Aretha Franklin is one of my favorite musicians hands down. The Queen of soul has been belting song after song for half a century now and her beautiful voice stays exactly the same. This women has had quite a career, winning Grammy’s, singing for presidents, always being compared to Dinah Washington and Billie Holiday, another two of my favorite females musicians, but her voice was one that you could most definitely tell apart from the rest. I am always trying to mimik her vocal range and do warm ups specifically to her music. I don’t think a day goes by that you won’t hear me singing or humming one of Aretha’s tunes. There is so much sexiness and dynamic to her voice and her presence that you just want to melt and then jump back up and laugh and dance.
The lyrics in One Step Ahead are so amazing, so thought out and right to the point. Heartbreak is one the of the hardest things to go through. One minute you feel like your in bliss and the BAM, your heart breaks in two and it’s like someone shot you right in the heart with a gun. NO, I am not exaggerating! The bottom line is, which Aretha sings so perfectly, is that as long as you are a step ahead of the pain that you are feeling then that’s a step in the right direction, you can’t go backwards and fall into the same old mess and the same old games. Being ahead just a bit still makes the senses feel that person that deep down inside you still crave. This is the ultimate short love story that makes the most sense, because sometimes when you love someone and you take that step ahead, just sometimes, you come back to that person and you can find that bliss again, and then it’s not always a step backwards, but a step in the right direction.
I’m only one step ahead of heartbreak
One step ahead of misery
One step is all I have to take
Backwards, to be the same old fool for you
I used to be
I’m only one step ahead of your arms
One kiss away from your sweet lips
I know I can’t afford to stop for one moment
Cos I’m just out of reach of your fingertips
Your warm breath on my shoulder
Keeps reminding me
That it’s too soon to forget you
It’s too late to be free, can’t you see?
I’m only one step ahead of your love
I try and yet I can’t take two
Seems like I’ll have to take that one step backwards
Cos one step ahead is a step too far away from you.”
Maybe on this wonderful Friday you can take this beautiful song and apply it to a person or a love you may be longing for or lost, or maybe you’re saying to hell with it, they had something great and now I am gone, gone and ready to flirt and party my ass off tonight!