Otis Redding's Song 'Respect'
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“Respect” is a song that defined a generation. In 1967, the civil rights movement was beginning to crack; the 2nd wave of feminism had just recently began to get speed, and in Alabama, Aretha Franklin recorded a cover of the song, “Respect” by Otis Redding. Otis Redding had coined the song two years prior as a love song ending in a bad breakup , him begging for his girl to give him respect, yet Aretha Franklin took it to a new level . She took “Respect” and made it into a fun, catchy, and suggestive pop hit, but the biggest thing she turned it into? A political anthem. It is considered ‘the new black national anthem’ (Phyl Garland) and a song that became a feminist statement to young activists. It’s a song that goes over the noises and addresses