Aretha Franklin

Why was I born, why am I livin'?
What do I get, what am I givin'?
Why do I want a thing I daren't hope for?
What can I hope for? I wish I knew

Why do I try to draw you near me?
Why do I do I cry? You never hear me
I'm a poor fool, but what can I do?
Why was I born to love you?

Why do I try to draw you near me?
Why do I do I cry? You never hear me

I'm a poor fool, but what can I do?
Why was I born to love you?

Some other versions may include an intro:
Spending these lonesome evenings with nothing to do
But to live in dreams that I make up all by myself
Dreaming that you're beside me, I picture the prettiest stories
Only to wake up all by myself What is the good of me by myself?

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

Take It Like You Give It

From the album

Take It Like You Give It (1967)

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Why Was I Born?Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Take It Like You Give It