About the song
In the annals of American music, few voices have resonated with the raw power and soulful conviction of Mavis Staples. As the lead singer of the legendary gospel and soul group The Staple Singers, Staples has used her voice to uplift, inspire, and challenge for over six decades. Among her many enduring anthems, “Respect Yourself” stands as a beacon of self-empowerment and social justice, a testament to the transformative power of music.
Released in 1971 as the lead single from The Staple Singers’ album “Respect Yourself”, the song quickly became an international sensation, reaching No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the R&B Singles chart. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to capture the universal human desire for self-respect and the power of collective action to bring about social change.
Staples’ vocals, imbued with a blend of gospel fervor and soulful grit, set the stage for a lyrical journey that demands dignity and respect. The opening lines, “Sock it to me, baby / Sock it to me,” serve as a defiant declaration of self-worth, a refusal to be defined by external forces.
As the song progresses, Staples‘s voice soars with conviction, delivering a message of empowerment that resonates across generations and cultures. The lyrics, “Tell me how you feel / Get up, stand up for yourself / Stand up for what you believe,” echo the call for personal and collective action, urging listeners to challenge injustice and demand respect.
The song’s powerful bridge, “I’m gonna get my respect / I’m gonna get my respect / I’m gonna get my respect, yeah,” serves as a triumphant affirmation of self-worth, a declaration that one’s dignity is not up for negotiation.
“Respect Yourself” is more than just a song; it’s a movement, a rallying cry for self-empowerment and social justice. Mavis Staples and The Staple Singers’ masterful performance, coupled with the song’s timeless message of self-respect and collective action, has cemented its place as an enduring anthem, a reminder of the power of music to inspire change and transform lives.
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Lyrics
If you disrespect anybodyThat you run in toHow in the world do you thinkAnybody’s s’posed to respect youIf you don’t give a heck ’bout the manWith the Bible in his handJust get out the wayAnd let the gentle man do his thingYou the kind of gentlemanThat want everything your wayTake the sheet off your face, boyIt’s a brand new dayRespect yourself, respect yourselfIf you don’t respect yourselfAin’t nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na naRespect yourself, respect yourselfIf you’re walking ’roundThink’n that the worldOwes you something‘Cause you’re hereYou goin’ outThe world backwardsLike you didWhen you first come hereKeep talkin’ ’bout the presidentWon’t stop air pollutionPut your hand on your mouthWhen you cough, that’ll help the solutionOh, you curse around women folkAnd you don’t even know their namesAnd you dumb enough to thinkThat’ll make you a big ol manRespect yourself, respect yourselfIf you don’t respect yourselfAin’t nobody gonna give a good cahoot, na na na naRespect yourself, respect yourselfRespect yourself, respect yourself