Aretha Franklin

Released: February 27, 1961

Songwriter: J. Leslie McFarland

Producer: John Hammond

[Verse 1]
I love, and you love
We love, sweet love
I look and you look
And we found sweet love
And now we know

[Chorus]
Love is the only thing that matters at all
After all

[Verse 2]
I kiss, and you kiss
Each kiss, sweet lips
I tease and you squeeze
And we find sweet bliss
That's how we know

[Chorus]
Love is the only thing that matters at all
After all

[Bridge]
I'm lucky
And you're lucky, too, uh-huh
We're lucky
And we know it's true
Love is so wonderful

[Verse 3]
I give, and you give
We live, for love
Each night, each day
We love sweet love
'Cause ain't it so?

[Outro]
Love is the only thing that matters at all
After all, y'all
Love is the only thing that matters at all
After all, y'all

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

Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo

From the album

Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo (1961)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Love Is The Only ThingAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo