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.
5
Otis Redding Lyrics
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Everybody say it (shake)
Eearly in the morning (shake)
Late in the evening (shake)
In the midnight hour (shake)
When the time's going bad, now (shake)
Shake with the feeling (shake)
Shake with the feeling
Listen while I talk to you, now
Tell you what I'm gonna do, now
There's a new thing going around, now
I'll tell what I'm puttin' down, now
You move your body all around and just shake
Oh, g'on, g'on, baby, now
Oh, that's the way you do it
Shake, shake, shake it, baby
Shake it like a bowl of soup
Let it go loop-de-loop, now
Put your hands on your hip, now
Come on and let your backbone slip
Move your body like your hip and just shake!
Got to, got to have it, shake in the morning
Early in the evening
A ring-a-ling-a-ling
Honey, shakin' is the greatest thing
But if you really roll
Got to do the thing with soul
Shake-it, shake with all your might now
But if you do it, do it right now
Put your hands on your hip, yeah
Come on and let your backbone slip
Move your body like your hip and just shake
Lord have mercy, now
Early in the morning
Late in the evening
All night long, y'all
If you really want to really roll, now
Gotta do the thing with soul, now
Shake-it, shake with all your might, yeah
Now, if you do it, do it right, now
Let your body loop de lite and just
Lord have mercy, shale
Everybody say it, shake
One more time, said shake
Everybody say it, said shake
Everybody say it, said shake
One more time, now, said shake
Everybody louder
Little bit louder
The lyrics to Otis Redding's song "Shake" are an invitation to dance and shake the body to the rhythm of the music. The song's message is simple and direct, encouraging listeners to enjoy the moment, and to let loose to the beat. Otis Redding invites people to shake their body, move their hips, put their hands on their hips, and let their backbone slip. He suggests that shaking is not only a fun thing to do but also a way to alleviate stress when times are tough. The repetition of the word "shake" in the lyrics serves to reinforce the importance of the act of shaking and the feeling of freedom and release that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Shake
Get moving and shaking your body
Everybody say it (shake)
Encouragement to everyone to join in and shake their bodies
Early in the morning (shake)
Shake your body in the morning for a good start to your day
Late in the evening (shake)
Shake your body in the evening to wind down from the day
In the midnight hour (shake)
Shake your body in the middle of the night to shake off any restlessness
When the time's going bad, now (shake)
Shake your body during tough times to lift your spirits
Shake with the feeling (shake)
Shake your body with emotion and passion
Shake with the feeling
Reiteration to shake your body with emotion and passion
Listen while I talk to you, now
Pay attention to what I have to say now
Tell you what I'm gonna do, now
Informing of plans to be made
There's a new thing going around, now
There's a new trend or practice beginning to circulate
I'll tell what I'm puttin' down, now
I'll explain what I'm proposing
You move your body all around and just shake
Move your body in any way you need to and just shake
Oh, g'on, g'on, baby, now
Encouragement to keep going and shaking
Oh, that's the way you do it
Expressing approval and enjoyment of the shaking
Shake, shake, shake it, baby
Reiteration to keep shaking your body
Shake it like a bowl of soup
Shake your body with intensity and looseness
Let it go loop-de-loop, now
Shake your body exuberantly
Put your hands on your hip, now
Place your hands on your hips and continue shaking
Come on and let your backbone slip
Relax your body and let it move freely
Move your body like your hip and just shake!
Move your body with the same fluidity and rhythm as your hip and shake
Got to, got to have it, shake in the morning
Need to shake your body in the morning for a lively start to your day
Early in the evening
Reiteration to shake your body in the evening
A ring-a-ling-a-ling
The sound of joy and celebration
Honey, shakin' is the greatest thing
Shaking your body is an excellent and enjoyable practice
But if you really roll
If you truly want to engage in this activity
Got to do the thing with soul
You must shake your body with passion and emotion
Shake-it, shake with all your might now
Shake your body with as much energy and vigor as you can muster
But if you do it, do it right now
If you're going to do it, do it well and correctly
Put your hands on your hip, yeah
Place your hands on your hips and continue shaking
Come on and let your backbone slip
Relax and let your body move freely
Move your body like your hip and just shake
Move your entire body with the same ease and rhythm as your hip and shake
Lord have mercy, now
Expression of excitement and emotion
All night long, y'all
Shake your body all night long
If you really want to really roll, now
If you truly want to engage in this activity
Gotta do the thing with soul, now
Shake your body with passion and emotion
Shake-it, shake with all your might, yeah
Shake your body with as much energy and vigor as possible
Now, if you do it, do it right, now
If you're going to do it, do it well and correctly
Let your body loop de lite and just
Allow your body to move and flow freely
Everybody say it, shake
Encouragement for everyone to continue shaking their bodies
One more time, said shake
Encouragement for one more round of shaking
Everybody louder
Encouragement for everyone to shout the shaking chants louder
Little bit louder
Encouragement for everyone to shout just a bit louder
Lyrics © Alfred
Written by: SAM COOKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind