Aretha Franklin - Aretha Now album cover

Aretha Franklin – Think Lyrics

Soul

You better think (think)
Think about what you're tryin' to do to me
Think (think-think) let your mind go
Let yourself be free

Let's go back, let's go back
A let's go way on to way back when
I didn't even know you
You couldn't a been too much more than ten (just a child)
I ain't no psychiatrist
I ain't no doctor with degrees
But it don't take too much I.Q.
To see what you're doing to me

You better think (think)
Think about what you're tryin' to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free

Oh freedom (freedom)
Oh freedom
Oh, freedom (yeah)
Oh freedom
Oh freedom (freedom)
Oh freedom
Oh freedom
Hey! think about it
You! think about it

There ain't nothin' you could ask
I could answer you with "I won't" (I won't)
But I was gonna change my mind
If you keep doin' things I don't (don't)

You better think (think)
Think about what you're tryin' ta do to me
(What you're tryin' to do to me)
Oh-oh-oh think (think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free

People walk around everyday
Playin' games and takin' scores
Tryin' to make other people lose their mind
Well, be careful you don't lose yours

Ooh think (think)
Think about what you're tryin' to do to me
Woo-hoo, think (think)
Let your mind go, let yourself be free

You need me (need me)
And I need you (don't cha' know)
Without each other
There ain't nothin' either can do

Oooh yeah, think about it, baby
(What 'cha tryin' to do to me, think)
Better go baby, think about it right now
Yeah, right now (tell about - forgiveness)
Woo, right now (tell about - forgiveness)
Hey, right now (tell about - forgiveness)
I need to change your mind (think about it)
Baby, baby, baby
(Tell about it - forgiveness)
Woo, tell about it baby (tell about - forgiveness)

About This Song

"Think" is Aretha Franklin's commanding anthem of self-empowerment and relationship accountability, where she demands that her partner consider the consequences of their actions before it's too late. The song's lyrics blend personal vulnerability with fierce determination, as Franklin reflects on knowing someone since childhood while refusing to tolerate mistreatment, declaring she doesn't need a degree to recognize manipulation. Musically, it features a driving R&B groove with Franklin's powerhouse vocals soaring over a tight rhythm section, punctuated by the memorable call-and-response "Think!" that became a rallying cry. The track exemplifies Franklin's ability to transform personal struggle into universal empowerment, making it both a classic soul anthem and a proto-feminist statement that resonated far beyond its 1968 release. Its blend of emotional rawness, musical sophistication, and unapologetic demand for respect helped cement Franklin's status as the Queen of Soul.

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