Otis Redding needs no introduction either. his extraordinary voice exemplified to many listeners the power of southern 'deep soul' - hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads. His death at the age of 26 was tragic because he seemed on the verge of breaking through to a wide pop audience (which he would indeed do with his posthumous #1 single, "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay") as well as being at a point of artistic breakthrough in terms of the expression and sophistication.
I Say a Little Prayer
Aretha Franklin & Otis Redding 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)
In "I Say a Little Prayer," Aretha Franklin conveys her devotion to her lover and her strong feeling of attachment to him. The song describes how throughout her day, she is always thinking about him, saying little prayers for his well-being and happiness. She cannot imagine her life without this man, and it would only cause her heartbreak if they were separated. Aretha Franklin's soulful and powerful vocals match the intensity of the lyrics, showing the depth of her feelings.
The opening lines establish the premise of the song, with the singer saying that the first thing she does in the morning is say a little prayer for her lover. This prayer is repeated throughout the day, even during mundane activities like getting ready for work, riding the bus, or taking a coffee break. The singer also makes it clear that she wants to hear her lover say that he loves her too, and that she cannot imagine living without him.
Some interpretations suggest that the song might be about unrequited love or about a woman trying to hold on to a relationship that is on the verge of falling apart. It could also be interpreted as someone expressing gratitude for their partner and realizing how much their love means to them.
Line by Line Meaning
The moment I wake up
As soon as I come to consciousness
Before I put on my makeup
Before I start my daily routine
I say a little prayer for you
I ask for blessings for you
While combing my hair, now
During the process of grooming myself
And wondering what dress to wear, now
And contemplating what to wear for the day
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
You will always occupy a special place in my heart
And I will love you
I will continue to have affection for you
Forever and ever we never will part
Our relationship will last eternally and we will never separate
Together, together, that's how it must be
We need to stay together
To live without you
Being without you
Would only be heartbreak for me
Would result in deep sadness for me
I run for the bus, dear
I hurry to catch the bus
While riding I think of us, dear
During the ride, I reflect on our relationship
At work I just take time
I take a break while at work
And all through my coffee break-time
During my coffee break
Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart
You will always have a place in my heart
And I will love you
I will continue to cherish you
Nobody but me
No one else
My darling, believe me (believe me)
Please trust me
For me there is no one
There is no one else for me
But you
Only you
Please love me, too
Please reciprocate my love
This is my prayer (answer my prayer)
This is my request (please fulfill it)
Answer my prayer now, babe (answer my prayer babe)
Please respond to my request, my love
Say you love me, too
Express your feelings of love for me as well
I'm in love with you (answer my prayer babe)
I have deep feelings of love for you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chaplin_Verve
LYRICS:
The moment I wake up
Before I put on my makeup (makeup)
I say a little prayer for you
While combing my hair now
I'm wondering what to wear now (wear now)
I say a little prayer for you (for you, ooh)
Oh, baby
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) togethеr (together) togethеr
(That's how it must be to live without you)
(Would only mean heartbreak for me)
Ooh, ooh, ooh
I run for the bus, dear
While riding, I think of us, dear (us, dear), hey
I say a little prayer for you, oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh, shawty)
At work, I just take time
And all through my coffee breaktime (breaktime)
I say a little prayer for you
forever
(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)
Only mean heartbreak for me
Ooh-ooh
@benjamincascioni413
Someone listenin' this greatness in 2024?
@rafaelamuller7948
Yooooo!!!
@ryanlewis9499
Not the first but here I am ❤😊
@norfolkgarden
Yes Sir!
@matheusteixeira2907
yep!
@sunny2023xx
Yeeeehh
@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.