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Aretha Franklin — Rock Steady
Album: 30 Greatest Hits
Avg rating:
8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3051









Released: 1971
Length: 3:03
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Rock steady, baby - That's what I feel now;
Let's call this song exactly what it is...

Step n' move your hips with a feelin' from side to side;
Sit yourself down in your car and take a ride...
And while you're movin', rock steady, rock steady, baby;
Let's call this song exactly what it is...
(What it is, what it is, what it is...)
It's a funky and low down feelin'
(What it is...) In my hips from left to right;
(What it is...) What it is is I might be doin'
(What it is...) This funky dance all night....
Oh, oh! (Clap your hands in the air! Got a feelin', ain't got a care!)
Oh-ah! (What fun to take this ride! Rock steady will only slide!)

Rock steady! Rock steady, baby.
Rock steady! Rock steady, baby.

Step n' move your hips with a feelin' from side to side;
Sit yourself down in your car and take a ride...
And while you're movin', rock steady, rock steady;
Let's call this song exactly what it is...
(What it is, what it is, what it is...)
It's a funky and low down feelin'
(What it is...) In my hips from left to right;
(What it is...) What it is is I might be doin'
(What it is...) This funky dance all night....
Oh-ah! (Clap your hands in the air! Got a feelin', ain't got a care!)
Oh-ah! (What fun to take this ride! Rock steady will only slide!)

Rock steady, baby!
Rock steady... whoo! Rock steady...

Rock! Steady!
Rock! Steady!

(What it is...) It's a funky and low down feelin',
(What it is...) In my hips from left to right;
(What it is...) What it is is I might be doin'
(What it is...) This funky dance all night....
Oh, ah! (Clap your hands in the air! Got a feelin', ain't got a care!)
Oh-ah! (What fun to take this ride! Rock steady will only slide!)

Rock steady! Steady it, baby!
Rock... rock steady, baby...
[fade begins]
Baby... (What it is...)
Baby, baby... (What it is...)
Baby... (What it is...)
Baby...
Comments (288)add comment
Indubitably one of the Queen’s greatest tracks! Are there any hips that aren’t shaking now?!
what it is...is that freakin bass

it, it, it...lives!
 settiman wrote:

I'm going to assume that the one person who voted "Sucko-Barfo" made an honest mistake. Confused the 1 for the 10?



I can only feel sorry for somebody who is not capable of grasping what a great song this is
 settiman wrote:

I'm going to assume that the one person who voted "Sucko-Barfo" made an honest mistake. Confused the 1 for the 10?



One of her son's who lost the disputed will lawsuit?
"what it is,  what it is, what it is"

Now that's a way to make introduction to people 


Tight! Aretha knew how to rock! 
I'm going to assume that the one person who voted "Sucko-Barfo" made an honest mistake. Confused the 1 for the 10?
Anything by miss aretha is a 10
what it is...
what it is...
what it is...

that's what it is.

(when the horns come in, it sounds exactly like a part of a james brown song - covered by aerosmith on their live bootleg album. maybe mother popcorn? i can't specifically recall...but i think they repeat the "what it is what it is...that's what it is" part.)
This song does not quit!
Is that a washboard I hear in there?


Let's call this song exactly what it is...

I call it funky and low down, too!  [Already voted 10!]
That’s how you do that…
 naturalman wrote:

Me working from home today: "Sorry work colleagues. My internet will be down for the next 3 minutes". 




LOL!!   
Me working from home today: "Sorry work colleagues. My internet will be down for the next 3 minutes". 
I also really like the mash up that RP introduced me to, Soul Desir by DJ Zebra!
Que voz. ¡ Divina!
So flipping funky!

Dang.

Now I'm not getting anything done for the next 3 minutes.
There's a Dire Straits song i wish would come on after this one, but it never does. If i could only remember What it Is (What it is)...
Godfrey Daniels!

That bass and rhythm guitar.   Where does that ccme from? 
simply amazing.
Hard to sit still when Aretha does this number!
Holy smokes what a jam!
 xcranky_yankee wrote:

dancing to this while making an oreo cookie crust - highly advise!




