Minnie Riperton

Released: May 9, 1979

Songwriter: Richard “Dick” Rudolph Minnie Riperton Gene Dozier Keni St. Lewis

Producer: Richard “Dick” Rudolph Minnie Riperton Henry Lewy

[Intro]
1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4
Again, 1, 2, 3, 4

[Verse 1]
Guess we always knew
Best of friends we'd always be
Sister and brother we two
Romance never entered our view
Always you were there, hey hey
When I needed you
Suddenly out of nowhere
I realized I loved only you

[Pre-Chorus]
And that's how true love begins
It just walks right on in
And one day I knew
It was you, it was you
It was always you

[Chorus]
Baby, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend
Darling, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend

[Verse 2]
Funny how it goes
We'd be the last to know
We were made for each other
And from friends we became lovers

[Pre-Chorus]
Keep on being my friend
Our love will never end
We'll have it all
Yes we will, yes we will
Yes we will

[Chorus]
Baby, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend, yeah
Darling, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend

[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, keep on being my friend
Our love will never end
We'll have it all
Yes we will, yes we will
Yes we will

[Chorus]
Baby, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend, yeah
Darling, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend

[Outro]
We're gonna have a happy ending, yes
We started our with such a great beginning, ooh ooh ooh
We'll walk together, talk together
In every kind of weather
We're bound together forever, yeah

[Chorus]
Baby, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend, yeah
Darling, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend
Baby, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend, yeah
Darling, in the end
I've got you as a lover and friend

One of the most well-known vocalists to come out of the 1970s, singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton stands as a great influential figure for the Soul genre and many artists within this style of music.

Riperton began involving herself with the music industry in 1961 when, as a member of the Chicago-based girl-group The Gems, she worked as a backing vocalist for big artists of the time, such as Etta James. After releasing a few singles under Chess Records, The Gems disbanded, leaving 21-year-old Riperton to continue on as a solo artist, releasing “Lonely Girl” and “You Gave Me Soul” in 1966.

While recording under the alias “Andrea Davis,” she joined the group Rotary Connection as the lead vocalist in 1967, who released fifth full-lengths albums, before disbanding in 1974, giving Riperton the chance to fully invest herself in her solo career. In 1970, she released her first official album, Come to My Garden, which has since been called a masterpiece and the stepping stone for Riperton’s success. Following this release, she chose to devote her time to her children Marc and Maya Rudolph, and husband Richard Rudolph, in Florida.

From the album

Minnie (1979)

Minnie Riperton popular songs

Lover and FriendMinnie Riperton

Minnie Riperton