I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)

Who it's for

Aretha Franklin's breakthrough single is about loving a man who lies and cheats and being unable to walk away.

Feelings it meets

• Codependency
• Self-Worth
• Toxic Relationship

What it is

"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is a 1967 soul single by Aretha Franklin, written by Ronnie Shannon and produced by Jerry Wexler. Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, it was the lead single and title track of her first Atlantic album. It is a blues-based ballad about a woman who stays emotionally tied to a cheating, untrustworthy lover who breaks her heart.

Where to find it

All major streaming services.

Before you start

Heads up: References to infidelity.

Age: All ages

He's more myself than I am.Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, Chapter IX