Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Jimmy Campbell Reginald Connelly Harry Woods

Producer: Robert Mersey

[Verse 1]
I may get weary
Women do get weary
Wearing the same shabby dress
But to one who's weary
Try a little, try a little tenderness, oh oh oh

[Verse 2]
I may be waiting
Just anticipating
All of the things I may never possess
Mmm, but while I'm waiting
Try a little, try a little tenderness

[Bridge]
I may be, I may be sentimental
But I wanna say that I've had my griefs, oh, and I've had my cares
And just a good word, soft and gentle
Makes it, makes it easier, easier to bear

[Outro]
Now I might regret it
Oh, but don't let me forget it
Love's my only, only happiness
Mmm, but it's so, so easy
Try a little, oh, try a little tenderness
Tender, tender, tenderness

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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