"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S.

Intended by lyricist Hal David to convey a woman's concern for her man who's serving in the Vietnam War,[3] "I Say a Little Prayer" was recorded by Dionne Warwick in a 9 April 1966 session.

Warwick's "I Say a Little Prayer" single would receive gold certification from the RIAA for sales of a million units in January 1968.

"I Say a Little Prayer" b/w "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls" became one of the most successful double-sided hits of the rock era.

Franklin and background vocalists The Sweet Inspirations were singing the song for fun while rehearsing the songs intended for the album when the viability of their recording "I Say a Little Prayer" became apparent,[3] significantly reinvented from the format of the Dionne Warwick original via the prominence of Clayton Ivey's piano work.

Similar to the history of Warwick's double-sided hit, the Aretha Franklin version was intended for the B-side of the July 1968 single release "The House That Jack Built" but began to accrue its own airplay that August.

[citation needed] (Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer" did not appear in the magazine's in-house critics' top 100 singles poll conducted in November 2002.)

In Australia, "I Say a Little Prayer" and "The House That Jack Built" were assigned a joint chart ranking that saw the double-A-side hit reach No.

[35] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as an "instantly appealing interpretation", and stated that the song "takes on a saucy and aggressive tone – thanks to the kinetic chemistry between King and producer Andy Marvel, whose beat-smart arrangement gives the kids on the street a reason to pump up the volume."

He also complimented British remixers Love to Infinity for doing "a fine job of refashioning the single into a frothy dance ditty, wrapping King's performance in shiny synths and lively beats.

"[36] The Daily Vault wrote that the Aretha Franklin remake of "I Say a Little Prayer" "is, daresay, better than the original in some respects.

"[37] Pan-European magazine Music & Media noted it as "a '90s version of a '60s standard" and a "reggaefied take on the much covered Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune".

The 1971 album Anne Murray / Glen Campbell features a medley of "I Say a Little Prayer" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix"; the songs are sung in counterpoint to each other, with Murray vocalizing on "I Say a Little Prayer" while Campbell reprises his "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" hit.

King's version was released as a single and brought the song back to the top 40 almost thirty years after Dionne Warwick's original, albeit with a No.

Cassie Henderson, 14, sung this song for Soul Week on The X-Factor NZ Season 1 Episode 16.

A parody of the song with altered lyrics was featured in the 2006 comedy film Date Movie making fun of its use in My Best Friend's Wedding.

It was performed by Dianna Agron as her character Quinn Fabray, with Naya Rivera and Heather Morris dancing backup as Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce, as their audition song to join the glee club.