Ain't No Way
Mary J. Blige/Whitney Houston 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 Way" by Aretha Franklin is a powerful ballad that captures the struggle of a woman who is desperately in love with a man who won't let her love him fully. The song tells the story of a woman who is willing to give all of herself to the man she loves, but he won't let her. She pleads with him to let her love him fully and to give her the chance to be everything he needs, but he refuses. The lyrics express her frustration and sadness as she realizes that there is no way for her to love him if he won't let her.


The song is both a plea for love and a commentary on the challenges that women face in relationships. The lyrics are filled with emotion and power, as Aretha Franklin's soulful voice brings the story to life. The song is a testament to the strength of women who love unconditionally, even when they are not given the chance to be everything their partner needs.


Overall, "Ain't No Way" is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the struggles of women in love. With its soulful lyrics and powerful vocals, it is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.


Line by Line Meaning

Ain't no way
There is absolutely no possibility


For me to love you
For me to feel romantic affection towards you


If you won't let me
If you refuse to allow me to love you in the way I want.


It ain't no way
There is absolutely no possibility


For me to give you all you need
For me to provide you with what you require


If you won't let me
If you refuse to allow me to provide you with what you require.


Give all of me
Give the whole of my being, heart and soul to you.


I know that a woman's duty
I understand society's expectations of a woman's role


Is to have and love a man
Is to marry and have feelings of affection towards a man


And that's the way it was planned
And this was the norm in society's design.


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


Give you all the things I can
Provide all I am capable of


If your tying up both of my hands
If you are hindering or impeding me from doing so


Oh ain't no, ain't no way (ain't no way)
Oh, absolutely not. There is no possibility.


It ain't no way no, no, no (ain't no way)
It is absolutely not going to happen.


Sho' ain't no way (ain't no way)
There certainly isn't a chance in this happening.


It ain't no way (ain't no way)
There is definitely no chance of this happening.


So, stop trying to be
Stop pretending to be


Someone your not
Someone you are not meant to be


Hard, cold and cruel is a man
A man who is tough, detached, and harsh


Who paid to much for what he's got
A man who has invested too much in what he owns


And if you need me
And if you truly depend on me


Won't you say, say you do
Can you please acknowledge it verbally?


Because if you need me
Because if you truly depend on me


Don't you know I need you
Do you not understand that I also rely on you?


Ain't no way
There is no possibility




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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@DeCurtaRican

Geniuses HAVE to do that, and they GET to do it without insulting anyone. Even the best jazz artists in the world got carried by Miles Davis, and they felt it was a privilege.

But let’s not get it twisted: Mary may not have had Whitney’s pure singing ability (who did?!), but she had a “voice” that was equally powerful and more powerful in in one respect. It came from her body and her heart instead of her vocal cords.

Whitney couldn’t sing about the raw sh!t like Mary could because she was a pure singer. Mary was a vocalist, meaning she could put into a song whatever it needed at any particular moment. That was and remains her gift. To her credit, Whitney clearly understood this about Mary. She knew what Mary could offer.

Whitney couldn’t do what Nary could, but she didn’t have to either. Her natural singing voice spoke for itself.

Both of these women…extraordinary.



@ameliabedelia7018

“Stop tryin' to be someone you're not.
Hard cold and cruel is a man
Who paid too much for what he's got.
And if you need me to love you
Say, say yeah you do
Oh then please, please, please
Don't you know that I need you?”

The most heartfelt and heartbreaking lyrics that anyone has written ever. Thank you Baby Sister, Carolyn Franklin.



All comments from YouTube:

@donovanrobinson1843

This was a pivotal moment for Mary. She recalls how performing with Whitney opened doors for her. There will never be another like Ms. Houston

@nataliegraham3287

💯 And I can’t believe I’m just seeing this performance🎤 My Newark, NJ and My Mary🙌🏾🫶🏾 brought me to 😭 Rest Well Whitney🙏🏾🥲

@blessandhighlyfavored1263

💯💯💯

@jnid1758

wasn't she already successful when this performance happened? so I'm not sure what you're talking about with the doors 🤔

@arkhamcapper1493

@@jnid1758 yeah she came out around the same time as Mariah she was definitely more successful than Whitney was in this year lol

@nikosgr9290

@@arkhamcapper1493 Well, she was never more succesful than Whitney to start of with not even that year, then if you watch some of Mary`s older interviews you`ll discover that she said what performing with Whitney did for her career and how many doors it opened. She said!

38 More Replies...

@elizabethwashington9168

Mary brought the pain, and Whitney brought the soul...beautiful duet...loved the red leather outfits too! Rest in peace Whitney...

@malikabryan329

Yesssssss 🙌🏾🙌🏾😊

@lesliekinard2261

Perfectly explained.

@cegert6466

And in red leather!!!

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