‘Respect’ is a song written and originally recorded by American soul singer Otis Redding. It was released in 1965 as a single from his third album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul and became a crossover hit for Redding. In 1967, fellow soul singer Aretha Franklin covered and rearranged ‘Respect’, resulting in a bigger hit and her signature song. The music in the two versions is significantly different, while a few changes in the lyrics resulted in different narratives around the theme of human dignity that have been interpreted as commentaries on traditional gender roles.
Franklin's interpretation became a feminist anthem for the second-wave feminism movement in the 1970s. It has often been considered one of the best R&B songs of its era, earning Franklin two Grammy Awards in 1968 for "Best Rhythm & Blues Recording" and "Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female", and being inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored Franklin's version by adding it to the National Recording Registry. It was placed number five on the 2004 version of Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and number one on the 2021 version of the list.
Franklin's version was refashioned as a declaration from a strong, confident woman, who believes she has everything her man wants and does not wrong him, while demanding his "respect" – in the form of appropriate levels of physical attention. The repeated "sock it to me" line, sung by Franklin's sisters, was an idea that Carolyn and Aretha had worked out together; spelling out "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" was (according to engineer Tom Dowd) Carolyn's idea. The phrase "Sock it to me" became a household expression. In an interview with WHYY's Fresh Air in 1999, Aretha said, "Some of the girls were saying that to the fellas, like 'sock it to me' in this way or 'sock it to me' in that way. It's not sexual. It was nonsexual, just a cliché line." The "ree, ree, ree, ree..." refrain is a nod to Franklin's nickname, Ree (as in A-Ree-tha).
Aretha recorded this in New York City with the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, a group of four studio musicians who also played sessions in Nashville and Muscle Shoals, Alabama before starting their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. This was one of their first, and most famous recordings. They went on to work with Wilson Pickett, Paul Simon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Bob Seger.
Label – Atlantic
Songwriter – Otis Redding
Producer – Jerry Wexler
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]What you want, baby, I got it
What you need, do you know I got it?
[Chorus]
All I'm askin' 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)
[Verse 2]
I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone
Ain't gon' do you wrong 'cause I don't wanna
[Chorus]
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)
[Verse 3]
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
[Refrain]
(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]
[Verse 4]
Ooh, your kisses, sweeter than honey
And guess what? So is my money
[Chorus 2]
All I want you to do 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)
[Verse 5]
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take care of T-C-B
[Outro]
(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) 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
(Just a little bit) A little respect
(Just a little bit)