Aretha Franklin

Released: November 14, 1995

Songwriter: Babyface

Producer: Babyface

[Verse 1]
Oh baby
Ohhhhh
Oh baby
Ohhhhh
Oh babe

[Verse 1]
Love was always supposed to be
Something wonderful to me
To watch it grow inside yourself
To feel your heart beside itself

[Chorus]
Sometimes it hurts to love so bad
(When you know you've given all you can)
Sometimes it hurts to even laugh
(You do your best but it's still much too bad)
Sometimes the pain is just too much
And it hurts like hell
That's the way it feels

[Verse 2]
True love
It has no hiding place
It's not something you just put away
It's always there inside of you
Ohhh, and it shows in everything you do

[Chorus]
Sometimes it hurts to love so bad
(When you know you've given it your best)
Sometimes it hurts to even laugh
(You feel a thousand miles from happiness)
Sometimes the pain is just too much
And it hurts like hell
That's the way it feels

[Bridge]
Here we are, the two of us
So full of love, so little trust
But dying for some tenderness
Ooohhh, but too afraid to take the step

[Chorus]
Sometimes it hurts to love so bad
(When you know what it can put you through)
Sometimes it hurts to even laugh
(There's nothing funny if it's killing you)
Sometimes the pain is just too much
And it hurts like hell
That's the way it feels

[Verse 3]
I know if there is any chance
For us to find our happiness
We've got to learn to let it go
Ohhh oh, forget all the pain we knew

[Outro]
Sometimes it hurts to love so bad
Sometimes it hurts it hurts to even laugh
And it hurts like hell
That's the way
Oh baby
That's the way it feels

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

Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album

From the album

Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album (1995)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

It Hurts Like HellAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album