I believe it was 1966 when I had my first experience of hearing the music of Aretha Franklin on a regular basis. I was in my first year at Sousa Junior High School, seventh grade, during what was called the “recreation period.” On this segment of the day, between the academic classes, we would go to the recreation room and play records, dance, or play Ping-Pong.
My father had purchased a Ping-Pong table a couple of years prior. So, after facing far greater competition from him, where I never won, I rarely lost a game of Ping-Pong at Sousa and never lost at chess.
I first heard Aretha Franklin’s hit single “Respect” while I played Ping-Pong. Some of the girls in my class were in the recreation room dancing to it. The only lyrics I can recall from that time were “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me … Oh! A little respect…”
Later in life, when I had gotten my associate degree in biomedical engineering, landed a job in my field at a local hospital and was renting an English basement apartment with a fireplace on Capitol Hill, I befriended a young lady in the neighborhood whom I escorted to the Aretha Franklin concert at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. I was more focused on showing her a good time than the music. During those days, I preferred progressive jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and rhythm and blues.
Another friend of mine who has been in the entertainment business told me everybody called Aretha “Re-Re.”
The epiphany of the meaning of the lyrics of this song did not occur for me until Bill Clinton was elected president of the United States. An inauguration celebration was being held on the mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial and my wife wanted to go and see it live. She was new to the Washington, D.C., area. Another couple rode with us as we went and found a parking space about five blocks from the event. By the time we got there, due to security measures, we were so far back from the stage that we would have to watch it on a jumbo screen. We decided to watch in in the comfort of our own home and videotape the event.
Quincy Jones was the musical director and coordinator. He produced a plethora of talented entertainers, including Aretha Franklin. She performed her hit song, “Respect,” with her three background singers, wearing a white mid-length dress, white stockings, high heels and a matching fur coat.
I was amazed and shocked by the way she completed this performance.
The lyrics say, “I’m about to give you all my money, all I want in return honey, is you to give me my propers, when you get home,” as the background singers say “Just a, just a … just a little bit!”
After she sang the segment “R-E-S-P-E-C-T; Find out what it means to me; R-E-S-P-E-C-T; Hey girls [sic], TCB*,” she lifted her right leg to where her knee was above her hips and began to bounce up and down across the stage on her left leg, in high heels mind you. “Sock it to me! Sock it to me! Sock it to me! Sock it to me!” she chanted. “… A little respect (Just a little bit!)…” Keep in mind, Aretha would not be considered a petite woman.
All I could say was, “WOW!”
After 26 years, I finally realized what she meant by “Respect.” I thought she wanted to be made love to!** My wife and I enjoyed watching the videotape of her performance on many occasions in the early ‘90s.
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*TCB stands for take care of business.
**In a 1999 interview, Franklin told NPR “Some of the girls were saying that to the fellas, like ‘sock it to me’ in this way or ‘sock it to me’ in that way. It’s not sexual. It was nonsexual, just a cliché line.”
