Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Michael Lovesmith

Producer: Luther Vandross

[Verse 1]
Why are we fighting?
Why do we scream?
Seems all we do now is treat each other mean
We used to be so understanding (We used to be so understanding)
About each others ways (About our ways)
But since we've come together
Seems all we do is get in each other's way

[Chorus]
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
We used to have a ball (We used to have a ball)
Let's not wait until the friendship breaks
We don't have to lose it all
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
Honey, can't you see? (Baby, can't you see)
You need you and I need me
So it's time now to set each other free
(It's time to set love free)

[Verse 2]
You get mad when guys stare at me
And I'm mad when girls look
I don't believe we're ready now
For living by this book
The things we love about us (The things we love about us)
Are the things we seem to hate (Nothing but hate)
And when we go out for good times
We just come home with big headaches

[Chorus]
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
We used to have a ball (We used to have a ball)
Let's not wait until the friendship breaks
'Cause we don't have to lose it all
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
Honey, can't you see? (Baby, can't you see)
You need you and I, I really need me
So it's time now to set each other free
(Hey hey hey, it's time to set love free)

[Bridge]
(You need you, and I need me)
We were both out there fishing (Out there fishing)
We weren't ready to care (We weren't ready to care)
And no room in our hearts for love
To love each other back (Let's get it back)

[Chorus]
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
We used to have a ball (We used to have a ball)
Let's not wait until the friendship breaks
'Cause we don't have to lose it all
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
Sugar, can't you see? (Baby, can't you see)
You need you and I really need me
So it's time now to set each other free
(It's time to set love free)
We're so much better Friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
We used to have a ball (We used to have a ball)
Let's not wait until the friendship breaks
We don't have to lose it all
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)
Baby, can't you see? (Baby, can't you see)
You need you and I really need me
So it's time now to set each other free
(It's time to set love free)
We're so much better friends (We're so much better friends)
We used to have a ball (We used to have a ball)
Let's not wait until the friendship breaks
Well, we don't have to lose it all
We're better friends than lovers (We're so much better friends)

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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