Aretha Franklin

Released: March 10, 1967

Songwriter: King Curtis Luther Dixon

Producer: Jerry Wexler

[Intro]
Only you can hear my soul serenade

[Verse]
I want to be free to fly away and sing to the world
About my soul serenade, my soul serenade
When you're not around there's a lonely sound
In my soul serenade, in my soul serenade
Everyone but you adores me
But do you know pretty soon they bore me
Let me tell you right now that they bore me
They bore me with their pretty little words
Those pretty little words of devotion
But oh, let me tell you right now
My message to 'em this evening
Is they can jump in anybody's ocean

[Outro]
Because only you hear my soul
My soul serenade, my soul serenade
My soul serenade, my soul serenade

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

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You

From the album

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)

Aretha Franklin popular songs

Soul SerenadeAretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You