Redding was born in Dawson, Georgia, and at the age of 2, moved to Macon, Georgia. Redding quit school at age 15 to support his family, working with Little Richard's backing band, the Upsetters, and by performing in talent shows at the historic Douglass Theatre in Macon. In 1958, he joined Johnny Jenkins's band, the Pinetoppers, with whom he toured the Southern states as a singer and driver. An unscheduled appearance on a Stax recording session led to a contract and his first single, "These Arms of Mine", in 1962.
Stax released Redding's debut album, Pain in My Heart, two years later. Initially popular mainly with African-Americans, Redding later reached a wider American pop music audience. Along with his group, he first played small gigs in the American South. He later performed at the popular Los Angeles night club Whisky a Go Go and toured Europe, performing in London, Paris and other major cities. He also performed at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Shortly before his death in a plane crash, Redding wrote and recorded his iconic "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" with Steve Cropper. The song became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The album The Dock of the Bay was the first posthumous album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart. Redding's premature death devastated Stax. Already on the verge of bankruptcy, the label soon discovered that the Atco division of Atlantic Records owned the rights to his entire song catalog.
Redding received many posthumous accolades, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In addition to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," "Respect" and "Try a Little Tenderness" are among his best-known songs.
Redding has been called the "King of Soul", an honorific also given to Brown and Cooke. He remains one of the genre's most recognized artists. His lean and powerful style exemplified the Stax sound; he was said to be "the heart and soul of Stax", while artists such as Al Jackson, Dunn and Cropper helped to expand its structure. His open-throated singing, the tremolo/vibrato, the manic, electrifying stage performances and perceived honesty were particular hallmarks, along with the use of interjections (such as "gotta, gotta, gotta"), some of which came from Cooke. Producer Stewart thought the "begging singing" was stress-induced and enhanced by Redding's shyness.
Artists from many genres have named Redding as a musical influence. George Harrison called "Respect" an inspiration for "Drive My Car". The Rolling Stones also mentioned Redding as a major influence. Other artists influenced by Redding include Led Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Doors, and virtually every soul and R&B musician from the early years, such as Al Green, Etta James, William Bell, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and Conley. Janis Joplin was influenced by his singing style, according to Sam Andrew, a guitarist in her band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She stated that she learned "to push a song instead of just sliding over it" after hearing Redding.
The Bee Gees' Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote the song "To Love Somebody" for him to record. He loved it, and he was going to "cut it", as Barry put it, on his return from his final concert. They dedicated the song to his memory.
Higher And Higher
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than I ever been lifted before
So give me love
Which is my desire, honey
I'm gonna be at your side
Forever more
Now, you know your love
Than I ever been lifted before
So give me love, oh
Which is my desire
I'm gonna be at your side
Forever more
Now, once down and broken hearted
And disappointment was my closest friend
And than you, you came and heated hearted
And you know he never showed his face again
Now, you know your love
Keeps lifting me higher
Than I ever been lifted before
So give me love, oh
Which is my desire
I'm gonna be at your side
Forever more, hey, hey, hey
Know your love
Lifting me higher
Than I ever been lifted before
So give me love
Which is my desire, ha
I'm gonna be at your side
Forever more
Now, you know your love
Keeps lifting me higher
Than I ever been lifted before
So give me love, oh
Which is my desire, oh, honey
I'm gonna be at your side
Forever more
Oh I got to tell you 'bout it
Keep me, lift me all up, lift me
lift me little higher, now
Keep me going all up
I want to higher, higher, higher, higher
Get me up there
I gotta get on up there
Lift me, lift me, lift me, oh lift me
Up, up, up, up, up, up
Gotta get on up
Gotta, gotta, get on up there
The lyrics of Otis Redding's "Higher and Higher" are a testament to the transformative power of love. The song is about a love that keeps lifting the singer higher and higher, beyond any heights he had ever known before. In the chorus, the singer expresses his desire for this love and promises to be by his lover's side forever. He describes himself as being once broken-hearted and disappointed, but his lover came along and brought him back to life. The love that they share is so powerful that it has lifted him to new heights and given him a sense of purpose and direction in life. The singer exudes a sense of gratitude and joy for this love that keeps lifting him higher and higher.
The repetition of the phrase "higher" throughout the song is symbolic of the singer's desire to ascend to a higher level of consciousness or awareness. This is a common theme throughout many love songs, as falling in love often inspires us to reach for new heights in our personal and spiritual lives. The lyrics also suggest that this love has the power to heal and transform us, to lift us out of our pain and disappointment and bring us to a new level of happiness and fulfillment.
Overall, Otis Redding's "Higher and Higher" is a beautiful, uplifting love song that celebrates the transformative power of love. It speaks to the deepest desires of the human heart and reminds us that true love has the power to heal, inspire, and transform us.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love keeps lifting me higher
Your love is constantly raising and elevating me to new heights
Than I ever been lifted before
I've never felt this level of emotional or spiritual upliftment in my life
So give me love
Continue to shower me with your love and affection
Which is my desire, honey
Your love is everything I want and need in my life
I'm gonna be at your side
I want to be with you always
Forever more
I want to be with you for eternity
Once down and broken hearted
I used to be sad and devastated due to past disappointments in love
And disappointment was my closest friend
I was constantly haunted by a sense of disappointment and failure in love
And than you, you came and heated hearted
But when you came into my life, you brought warmth and affection that melted my heart
And you know he never showed his face again
My past disappointments and heartache disappeared when you came into my life
Oh I got to tell you 'bout it
I need to express my gratitude and appreciation for how your love has transformed my life
Keep me, lift me all up, lift me
Your love continues to raise me up and elevate me
lift me little higher, now
I want to experience even more of the love and upliftment that you're giving me
Keep me going all up
I want to keep feeling your love and its transformative power
I want to higher, higher, higher, higher
I want to keep reaching new heights of emotional and spiritual fulfillment with you
Get me up there
I want to be lifted even higher than before by your love
Gotta get on up
I need to continue to pursue the love and transformative power that you bring into my life
Gotta, gotta, get on up there
I'm determined to keep reaching new levels of emotional and spiritual fulfillment with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carl Smith, Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bald_agent_smith
This man is a certified legendary voice
@salparadise191
There are 3 people out there that need a hug.. cause who down votes this?
@starcruisercj7062
FANTASTIC Upload one of Otis Finest Ballads
@FleshGordon88
Brilliant performance !
@justinsoto3891
Rest up angel 🙏 one of my best friends himmy made a good edit of skating with angel & my boy Joseph to this song just fit so well
@aestroai8012
Fantastic vocals!
@imaginepeacerecords9791
Awesomeness
@mtoufali
Thank you for uploading this song. I bought the album in 1969 and we danced to this music in summers of 1970...It was my favorite dancing music...When a friend of mine bought the album too I was impressed since we were middle class of the conservative society of the Rif... I lost the album somewhere in the road... And when I heared it again in the radio I want it to recorded and listen to it on and on... It brings lovely memory...
@laursesco
I heard this song on the radio but more in a 2014 mix im trying to look for it but I need the tittle. Help?
@DangerousTour1
It's not that hard to find it you just need to look for remix of the song"Your Love Has Lifted Me". Anyway I'm assuming that the song you were looking for is "classified - higher".