We All Have an Aretha Track…

Summary

The web page content is a personal reflection on the song "I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)" by Aretha Franklin, highlighting its emotional impact and motivational power, particularly for the author during marathon running.

Abstract

The author of the web page expresses their deep connection with the song "I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)" by Aretha Franklin, emphasizing its profound emotional resonance and the way it empowers them during challenging moments in marathon running. They describe the song as a blend of blues and soul, capturing the complexity of human emotions, including pain and reaffirmation. The author appreciates the song's musical elements, such as the piano riffs, bass line, and Aretha's powerful voice, which they believe is capable of conveying emotions that the listener can truly feel. The author also mentions a link to another article about the music group Tribalistas, suggesting a shared theme of deep emotional connection through music.

Bullet points

The author's favorite song is "I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)" by Aretha Franklin.
The song is particularly motivating for the author during marathon running.
The song is described as a blend of blues and soul, capturing the complexity of human emotions.
The author appreciates the song's musical elements, including the piano riffs, bass line, and Aretha's powerful voice.
The author believes Aretha Franklin's music conveys emotions that the listener can truly feel.
A link to another article about the music group Tribalistas is provided.

Many have an entire collection

Photograph by Michael Ochs / Getty

… And mine is “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)”. Especially after I took up marathon-running. As a runner, sometimes you come across a hill that’s too steep, a flat that’s too long, a path that’s too rough. You need that track that will make you overcome that hill, beat that flat, win over that path. “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)” has that quality. It’s a rocket-powered, piano-riff-rich, bass-hook-driven monster of a song. And on top of everything you have the soaring vocals of the Queen of Soul. Vocals that sing a song of both surrender and love:

“You’re a no good heart breaker/You’re a liar and you’re a cheat/And I don’t know why/I let you do these things to me/My friends keep telling me/That you ain’t no good/But oh, they don’t know/That I’d leave you if I could”

This is a song about flawed humanity. About what we do and the lengths we go to when we love that other person. Even when that other person hurts us so bad. Whereas blues is pain and soul is reaffirmation, “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You)” is a cross between both genres. It is Aretha doing what she did throughout her entire stellar musical career: combining pleasure and suffering.

It is the reason why, when this song comes on my mp3 player, I get that extra burst of energy. It is the combination of brains, brawn (in the form of Aretha’s emotionality) and voice. It is the piano riffs, the bass line, but above all the chops, the pipes. The thought that she only ever took hold of melodies she could feel. And if she felt them, rest assured, so did you.

We All Have an Aretha Track…

Many have an entire collection

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