Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Billie Holiday Jeanne Burns

[Verse 1]
If you ever need me
You know where to call me
And if you ever want me
You know where to write me
But you never call me
And no, you never write me
So, who needs you?
Who needs you?
Take a pen, a pencil
A hand, a little item
Or the telephone, dear
Why you want to fight them
How much can it cost you
Why don't you get lost, dear?
Who needs you?
Who needs you?

[Pre-Chorus]
You came on like a big deal
And all that you could beg me
Listen Mister Big Wheel
All you do is drag me

[Chorus]
When I really need you
You just can't be found, dear
And when I really want you
You're nowhere around, dear
So, all this big production
Leads to one deduction
Who needs you?
Who needs you?

[Pre-Chorus]

[Chorus]

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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