Ain't No Sunshine
Aretha Franklin & Mary J. Blige Lyrics

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Ain't no way
For me to love you
If you won't let me

It ain't no way
For me to give you all you need
If you won't let me
Give all of me

I know that a woman's duty
Is to have and love a man
And that's the way it was planned

Oh but how can I, how can I, how can I
Give you all the things I can
If your tying up both of my hands
Oh ain't no, ain't no way (ain't no way)

It ain't no way no, no, no (ain't no way)
Sho' ain't no way (ain't no way)
It ain't no way (ain't no way)

It ain't no way for me to love you
If you won't let me

So, stop trying to be
Someone your not

Hard, cold and cruel is a man
Who paid to much for what he's got

And if you need me
Won't you say, say you do
Because if you need me

Don't you know I need you
Ain't no way

Overall Meaning

The song "Ain't no Mountain" by Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige is a soulful ballad about the difficulties of love when one partner is not willing to fully commit to the relationship. The lyrics begin with the singer expressing her love for her partner, but acknowledging that she cannot fully love him if he won't let her. She then goes on to say that as a woman, it is her duty to have and love her man, but how can she do that if her partner is not willing to accept all that she has to offer? The title refrain of "ain't no way" emphasizes the futility of trying to love someone who is not willing to reciprocate and accept love fully.

The lyrics also touch on the theme of gender roles and expectations in relationships. The singer references the traditional expectation that women should love their men, but questions how she can fulfill that role if her partner is not allowing her to. She also suggests that her partner is "hard, cold and cruel," possibly indicating that he is attempting to fit into a stereotypical masculine role that is preventing him from being vulnerable and allowing himself to love fully.

In the end, the singer implores her partner to be true to himself and to express his love for her if he truly feels it. She emphasizes that love is a two-way street, and if one partner is not willing to participate fully, there can be no true love between them. The song is a powerful anthem for anyone who has struggled with unrequited love or a partner who is not fully committed to the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Ain't no way
There is no way

For me to love you
That I can love you

If you won't let me
If you don't allow me to

It ain't no way
There is no means

For me to give you all you need
For me to provide everything you require

If you won't let me
If you don't permit me

Give all of me
Offer my complete self

I know that a woman's duty
I understand that it's a woman's responsibility

Is to have and love a man
To have a man in her life and love him

And that's the way it was planned
That's how it was intended to be

Oh but how can I, how can I, how can I
But how am I supposed to

Give you all the things I can
Provide you everything in my ability

If your tying up both of my hands
If you're restricting me

Oh ain't no, ain't no way (ain't no way)
Oh, there's just no way

It ain't no way no, no, no (ain't no way)
It's absolutely impossible

Sho' ain't no way (ain't no way)
Surely, there's no way

It ain't no way (ain't no way)
There is no way

It ain't no way for me to love you
I cannot love you

If you won't let me
If you don't give me permission

So, stop trying to be
Cease attempting to be

Someone your not
Someone you're not supposed to be

Hard, cold and cruel is a man
A man becomes tough, distant, and unkind

Who paid to much for what he's got
When he spent excessively on what he owns

And if you need me
And if you require me

Won't you say, say you do
Can't you tell me that you do

Because if you need me
Because if you require me

Don't you know I need you
You should know that I also require you

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carolyn Franklin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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