Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Luther Vandross

Producer: Luther Vandross

[Verse 1]
If I wanted to, I'd have anything
I could ever need, anything indeed
But if I can't have you I'd be lost within
And everything else baby
Would really not be worth anything

[Chorus]
And I've really got to tell you
Exactly how I feel
And make you understand
That love ain't playing this time
This is for real

[Verse 2]
And if I could, I'd change what I am
But without you baby, I don't give a damn
Because what I am won't change until you change it
To anything you want it to be
Oh, I'm putting my trust in you

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
I thought it out the other day
And came to the conclusion
That I wouldn't last a minute
Without your love, baby
No, no, no, no, no, no
You really did show me, baby
When you walked out on me
Now I've got to make you understand
That I won't be bad, I won't be bad anymore

[Bridge]
Oh, honey, this is for real
Everything that I'm saying
Every word that I'm saying
Is the thought of a brand new woman
I've got to have you back
So that I can make you see
That I'm not fooling around, baby
This is a brand new me

[Outro]
And I really got to tell it
T-E-L-L-L-L-L-L-L, yeah
And make you understand
That Miss Ree ain't playing this time
Ooh, baby this is for real
Yeah, you've got to understand me
That love ain't playing this time
Really, this is for real, sure for real
You gotta understand me
This is, now, this is, hit it now
For real

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

Jump to It

From the album

Jump to It (1982)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

This Is For RealAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Jump to It