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.
634-5789
Otis Redding Lyrics
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If you need some good loving
Just call on me, Lord have mercy
If you want some good kissing, yeah
Call on me, ha, Lord have mercy
No more lonely nights
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial that
634-5789
That's my number, ho
If you need some good kissing
Call on me, ha, all you gotta do right now
If you want some good hugging, yeah
Just call on me, Lord have mercy
I'll be right here at home
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial that
634-578
That's my number, ho
I'll be right there, honey
Just as soon as I can, but, huh
If I'll be a little bit late
I hope you can understand, baby, yeah
Alright, yeah
If you need good loving, yeah
Just call on me, ah, Lord have mercy
If you want, yeah, some good kissing, yeah
Just call on me
All you got to do, now, ha
Oh, I'll be right here at home, not gonna move
Just call me on the telephone
That number is
634-578, honey
That's my number
Alright, alright
I'm calling out loud, baby
You knew I'd call it out loud, girl
Baby, I've got the 634-5789
I've got the 634-5789
Just call me at 634-5789
In Otis Redding's song 634-5789, the lyrics express the idea that the singer is always available to help the person he is singing to whenever they need him. The repeated phrase "call on me" emphasizes this willingness to be there for the person in question. The phone number, 634-5789, becomes a symbol for reaching out for help and companionship when one is feeling lonely. The song suggests that a simple phone call to the singer can turn a lonely night into one filled with love and affection.
The lyrics also underscore the idea that physical intimacy is an important component of a relationship. The singer offers not only good loving, but also good kissing and good hugging. In a sense, he is promising the person he is singing to that he can provide all the comfort and affection they need. The repetition of the phrase "Lord have mercy" adds a religious element to the song, suggesting that the singer's love is a kind of divine grace that can alleviate suffering and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
If you need some good loving
If you desire to be loved well
Just call on me, Lord have mercy
Simply contact me and you'll be surprised at how caring I am
If you want some good kissing, yeah
If kissing is what you need to be happy
Call on me, ha, Lord have mercy
Contact me, and I'll provide you with those kisses you desire
No more lonely nights
You won't have to spend any more nights by yourself
You are gonna spend alone
You won't be left all by yourself
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial that
You only need to pick up your phone and call that number
634-5789
That's the number you should call
That's my number, ho
That's the number I'm encouraging you to call
I'll be right here at home
I'll be at home waiting for you
All you gotta do is pick up your telephone and dial that
Just make that call
634-578
That's the number you need to remember
That's my number, ho
That's the number I want you to use
I'll be right there, honey
I'll quickly come over to you
Just as soon as I can, but, huh
As soon as possible, but in case there's a delay...
If I'll be a little bit late
In case I'm running behind schedule
I hope you can understand, baby, yeah
I hope you'll be able to comprehend, my dear
If you need good loving, yeah
Should you need a partner to love you well
Just call on me, ah, Lord have mercy
Don't hesitate to contact me if you want us to love each other well
All you got to do, now, ha
Nowadays, all you need to do
Oh, I'll be right here at home, not gonna move
I promise to wait for your call at home
That number is
This is the number you're looking for
634-578, honey
When you dial that number, it's me on the line
Alright, alright
All good, everything's great
I'm calling out loud, baby
I'm shouting loudly, my dear
You knew I'd call it out loud, girl
You were aware that I'd express it enthusiastically
Baby, I've got the 634-5789
I want you to know that I have the number you need to dial
I've got the 634-5789
I've memorized the number you need to call
Just call me at 634-5789
Don't hesitate to dial me at 634-5789
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVE CROPPER, EDDIE FLOYD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind