Aretha Franklin

Songwriter: Allie Wrubel Herbert Magidson

Producer: Jerry Wexler Aretha Franklin Arif Mardin

[Verse 1]
Your eyes don’t shine like they used to shine
And the thrill is gone when your lips meet mine

[Chorus]
I’m afraid the masquerade is over
And so is love, and so is love

[Verse 2]
Your kiss don’t mean what it used, what it used to mean
It once was inspired, now it’s just another routine

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
I guess i’ll have to play Pagliacci and get myself a clown’s disguise
And then i’ll learn to laugh, laugh like Pagliacci, oh, with tears all in my eyes
Hey baby, your kiss don’t mean what it used, what it used to mean
It once was inspired, now it’s just an everytime routine

[Chorus]

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

Let Me in Your Life

From the album

Let Me in Your Life (1974)

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The Masquerade Is OverAretha Franklin

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Let Me in Your Life