Aretha Franklin

Say it isn't so, say it isn't so
Everyone is saying that you don't love me
Say it isn't so

Everywhere I go, everyone I know
Whispers you're growing tired of me
Say it isn't so

People say that you, you found somebody new
And it won't be long before you leave me
Say it, say it, say it, say it isn't true

Tell me everything is still okay
That's all I need to know and what they're saying
Say it isn't so

Say that everything is still okay, yeah, yeah
That's all I need to know, if you just say it to me
Please say it isn't so

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

Laughing on the Outside

From the album

Laughing on the Outside (1963)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Say It Isn’t SoAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Laughing on the Outside