Today’s song of the day is a Rock and R&B Soul classic called “Respect” by Aretha Franklin.

Fun Facts

• Otis Redding, writer of the original song in 1965, took one day to write “Respect” and twenty minutes to arrange it.
• The original songwriter and performer died in a plane crash in 1967.
• In her famous cover of the song, Aretha Franklin added the “Sock it to me” lines.
• Aretha and Carolyn, her sister, approached Tom Dowd, the song engineer, to do the cover of the song. He had also worked with Otis Redding on the same song a few years ago.
• The fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) did a parody of the song in advertisements of their roasted chicken where the song went, R-O-A-S-T-E-D instead of R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
• The sisters were the ones who considered the song to be coming from a woman’s perspective instead of a man’s and wanted to give the vocals a woman’s air and Candance, demanding respect.
• After hearing Aretha’s rendition of Otis’ song, Otis said that it is no longer his, and that was her song now.
• Etta James, trying to recover her career after Aretha stole her spotlight and secured the position of Queen of Soul, then released her own cover of Otis Redding’s “Security,” but it did not get much attention.
• “Respect” reached number ten on U.K. charts, and it was Aretha’s first song to rank in the U.K.
• She performed this song in Blues Brother 2000.

Lyrics

(Musixmatch)

What you want, baby, I got it

What you need, do you know I got it?

All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you get home

(Just a little bit) hey, baby

(Just a little bit) when you get home

(Just a little bit) mister

(Just a little bit)

I ain’t gon’ do you wrong while you’re gone

Ain’t gon’ do you wrong ’cause I don’t wanna

All I’m askin’ is for a little respect when you come home

(Just a little bit) baby

(Just a little bit) when you get home

(Just a little bit) yeah

(Just a little bit)

I’m about to give you all of my money

And all I’m askin’ in return, honey

Is to give me my propers when you get home

yeah, baby

(Just a, just a, just a, just a) when you get home

(Just a little bit) yeah

(Just a little bit)

Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey

And guess what? So is my money

All I want you to do for me, is give it to me when you get home

yeah, baby

(Re, re, re, re) whip it to me

(Respect, just a little bit) when you get home, now

(Just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care, TCB, oh

A little respect

(Sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)

Whoa, babe

a little respect

(Just a little bit) I get tired

(Just a little bit) keep on tryin’

(Just a little bit) you’re runnin’ out of fools

(Just a little bit) and I ain’t lyin’

(Just a little bit)

start when you come home

(Re, re, re, respect) or you might walk in

(Just a little bit) and find out I’m gone

(Just a little bit) I gotta have