Aretha Franklin

Released: April 29, 1967

Songwriter: Otis Redding

Producer: Arif Mardin Jerry Wexler

[Written by Otis Redding]

[Verse 1]
What you want, baby, I got it
What you need, do you know I got it?

[Chorus]
All I'm askin' is for a little respect when you come home
(Just a little bit) Hey baby
(Just a little bit) when you get home
(Just a little bit) mister
(Just a little bit)

[Verse 2]
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gon' do you wrong 'cause I don't wanna

[Chorus]
All I'm askin' is for a little respect when you come home
(Just a little bit) Baby
(Just a little bit) When you get home
(Just a little bit) Yeah
(Just a little bit)

[Verse 3]
I'm about to give you all of my money
And all I'm askin' in return, honey
Is to give me my propers when you get home

[Refrain]
(Just a, just a, just a, just a) Yeah, baby
(Just a, just a, just a, just a) When you get home
(Just a little bit) Yeah
(Just a little bit)

[Verse 4]
Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey
And guess what? So is my money

[Chorus 2]
All I want you to do for me, is give it to me when you get home
(Re, re, re ,re) Yeah baby
(Re, re, re ,re) Whip it to me
(Respect, just a little bit) When you get home, now
(Just a little bit)

[Verse 5]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take care, TCB, oh

[Outro]
(Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect
(sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe
(Just a little bit) A little respect
(Just a little bit) I get tired
(Just a little bit) Keep on tryin'
(Just a little bit) You're runnin' out of fools
(Just a little bit) And I ain't lyin'
(Just a little bit)
(Re, re, re, re) Start when you come home
(Re, re, re, respect) Or you might walk in
(Just a little bit) And find out I'm gone
(Just a little bit) I gotta have
(Just a little bit) A little respect
(Just a little bit)

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

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)
Aretha’s Gold (1969)
Aretha’s Greatest Hits (1971)
More American Graffiti: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1979)
I Am Woman (Polystar Version) (1982)
30 Greatest Hits (1985)
Back To School (Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1986)
Atlantic R&B 1947-1974 - Volume 6: 1966-1969 (1987)
WEA U.S. Division 1989 Spring Collection (1989)
Grammy’s Greatest Moments, Volume II (1993)
Only Rock ’N Roll 1965 - 1969 (1994)
Forrest Gump (Music From the Motion Picture) (1994)
I Am Woman (1996)
Bridget Jones’s Diary (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2001)
The Proud Family (Soundtrack) (2004)
That’s So Raven Too! (2006)
Akeelah and the Bee (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2006)
Summer of Love: Gold (2007)
Platoon and Songs from the Era (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2009)
1000 Days, 1000 Songs (2016)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

RespectAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha’s Greatest Hits