Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' Has A Dark Undertone Most Aren't Aware Of
Aretha Franklin was just 24 when she made the feminist hit record of the century. As she stepped into the recording booth during the height of the 1960s civil rights movement, she knew the message behind "Respect" would resonate — but no one, not even the studio bosses, could have foreseen the song spending twelve weeks as the number-one song in America. And for those who knew about the song's shady past, it was all the more jaw-dropping.
Power Anthem
It seemed like the song was too big to fail. The track was full of confidence, independence, and it had a "don't mess with my rights" spirit that average folks could relate to. These tweaks were strokes of genius on Franklin's part — but she hadn't written the song's original lyrics herself.
Version Two
In fact, her 1967 release of "Respect" was actually a cover — the original had come out two years prior. It was originally Otis Redding's song, and Franklin had selected it for a specific reason. Her producer, Jerry Wexler, emphatically supported the idea.
Prep Work
Wexler knew that Franklin knew what she was doing. “Aretha wrote most of her material or selected the songs herself, working out the arrangements at home and using her piano to provide the texture,” Wexler later said. “In this case, she just had the idea that she wanted to embellish Otis Redding’s song. When she walked into the studio, it was already worked out in her head.” What she had planned was a bold move.
Revamping Otis
But Franklin was no stranger to bold moves. Otis Redding's lyrics had originally said something much different, but Franklin was intent on completely revamping them. She wanted to give the song an empowering meaning, one that related to civil rights. And she had the perfect life experience to do so.
