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.
60.14. The Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes
Watchin' the ships roll in
Then I watch 'em roll away again
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide, roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
I left my home in Georgia
And I headed for the Frisco Bay
'Cause I've got nothin' to live for
Looks like nothin's gonna come my way, so
I'm just come sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay, wastin' time
Looks like nothin's gonna change
Everything seems to stay the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same
I'm sittin' here restin' my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
This two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home
Now I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
Sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm wastin' time
In Otis Redding's "The Dock of the Bay," the singer finds himself in a state of mind where he seems to have lost his purpose. He is superfluous to the world and unable to find a reason to continue his journey. The lyrics suggest two main themes: one of isolation, and the other of restlessness. The opening lines speak of the singer's solitude with the use of "sitting in the morning sun," before implying more specifically that he sits alone and idle on the dock all day. The statement "I'll be sittin when the evening comes," reveals a sense of sameness, where the singer's perception of time has become fixed and unchanging. As the song progresses, the monotony of life leads the singer to reminisce about his past and his sense of feeling alienated. He describes leaving his home and heading to San Francisco, in search of something better but coming to the conclusion that there's no purpose to the journey, "Looks like nothin's gonna come my way."
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' in the mornin' sun
Sitting on the dock, enjoying the warmth of the morning sun
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' comes
Will remain seated until nightfall
Watchin' the ships roll in
Observing ships come to dock
Then I watch 'em roll away again
Observing ships depart from the dock
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Stationed on the edge of the bay
Watchin' the tide, roll away
Observing the ebb and flow of the tide
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Continuing to remain on the edge of the bay
Wastin' time
Using time idly
I left my home in Georgia
Departed from Georgia
And I headed for the Frisco Bay
Journeyed towards the San Francisco Bay
'Cause I've got nothin' to live for
Lacks purpose in life
Looks like nothin's gonna come my way, so
Does not anticipate anything positive happening in life
I'm just come sittin' on the dock of the bay
Simply just sitting by the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
Looking at the movement of the water
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay, wastin' time
Continuing to sit by the bay, using the time idly
Looks like nothin's gonna change
Does not expect any change to occur
Everything seems to stay the same
All appears unchanged
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
Resistant to external instruction or pressure
So I guess I'll remain the same
Will maintain current state and behavior
I'm sittin' here restin' my bones
Relaxing and letting the physical body rest
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
Feeling lonely and without companionship
This two thousand miles I roamed
Traveled a great distance
Just to make this dock my home
Ended up at this location by circumstance
Now I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
Currently remaining stationed by the bay
Watchin' the tide roll away
Continuing to observe movement of the water
Sittin' on the dock of the bay
Continuously staying by the bay
I'm wastin' time
Passing the time without intention or productivity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: OTIS REDDING, STEVE CROPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@classicalmusic1175
This song was finished up in the studio just 3 days before Redding was killed in a plane crash. What a parting gift from the king of soul.
@timtime9167
That's why the last verse is whistling he was supposed to come back and add a verse.
@beaconlight4720
Overrated
@timtime9167
@@beaconlight4720 that's your perspective.
@TF58582
Dudes a legend👏🏼
@SassaFrass28
Yes - a parting gift from Otis after his shocking death - so melancholy yet so much strength & determination despite all
@terryprice5720
It was my junior year in college. I had just signed on the dotted line to commit myself to Navy flight school and six years of active duty, right at the height of the Vietnam war. I signed the contract with the Navy recruiter while in the student center at college. After we shook hands, I walked away and sat down at a table alone. Now, I have to go home and tell my parents what I have done. This song came on the jukebox. It was September 14, 1968
@amberfillmore3517
Thank you for your service
@tawneeens436
Terry Price Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
@leebaker2588
Welcome home, Terry.