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The Staple Singers - Respect Yourself
If you disrespect everybody that you run in to
How in the world do you think everybody's s'posed to respect you?
If you don't give a heck about the man with the bible in his hand
Just get out the way, and let the gentleman do his thing.
You the kind of gentleman that want everything your way
Take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day.
Chours:
Respect yourself, respect yourself
If you don't respect yourself ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na na
Respect yourself, respect yourself
If you're walking 'round thinkin' that the world owe you something cause you're here
You're goin' out the world backwards like you did when you first come here.
Keep talkin' 'bout the President won't stop air pollution
Put your hand on your mouth when you cough, that'll help the solution.
Oh, you curse around women though you don't even know their names
And you dumb enough to think that'll make you a big 'ol man.
Chorus
"Respect Yourself" is the name of a classic soul song by American rhythm & blues/gospel group The Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, the song became a crossover hit. The Staple Singers' version peaked at #1 on KHJ, #12 on the Hot 100, #2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and is one of the group's most recognizable hits. Bruce Willis recorded a cover version of the song in 1987, which peaked at #5 on the Hot 100. In 2002 the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2010 it was ranked #468 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was written by Stax Records singer Luther Ingram and Stax house songwriter Mack Rice. Ingram, who was frustrated with the state of the world at the time, told Rice "black folk need to learn to respect themselves." Rice liked the comment so much that he built a funk groove around it, then gave the song to the Staples, who were also signed to Stax. Producer Al Bell teamed the group with the storied Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, musicians who laid down classic tracks for Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin, and with engineer/musician Terry Manning for vocals, overdubs, and mixing, in Memphis. The horns were overdubbed by Manning after the vocals were recorded, and were played by The Memphis Horns. The confrontational song had resonance for a burgeoning self-empowerment movement for African-Americans during the post-civil-rights-movement 1970s, as well as women demanding more respect during those same years. The Staple Singers' long version featured Roebuck "Pops" Staples, nearly 57 at the time, on lead for more than two minutes.
