Aretha Franklin

[Verse 1]
That's life, that's what all the people say
You're riding high in April
Shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune
When I'm back on top, back on top in June
I said that's life, and as funny as it may seem
Some people get their kicks
Stomping on a dream
But I don't let it, let it get me down
Cause this fine all world it keeps spinning around

[Chorus 1]
I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate
A poet, a pawn and a queen
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing
Each time I find myself, flat on my face
I pick myself up and get back in the race

[Chorus 2]
That's life
I tell you, I can't deny it

[Verse 2]
I thought of quitting baby
But my heart just ain't going to buy it
And if I didn't think it was worth one single try
I'd jump right on a big bird and then I'd fly

[Chorus 1]

[Chorus 2]

[Outro]
Many times I thought of cutting out
But my heart won't buy it
But if there's nothing shaking come this here July
I'm going to roll myself up in a big ball and die
My, My

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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