Aretha Franklin

Released: June 14, 1968

Songwriter: Ronnie Shannon

Producer: Jerry Wexler

[Verse]
You've been running around
This I know, yeah
I ought to pack my things
And let you go
But baby

[Chorus]
I don't know what to do
I can't see myself
Going away to stay
Whoa, no, I can't see myself leaving you

[Verse 2]
You've been running around
With every girl in town
Yes, you have
If I just had the power
I'd put you right down
Whoa, oh, my love

[Chorus]
I don't know what to do
Cause I can't see myself
Going away to stay
Oh no, I can't see myself leaving you, no

[Bridge]
True love is so hard to find
Tell me, tell me that I've got mine
If I go searching for another
I'd just be wasting my time, yeah, hey

[Verse 3]
I say we're through
Because I love you
Yes, I do
If I leave you, baby
What would I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, my love

[Chorus]
I wouldn't know what to do
'Cause I can't see myself leaving you
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
I can't see myself leaving you, no
I can't see myself leaving you

[Outro]
Whoa, no
I can't see myself leaving you, no
I can't see myself (I can't see myself)
Leaving you (I can't see myself)
Oh no (I can't see myself)
I can't see myself (I can't see myself)
Oh no (I can't see myself)

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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Aretha Now (1968)

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