Aretha Franklin

Respect

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Respect Lyrics

oo) What you want
(oo) Baby, I got
(oo) What you need
(oo) Do you know I got it?
(oo) All I'm askin'
(oo) Is for a little respect when you come 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 gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gonna do you wrong (oo) 'cause I don't wanna (oo)
All I'm askin' (oo)
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 (just a, just a, just a, just a)
Yeah baby (just a, just a, just a, just a)
When you get home (just a little bit)
Yeah (just a little bit)

------ instrumental break ------

Ooo, your kisses (oo)
Sweeter than honey (oo)
And guess what? (oo)
So is my money (oo)
All I want you to do (oo) for me
Is give it to me when you get home (re, re, re ,re)
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 (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
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)
(re, re, re, re) 'spect
When you come home (re, re, re ,re)
Or you might walk in (respect, just a little bit)
And find out I'm gone (just a little bit)
I got to have (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)

Submitted by

anna118k On Mar 13, 2002

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28 Meanings

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by Comrade_Liar

20y ago

Ok everybody, Comrade_Liar is here to (despite his name) dispense a little truth and tell you all what it means once and for all.

The original was sung by Otis Redding, and it was basically Otis telling his woman "You can damned well do what you want when I'm aint about, but I wear the trousers round here and you Will respect me in my house!"

Aretha heard it and decided to do the womans responce to Otis' song, which I spose means this could be seen to be a Womans' Equal Rights song. (The best example of this is how in the original song Otis says "And I am about to just give you all my money" but in this Aretha says "And guess what?/So is my money", as if to say she dont need her man to support her, she's earning her own way through) However beyond that it is not a civil rights song.

Aretha's woman in this song is saying that no she aint as bad as Otis makes out (In the original Otis says "Do me wrong/Honey if you wanna/You can do me wrong/Honey while I am gone" to which Aretha replys "I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone Ain't gonna do you wrong 'cause I don't wanna") but if he wants to make this relationship work, he better buck up his ideas in the bedroom. She is basically agreeing to give Otis the respect he wants, if he can give her the "respect" she demands between the sheets. (What did you think "Whip it to me" meant?)

She also warns him at the end that if he cant give it to her, she'll find someone else who can (which is the whole of the last verse really)

A classic song by the all time Queen of soul. As a side note, next time I see Beyonce described as the Queen of Soul, I will become very very unhappy.