Intended by lyricist Hal David to convey a woman's concern for her man who's serving in the Vietnam War.
"I Say a Little Prayer" returned to the Pop & R&B Top Ten in the fall of 1968 via a recording by Aretha Franklin taken from her 1968 album Aretha Now. Franklin and background vocalists The Sweet Inspirations were singing the song for fun while rehearsing the songs intended for the album when the viability of their recording "I Say a Little Prayer" became apparent, significantly re-invented from the format of the Dionne Warwick original via the prominence of Clayton Ivey's piano work. Similar to the history of Warwick's double-sided hit, the Aretha Franklin version was intended for the B-side of the July 1968 single release "The House That Jack Built" but began to accrue its own airplay that August.
In October 1968 "I Say a Little Prayer" reached number ten on the Hot 100 and number three on the R&B singles chart. The same month the single was certified Gold by the RIAA. "Prayer" became Franklin's ninth and last consecutive Hot 100 top 10 hit on the Atlantic label. Franklin's "Prayer" has a special significance in her UK career, as with its September 1968 No. 4 peak it became Franklin's biggest UK hit; subsequently Franklin has surpassed that track's UK peak only with her No. 1 collaboration with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)".
In February 1987, UK music weekly New Musical Express published its critics' top 150 singles of all time, with Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer" ranked at No. 1, followed by Al Green's "Tired of Being Alone" and Warwick's "Walk On By". (Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer" did not appear in the magazine's in-house critics' top 100 singles poll conducted in November 2002.) In Australia, "I Say a Little Prayer" and "The House That Jack Built" were assigned a joint chart ranking that saw the double-A-side hit reach No. 10 in November 1968. "I Say a Little Prayer" also gave Franklin a European hit with chartings in France (No. 12), West Germany (No. 29) and the Netherlands (No. 4).
There are several harmonic differences between the Warwick and Franklin versions. Whilst the Warwick original was sung in G major, Franklin's transposes up a tone to A major. The chord under 'Say a little prayer for…' in the bridge is substantially different (F#m7, or v7 of III, in the original; D, or IV, in Franklin's version) and the third-inversion seventh in the bass under '…and ever…'in the chorus from the original (D major/C#) is a more conventional chord V (E major) in Franklin's arrangement.
In 2021, it was listed at No. 117 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
I Say A Little Prayer For You
Aretha Franklin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I put on my makeup
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair, now
And wondering what dress to wear, now
I say a little prayer for you
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
Forever and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
I run for the bus, dear
While riding I think of us, dear
I say a little prayer for you
At work I just take time
And all through my coffee break-time
I say a little prayer for you
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
Nobody but me
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
My darling, believe me (believe me)
For me there is no one
But you
Please love me, too
I'm in love with you
(Answer my prayer) answer my prayer babe
(Answer my prayer) say you love me too
(Answer my prayer) answer my prayer babe
(Answer my prayer) yeah
And forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
And I will love you
Forever and ever we never will part
Oh, how I'll love you
Together, together, that's how it must be
To live without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
Oh, nobody but me
My darling, believe me
For me there is no one
But you
Please love me, too
This is my prayer (answer my prayer)
Answer my prayer now, babe (answer my prayer babe)
This is my prayer (answer my prayer)
Answer it right now, babe (answer my prayer babe)
Say you love me, too
This is my prayer, babe (answer my prayer)
I'm in love with you (answer my prayer babe)
Aretha Franklin's "Say a Little Prayer" is a song about the power of love, faith, and devotion. The song talks about how the singer, who is in love with someone, prays for the other person's safety and well-being all day, every day. The lyrics show the singer's deep and pure love for the other person and how they cannot bear to be without them.
The first verse begins with the singer waking up and getting ready for the day, but even before putting on makeup, they say a little prayer for the other person. As they get ready for work, they continue to pray and think about the other person. The chorus shows the depth of the singer’s love for the other person and how they want to spend forever together with them.
The song continues by saying that for the singer, there is no one else but the person they love. This is reinforced throughout the song and even ends with the singer saying the phrase "nobody but me". The song ends with the singer asking for their prayer to be answered and for the other person to love them too.
Overall, "Say a Little Prayer" is a beautiful love song that portrays the depth of a person's love and devotion for another.
Line by Line Meaning
The moment I wake up
As soon as I open my eyes in the morning
Before I put on my makeup
Prior to applying any cosmetic products on my face
I say a little prayer for you
I pray for you to have a good day and for our relationship to be strong
While combing my hair, now
As I am brushing through my hair
And wondering what dress to wear, now
As I am pondering on which outfit to choose
I say a little prayer for you
I offer another prayer for you to be happy and feel loved
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
You will always hold a special place in my heart
And I will love you
I will always feel affection for you
Forever and ever we never will part
We will always be together and never separate from each other
Oh, how I'll love you
I will love you deeply
Together, together, that's how it must be
We are meant to be together
To live without you
Existing without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
Would cause severe emotional pain for me
I run for the bus, dear
I hurry to catch the bus
While riding I think of us, dear
While traveling on the bus, I reflect on our relationship
I say a little prayer for you
I pray for your well-being and happiness
At work I just take time
During my work hours, I pause for a moment
And all through my coffee break-time
During my break when I am drinking coffee
I say a little prayer for you
I say another prayer for you
My darling, believe me (believe me)
My beloved, trust me
For me there is no one
There is no one else for me
But you
Only you
Please love me, too
Return the affection and feelings I have towards you
This is my prayer (answer my prayer)
This is what I ask for through my prayers
Answer my prayer now, babe (answer my prayer babe)
Please grant my request now, my love
Say you love me, too
Express your love for me as well
I'm in love with you (answer my prayer babe)
I am deeply in love with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackringo9878
When my wife listened to this song she smiled and sang along. It was the last time I saw her really happy. A couple of days ago she suddenly died. We were together for 36 years. This song will always remind me of her last smile.
@charleygarza4473
She’s still around you! Live the life she wants you to live, to the fullest! For her.💕
@phyllisquinnie7167
Sincere condolences for you 🙏🏽🌟💫she is with you in spirit now ❤️
@billyjenemusiclover667
My heartfelt condolences to you and your entire family! God bless all of you and may God give you all strength. Thirty-six years is full of beautiful memories and I hope you relive all of them over and over again.
@misspeacelove7395
I´m sorry for the loss of your wife that must be very hard. Music can definitely help you heal though.
@EVER4MJ
Hugs 🤗🤗 to you
@yvettepatrick4542
I'm still enjoying this music in 2024!!!!!!!
@nancysiuyeehui178
Yes it’s me 71years old still love this fantastic song ❤
@benjamincascioni413
Someone listenin' this greatness in 2024?
@rafaelamuller7948
Yooooo!!!