Totally Cool! ...and. I don't bake!   
dancing to this while making an oreo cookie crust - highly advise!
 jerund wrote:

A lesson for modern bass players, on top of a great song and singer.  There's more to life than the Indie eighth notes on the root the whole song.




I don't know what that means but I'd watch a Davie504 video demonstrating
A lesson for modern bass players, on top of a great song and singer.  There's more to life than the Indie eighth notes on the root the whole song.
The Queen gets a solid 10 for this.
 lynn01 wrote:

if you can sit still while this is playing, you're dead.



I'm sit dancing. 
yes I am chair dancing 
The term "Rock 'n' Roll" was invented just so Aretha could one day cut this song.

The Queen of Soul rocks on this one!
 BobHeisler wrote:

This song is so cool that it's hard to sit still while listening to it.




YOU BET!!!   
 lynn01 wrote:

if you can sit still while this is playing, you're dead.




YOU BET!!!  CHAIR DANCING TIME!!!   
Cool😎
my hands down favorite funky tune from Aretha!!! what it is!!

This song is so cool that it's hard to sit still while listening to it.

if you can sit still while this is playing, you're dead.
My old boat was called Rock Steady! So many memories of life on board and loads of wonderful times afloat. That all comes flooding back with this song.
 4merdj wrote:
Wow! Very powerful and fresh voice at the time! {#Cheers}


Still. All the time! Forever!
 Dave_Mack wrote:

Beyond godlike!



Goddesslike!!
Damn I grew up in the most varied and diverse musical explosion of ALL TIME!
Aretha's absolute best.
Bernard Purdie / drums
Chuck Rainey / bass

Tightest rhythm section ever. Great horn section as well.
Good Lord the goosebumps!!
Classic of the genre.   You recognize it by the first four bars. 

Aretha.

Godlike.
That bass player is burning down the house!
    
Beyond godlike!
Back in the late 70s/early 80s my best friend and I would sit in my '64 VW bug with this song blaring, singing at the top of our lungs and rocking the car back and forth. Joy joy joy
This has got some serious funk in there!
ICONIC! .....and, GREAT!
Big sound 
My sis said “who is this singing?”. I said “Aretha Franklin”. She said “Urethra Franklin? Never heard of her”. Pissed myself laughing all the way to the Urology unit
Automatic bobblehead. Resistance is futile.
oh ya
Aaaaah! The good version!
So many hiphop samples came from this record.

Classic is an underrated term for this song
20!
Those horns tho!

When I was in college 20 some years ago, we had a party band that were all music majors from the Chicago area; called themselves "I-55". All music majors so the could cover all of the horn parts. Of course, they covered a lot of the band Chicago!
 deepwoodskev wrote:
Opening bass riff sure sounds a lot like the opening to:

FatAlbert


 
This tune came out in 1971 - a year or so before Fat Albert and his pals showed up on Saturday morning TV.
What it is what it is what it is!
Love you Aretha!
R.I.P. momma
I was in the other room when this song came on. I could instantly tell it was the unmistakable powerhouse voice of Aretha. That unmistakable, uncomparable, unforgettable voice of Aretha. RIP, Queen of Soul.
OOOOH, Aretha, we are gonna MISS YOU.  {#Cry}
{#Roflol}{#Bounce}
{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Dancingbanana_2} UGHHH! Hard to sit still with this one!
 Clyde_Bedow wrote:
When ya hear pipes like that, even Disco is acceptable.
 
Agreed, but this is not "Disco".
Nice, funky bass line.
When ya hear pipes like that, even Disco is acceptable.
I have always liked Aretha Frankin and I especially so when she sings this genre - funk-tastic!
 freddyfender wrote:
Anyone who rates this super funky song a 1 should be banished to Travis Tritt radio for an eternity.

 
Travis Tritt radio and eternity sound severe, but fair...
Anyone who rates this super funky song a 1 should be banished to Travis Tritt radio for an eternity.
still sounds good Aretha
Opening bass riff sure sounds a lot like the opening to:

FatAlbert


Oh yea, chair dancing at work...
sing it Susie B
how about "Don't Play That Song"
she gives us a great performance on that one 
Music that keeps you from falling your ladder.
 ThePoose wrote:
fucking funky for fuck's sake

 
We do have a mixed ages audience,   perhaps a tad of restraint?
Not that I disagree with your sentiment.


 baylees wrote:
she deserved her  R E S P E C T  

next  time  play  chain of fools please ( not sure of the tile)    chain chain chain....

 
oh yeah , 'Chain Of Fools' 
Joe South's guitar opens it
one of the best licks ever  
fucking funky for fuck's sake
 Thank God for Jerry Wexler!

