Reflections: End of August, 2018

Aretha Franklin

Queen of Soul

1942 – 2018

The entertainment world collectively mourned the loss of Aretha Franklin, affectionately known as the Queen of Soul, during this month. Ms. Franklin, born on March 25, 1942, died after entering hospice care on Thursday, August 16, 2018. She was 76 years old. I personally never knew her, but I grew up in the era of her music. Being Deaf, I never heard her sing but I did read the lyrics to her songs and fully recognize and understand her tremendous impact on the popular culture.

Enclosed with this Reflections tribute here on ReNude Pride are gif images of Ms. Franklin at various stages of her extraordinary career. It is obvious to all who view these images that she enjoyed her music, as did millions around the world. One does not need the ability to hear to witness the joy she felt delivering her songs for others to hear.

“Now cracks a noble heart. – Good night, sweet Queen, And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”        William Shakespeare, “Hamlet” Act 5, Scene 2

President Barack Obama, the 44th President of the USA, offered his thoughts on her demise: “Aretha helped define the American experience. In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade – our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect. May the ‘ Queen of Soul’ rest in eternal peace.” Twitter, August 16, 2018

My personal favorite song of Ms. Franklin’s was “Respect” which she initially recorded in 1967. For me, it was much later, when I was in secondary school, before I ever read the words. It became one of my favorites then and remains so today. With the dysfunctional and immature behavior of our current leader, it’s message is equally as important as it was when she first sang it.

Respect

(oo) What you want

(oo) Baby, I got

(oo) What you need

(oo) Do you know I got it?

(oo) All I’m asking

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 asking (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 asking 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 trying (just a little bit)

You’re running out of fooling (just a little bit)

And I ain’t lying (just a little bit)

(re, re, re, re) ‘spect

When you get 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)

Lyrics of the 1967 version of “RESPECT” via azlyrics.com

Ms. Franklin was a talent without equal and will be missed by all who knew her and those who knew her through her music. May she rest in peace.

Author’s Note: To read what my blogging brothers have written about this legendary woman, visit Rob, author of Real Time, or Kishna, author of We Are The Gayte Keepers. Click the link to view the post. 

Naked hugs!

Roger/ReNude Pride