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 forโฆ' 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 'โฆand everโฆ'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
Aretha Franklin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I put on my makeup (makeup)
I say a little prayer for you
And while combing my hair, now
And wondering what dress to wear, now (wear, now)
I say a little prayer for you
Forever (forever), forever ('ever)
You'll stay in my heart and I will love you
Forever (forever), and ever (ever)
We never will part, oh, how I love you
Together (together), together (together)
That's how it must be
To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me
Mmh
I run for the bus, dear
While riding I think of us, dear (us, dear)
I say a little prayer for you
And at work I just take time
And all through my coffee break time (break time)
I say a little prayer for you
Forever (forever), forever ('ever)
You'll stay in my heart and I will love you
Forever (forever) and ever (ever)
We never will part, oh, how I love you
Together (together), together (together)
That's how it must be
To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me
Nobody but me
Forever ('ever), and ever (ever)
You'll stay in my heart and I will love you
Forever (forever), and ever (ever)
We never will part, oh, how I love you
Together (together), together (together)
That's how it must be
To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me
Mmh-mhm
My darling, believe me (believe me)
For me there is no one but you
Please love me true
I'm in love with you
(Answer my prayer) answer my prayer, babe
(Answer my prayer) say you love me true
(Answer my prayer) answer my prayer, baby
(Answer my prayer) yeah
Forever (forever), and ever (ever)
you'll stay (ever) in my heart and I will love you
Forever (forever), and ever (ever)
we never will part, oh, how I love you
Together (together), together (together)
That's how it must be
To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me
Oh, nobody but me
My darling, believe me (believe me)
For me there is no one but you
Please love me true
This is my prayer (answer my prayer, baby)
Answer my prayer now, babe (answer my prayer, baby)
This is my prayer (answer my prayer, baby)
Answer it right now, babe (answer my prayer, baby)
Say you love me true (answer my prayer, baby)
This is my prayer, baby (answer my prayer, baby)
I'm in love with you (answer my prayer)
The lyrics to Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer" express a deep and unwavering love for the subject of the song. The singer starts the song by describing the first things she does upon waking up, which involves saying a prayer for the person she loves. She then goes on to describe how this person occupies her thoughts throughout the day, even as she goes through routine activities like combing her hair and riding the bus. The lyrics also emphasize that the love between the singer and the subject of the song is forever and that being separated from them would be heartbreak.
The song uses faith as a metaphor for love, expressing how the singer's love for the other person is so great that it feels like a religious devotion. The repetition of "forever" and "never will part" reinforces this idea of the eternal nature of love. Throughout the song, the singer asks the person to answer her prayers and to love her back, expressing vulnerability and a deep need for reciprocal feelings.
Overall, "I Say a Little Prayer" is a heartfelt declaration of love that uses faith and religious language to emphasize its emotional impact.
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 (makeup)
Before I start getting ready for the day, including putting on makeup
I say a little prayer for you
I take a moment to pray for the person I love
And while combing my hair, now
While I'm brushing my hair in preparation for the day
And wondering what dress to wear, now (wear, now)
And trying to figure out which dress I should put on
I say a little prayer for you
I say another prayer for the person I love
Forever (forever), forever ('ever)
Affirmation of a forever love
You'll stay in my heart and I will love you
The person I love will always be in my heart and I will always love them
Forever (forever), and ever (ever)
Affirmation of a forever love
We never will part, oh, how I love you
I will always love the person I am singing to and we will never be separated
Together (together), together (together)
We will always be together
That's how it must be
Being together and loving each other is the only way it can be
To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me
Living without the person I love would be too painful for me
Mmh I run for the bus, dear
I have to hurry to catch the bus
While riding I think of us, dear (us, dear)
As I'm on the bus on the way to work, I think about our relationship
I say a little prayer for you
I take yet another moment to pray for the person I love
And at work I just take time
During my workday, I take a moment to reflect
And all through my coffee break time (break time)
During my coffee break, I continue to think about the person I love
I say a little prayer for you
And yet another moment is taken to pray for the person I love
My darling, believe me (believe me)
I want the person I love to believe me and trust me
For me there is no one but you
There is no one else for me but the one I love
Please love me true
I hope and pray that the person I love truly loves me back
This is my prayer (answer my prayer, baby)
This entire song is my prayer and plea to the person I love
Answer my prayer now, babe (answer my prayer, baby)
Please grant me what I am asking for
Say you love me true (answer my prayer, baby)
Please confirm your love for me
This is my prayer, baby (answer my prayer, baby)
This song is my heart's prayer to the person I love
I'm in love with you (answer my prayer)
The person I am singing to needs to know that I am in love with them
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@maribarreto6413
The moment I wake up
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, and ever,
(You'll stay in my heart and I will love you)
(Forever) Forever, and ever,
(We never will part Oh, how I love you)
(Together) Together, forever,
(That's how it must be to live without you)
Would only mean heartbreak for me, ooh
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, and ever,
(You'll stay in my heart and I will love you)
(Forever) Forever, and ever,
(We never will part Oh, how I love you)
(Together) Together, forever,
(That's how it must be To live without you)
Would only mean heartbreak for me
My darling, believe me
For me there is no one but you
Please love me too
Answer my prayer
Answer my prayer now babe, oh-oh
Forever, and ever, ever
(You'll stay in my heart and I will love you)
(Forever) Forever, and ever,
(We never will part Oh, how I love you)
(Together) Together, forever,
(That's how it must be to live without you)
Would only mean heartbreak for me, nobody but me
My darling, believe me
For me there is no one but you
Please love me too
Answer my prayer
Answer my prayer now babe
Say you love me too
Answer it right now babe
Answer my prayer
โค
@ernesto7145
One of Miss Arethaโ s
Best!!!
Dionneโs was beautiful and melodic
BUT Aretha gave it meaning, made it real
One of her very bests of all her greatest
This and โA Natural Womanโ should have Topped the charts Even though it was the โBโ side toโThe House That Jack Builtโ.
Too many of Arethaโs great hits didnโt go all the way to the top.i.e
โUntil you come back to meโโฆ
of pop charts that is.
@rbrockman6635
I'm a 60 something year old white guy, in Texas of all places, who was 9-10 yrs when she did this. Even then as a boy I knew she was very special. My mom, as a young widow, had a lot to do with my music appreciation. Man!! That women could sing. Won't be another one like her...... not even close.
@julianagimenes6819
Eu amo estรก mรบsica, estรก para mim transmiti um alto astral imensurรกvel,sem contar que a Aretha รฉ explendita ๐ถ๐ถ๐
@jameswilliams8568
You have great taste in music..
@jeffmorin5867
The Holy Spirit had a hand in this song. :)
@reginafreire7655
@@julianagimenes6819 Maravilhosa
@sjaywjayw70
Aretha transcends music behind color, people, or country. I'm 52 white guy from StL. My mom would listen to Motown back in the 80's, I'll never forgot all those dreams songs.
@donw5641
Aretha really lets the backup singers really shine.
@V-nMontague
ur the only comment
oh wow
@lwilkins9115
She sings WITH backing singers not over them ๐
@vittorinabriccola6860
Simply Fantastic exceptional ๐๐ผ Unique, โฅ๏ธ๐น๐นโฅ๏ธ ARETHA FRANKLIN ๐น