Aretha Franklin

Released: January 24, 1972

Songwriter: Elton John Bernie Taupin

Producer: Arif Mardin Jerry Wexler Tom Dowd

[Verse 1]
Holy Moses, I have been removed
I have seen the spectre, he has been here too
Distant cousin from down the line
Brand of people who ain't my kind
Holy Moses, I have been removed

[Verse 2]
Holy Moses, I have been deceived
Now the wind has changed direction
I think I'll have to leave
Won't you please excuse my frankness
But it's not my cup of tea
Holy Moses, I have been deceived
Yes, I have

[Bridge]
I'm going back to the border
Where my affairs, my affairs ain't been abused
I can't take any more bad water
I've been poisoned from my head down to my shoes
Yes, I have

Holy Moses, I have been removed

[Verse 3]
Holy Moses, can we live in peace?
Let us try to find a way to make all hatred cease
There's a man standing over there
What's his color; do you care?
Holy, Holy Moses, can we live in peace?

[Outro]
Lord, help me now
Holy Moses, can we live in peace?
Holy Moses, can we live...
I wonder can we, can we, can we live in peace?

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

Young, Gifted and Black

From the album

Young, Gifted and Black (1972)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Border Song (Holy Moses)Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Young, Gifted and Black