get you back somehow
(Hear me now)
And I'm trying
Take me back
Consider me please
If you walk in that door
I can get up off my knees
But I've just been so blue

Since you've been gone
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)
Hey baby, since you've been gone
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)
Yeah now, I've been so lonely
(Sweet sweet - sweet sweet baby)
Baby, since you've been gone
(Sweet sweet - sweet sweet baby)
Yeah now, and I've been so lonely
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)
Hey baby, since you've been gone
(Why'd you do it? why'd you have to do it?)
Yeah, baby baby baby baby baby, sweet sweet baby
Since you've been gone, yeah now
(Sweet sweet - sweet sweet baby)
Baby baby baby baby baby baby, sweet sweet baby
Since you've been gone, yeah

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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