Break It to Me Gently
Aretha Franklin Lyrics


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It was so easy baby, you made it so easy, yeah
You knew exactly what to say and do
Had all the answers, you knew how to please me
How'd you guess I'd fall in love with you?
Now I'm scared, oooh, I'm scared what we're coming to

Oh, break it to me gently, be careful of what you say
And save it, save it, save it
Save it, save it, save it, save it for tomorrow
Maybe then you'll stay one more day, hey yeah

It was so easy, baby, you made it so so easy, yes, you did
I'm weak now, darling, need your tenderness
I gave you my loving, oh baby, and all my sweet music
Why'd you give me what you knew I would need?

Are you sure, really really sure it has to end like this?
If you don't love me, if you don't need me

Oh, break it to me gently, be careful of what you say
And save it, save it for tomorrow
Maybe, baby you'll stay, you'll stay, oh, one more day

I need, I need you, I need you, baby
I need you, baby, one more hour
Oh yeah, I need you, oh I need you
Oooh baby, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now one more day

Oh yeah, I need you, baby, I need you
I need you, I need you, I need you one more hour




Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I need you, baby, one more day

Overall Meaning

The song "Break It to Me Gently" by Aretha Franklin speaks about a relationship that is nearing its end. The woman in the song is afraid of what's coming and is pleading with her partner to be gentle in their approach to ending things. The first verse makes it clear that the man knew how to win her over, but now she's scared about what the future holds for them. She's afraid of being hurt and wants him to be careful with his words. The chorus repeats this sentiment, asking him to hold back what he wants to say and leave some hope for a possible future. The second verse begs the question of whether he's sure that it's over because she's still in love with him and needs him. The rest of the song repeats the same plea for him to stay just a little bit longer, giving her more time to cling onto the relationship.


The lyrics of the song hold a deeper meaning when viewed in the context of Aretha Franklin's life. She was a woman who knew the pain of heartbreak all too well, having been in abusive relationships in the past. The song's message speaks to the internal struggle that she must have faced in those relationships. The lyrics also showcase Aretha Franklin's outstanding vocal talent with her soulful voice delivering the emotions of the song immaculately.


Line by Line Meaning

It was so easy baby, you made it so easy, yeah
It was effortless for you to win me over, you knew exactly what to do and say to make me fall in love with you.


You knew exactly what to say and do
You were fully aware of how to please me and knew the right things to say and do to win my heart.


Had all the answers, you knew how to please me
You were knowledgeable of what would make me happy and went above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied in the relationship.


How’d you guess I’d fall in love with you?
You were so skilled at reading my emotions and desires that you knew I would eventually fall in love with you.


Now I’m scared, oooh, I’m scared what we’re coming to
Now, I'm filled with anxiety and fear about where our relationship is headed.


Oh, break it to me gently, be careful of what you say
Please tell me the truth about how you feel, but do it in a considerate and compassionate way that won't hurt me too much.


And save it, save it, save it
Don't tell me everything you feel right away, hold back and take time to think about it.


Save it, save it, save it, save it for tomorrow
Delay giving me the full truth about how you feel until tomorrow, so that I have time to accept the situation.


Maybe then you’ll stay one more day, hey yeah
If you delay telling me the truth until tomorrow, perhaps that will give us one more day together as a couple.


I’m weak now, darling, need your tenderness
I am feeling very vulnerable right now and require your support and love in order to move forward.


I gave you my loving, oh baby, and all my sweet music
I gave you all of my love and affection, as well as my talent and creativity in music.


Why’d you give me what you knew I would need?
Why did you give me all the things I needed in a relationship, only to take them away now?


Are you sure, really really sure it has to end like this?
Are you completely certain that this relationship has to end in this way, without any chance of salvaging it?


If you don’t love me, if you don’t need me
If you no longer feel love or need for me in your life,


I need, I need you, I need you, baby
I am desperate for your presence and affection, hoping that it will change your mind about our relationship.


Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Expressing agreement or emphasis to the previous line.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@frankiehunter.

This superb song, now almost forgotten and always underrated, reached a No. 1 position on Billboard's r&b chart for one week in 1977. On pop chart the song peaked at No. 83.

@DaveWollenberg

Actually, it peaked at #85, on the pop chart.

@justme8605

What's crazy about this song is I didn't "discover" this fantastic song until about 12 years ago. I was 11 in 1977 and was a a huge music fan and I kept up with EVERYTHING, somehow this song slipped past me. Well better late than never

@momsteroct30

Oh my goodness! The way she sings those lines break it to me gently. So much earnestness and longing to be done right. One of my favorites. This song brings me tears because how she sings this. Why in the world won’t iTunes get this album on their list?

@thegiftedmarki5399

By charts this album was one of her 'flops' (NO) so it never reached out as far as her other albums.

@dajuceephattkatt7720

This song really made me fall in love with Aretha! I heard it for the first time on temporary Aretha Franklin Channel on Sirius. Omg the opener " it was so eeeeeasy...." just brings chills!

@chrislittle9774

Who else has been looking for this song for ages? My favorite slow tune by her! Thanks for posting!

@billyjenemusiclover667

I've been enjoying this song and other songs from the album "Sweet Passion" for many years. One of my favorites is "No One Could Ever Love You More". Another from the same album is "Touch Me Up". I love the way Aretha opens the song with those "come hither" sounding lyrics, "Hey lover man, hear you got a plan! A sure cure for a love hangover"! Love em' all!!

@uncutfunk207

It's one of my favorites. Her sparkle album has a very special place in the Playlist of my life. But, THIS song does as well.

@Felyshah_Bri

Never will we hear a voice like this, singing like this. Like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, only one of those, can't duplicate it, EVER!! The sound, the voice, one of a kind! Always❣❣❣

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