Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney John Lennon Paul McCartney

Producer: Jerry Wexler Arif Mardin Tom Dowd

[Verse 1]
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

[Chorus]
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom (Words of wisdom)
Let it be

[Verse 2]
And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be
For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

[Chorus]
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom (Whisper words of wisdom)
Let it be

[Break]

[Chorus 1][x2]
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom (Whisper words of wisdom)
Let it be

[Verse 3]
And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

[Chorus]
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, leave it alone, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

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.

more tracks from the album

Aretha’s Greatest Hits

From the albums

This Girl’s in Love with You (1970)
Aretha’s Greatest Hits (1971)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Let It BeAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha’s Greatest Hits