Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Donny Hathaway Nadine Theresa McKinnor

[Verse 1: Aretha]
Hang all the mistletoe
I'm going to get to know you better this Christmas
And as we trim the tree
How much fun it's going to be together this Christmas

[Chorus: Aretha]
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night
And this Christmas
Will be a, a very special Christmas for me, yeah, yeah

[Bridge: Aretha]
Alright, Eddie, my son
Sing it, Eddie

[Verse 2: Eddie Franklin]
Presents and cards are here
My world is filled with cheer and you, this Christmas
And as I look around
Your eyes outshine the town, they do, this Christmas
The fireside is blazing bright
We're caroling through the night

[Bridge: Aretha & Eddie]
Eddie, you mustn't upstage your mama with those kinds of notes
Shake a hand, shake a hand, be a friend, be a friend, y'all
This Christmas[x2]

[Chorus]

[Bridge: Aretha]
Merry Christmas
Shake your hand, shake your hand, yeah, ooh

[Chorus]

[Verse 3: Aretha]
This is what we got to do, gang
For me this Christmas, this Christmas
You'll be sitting somewhere, and you've got the blues
Think about the man who ain't got no shoes, yeah, yeah

[Outro: Aretha]
Hang on, hold on until Christmas
Higher, higher, hang on, hold on to Christmas
Hang on, hold on until Christmas
Yeah, hold on to your faith, until Christmas and after, oh, and after
This Christmas, this Christmas, this Christmas
Well, well, well, well, well, well
Hold on, hold on, hold on until Christmas
You got to hold on

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

This Christmas, Aretha

From the album

This Christmas, Aretha (2008)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

This ChristmasAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

This Christmas, Aretha