Skydog wrote:
sweet Sister

 

sweet Sister
 willmcnaught wrote:
{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananapiano}{#Drummer}

 
yep, that's the way to start the day
 
{#Bananajam}{#Dancingbanana_2}{#Bananapiano}{#Drummer}
she deserved her  R E S P E C T  

next  time  play  chain of fools please ( not sure of the tile)    chain chain chain....
This was the baseline soundtrack for my West Coast Trail adventure this summer. A fabulous rhythm and refrain for climbing the 85 kms of rocks, roots, and ladders with 60 pounds on my back!
Aretha's lost maybe 80 lbs and looks great.  And she's out rockin it for her millions of fans.  {#Dancingbanana_2}    Of which I'm one.
{#Dancingbanana}
Wow! Very powerful and fresh voice at the time! {#Cheers}
Aretha remains wonderful.
Oh yeah!
Fantastic piece of music.    (shake it now people, feel that umm umm um  : )
 old_shep wrote:
How did the industry that gave us this talent and inspiration devolve to, pardon the vulgarity,  Rap.....?
 

 

The proper phrase for the genre is Hip-Hop and you aren't hearing the right kind. Just like any other genre of music; commerical vs. non-commercial.
Yup, Yes, and Ohhh Yeah!
Mimosas and kitchen dancing!!! Nice groove man...
 
 old_shep wrote:
How did the industry that gave us this talent and inspiration devolve to, pardon the vulgarity,  Rap.....?
 

 
Rap's not the only form of music there is (from whichever "industry" you are referring to).  There are still plenty of soul singers around if you bother to look and listen.  Shirley Jones & the Dap Kings are one example, and they're played on RP.
Love it!
everybody get up and dance! 
man this thing just woke me up.
just try and sit still with on.

8.1 hell its a 10 
It's eerie how great music always has that timeless quality, a freshness that suggests it was just made last week.
No question where Talking Heads got the groove for Slippery People from. 
Had this rated at 9.  What was I thinking?  Gots to be a 10!
She accompanied herself on piano at Harvard commencement today singing our national anthem.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kC59qNwt3A
what it is what it is  {#Dancingbanana_2}
{#Bananasplit}
Chair dancing!
Thank you for sharing your gift
saw Koko @ Ft. Lauderdale Jazz festival 1989  WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bill  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just returned home   The dogs are going crazy ( I am @ eastern time) 1:50 am  I hear KoKo Taylor then  Aretha  Iam dancing  Jake Sam (dogs) r going nutz     Then  u play  Ian Anderson  (Stand Up )  HOW CAN I EVER GO 2 SLEEP ??????????

Bouree  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Merry X-mas
 apd wrote:

Srsly? You don't see a connection? There's a more obvious straight line from this to Beyonce's "Crazy in Love", but the rappers are a tributary of the river too.

 
Rap is a devolvement, not a tributary. That doesn't lessen its significance.
What a voice. Even when the material is not all that fine, her voice raises it to another level. 
{#Bananapiano}  {#Drummer}  {#Nyah}  {#Cheers} {#Sunny}  {#Kiss} {#Sunny} {#Dance} {#Dancingbanana} {#Clap} {#Motor} {#Bananajam} {#Dancingbanana_2} {#Jump} {#Notworthy} {#Bananajumprope}
So much for working today!
 Cynaera wrote:
No one can come close to Aretha when she's on top of her game.  This song is going from 9 to 10.  I just love it.{#Dancingbanana_2}
 

miss you so much, Cynaera...

love this song...
 
It's a funky and low down feelin' 
(What it is...) In my hips from left to right;
(What it is...) What it is is I might be doin' 
(What it is...) This funky dance all night....

please pass on all the commentary and just shake it People!  It's fun, it's timeless!