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.
A Fool for You
Otis Redding Lyrics
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That you didn't want me, yeah
You didn't love me no more
But I know it was something, oh, that made me blue
But believe me, child, I've been a fool for you
I've been a big fool for you
I know you told me, yeah
You didn't want me around
And don't you have a big old man right there
In a port, man, away across town
And I know it's something that makes me blue
Believe me child, I've been a fool for you
I've been a fool for you
Now did you ever wake up in the morning
Just about the break of day, yeah, uh
Reach over an feel your pillow, wow wow wow wow wow
Where that lil fine fox used to lay
Ever since I was five years old, baby
I've been a, a fool for you
Way down, deep down in my soul, oh
I've been a fool for you
Well I know it's something, oh, what makes me blue
Believe me child, I've been a fool for you
I've been a fool for you
I've been a fool for you
I've been a fool for you
I've been a fool for you
I've been just so bad, yeah
I've been just so bad
You don't know what you're doing to me
Well, I just can't understand, yeah
No no no, baby, yeah
I've been a fool for you honey now
I've been a great big fool for you, baby
A fool for you mama
In Otis Redding's song "A Fool for You," the singer is addressing their lover who had previously told them that they no longer loved them. Despite this, the singer declares that they've been a fool for this person and will continue to be. The singer acknowledges that their lover has someone else in their life, but they can't help how they feel. The lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply in love and unable to move on from their love interest.
The song begins with the verse "I know you told me, long time ago, that you didn't want me, yeah. You didn't love me no more." This line sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer is clearly heartbroken and still trying to come to terms with the end of their relationship. However, the singer also acknowledges that there was something about their lover that made them feel blue and that they couldn't help loving them despite everything.
The final verse of the song suggests that the singer has been a fool for their love interest since they were five years old, indicating that this love has been a part of their life for a very long time. The repeated refrain of "I've been a fool for you" reinforces the idea that the singer is deeply in love with their lover and that they will continue to be no matter what. Overall, the song presents a poignant exploration of unrequited love and the pain of holding onto a love that is no longer there.
Line by Line Meaning
I know you told me, long time ago
I remember when you told me a while back
That you didn't want me, yeah
You said you didn't want me
You didn't love me no more
You didn't have feelings for me anymore
But I know it was something, oh, that made me blue
Something about it made me very sad
But believe me, child, I've been a fool for you
Even though I knew the truth, I still acted stupid and let my feelings take over
I've been a big fool for you
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
I know you told me, yeah
I remember you telling me
You didn't want me around
You didn't want me near you
And don't you have a big old man right there
You have a significant other already
In a port, man, away across town
He lives far away from here
And I know it's something that makes me blue
There's something about the situation that makes me sad
Believe me child, I've been a fool for you
I'm admitting that I acted foolishly because of my love for you
Now did you ever wake up in the morning
Have you ever woke up in the morning
Just about the break of day, yeah, uh
Just as the sun's about to rise
Reach over an feel your pillow, wow wow wow wow wow
To feel the empty pillow where someone used to sleep
Where that lil fine fox used to lay
Where someone who was attractive used to sleep
Ever since I was five years old, baby
I've had this love for you since I was very young
I've been a, a fool for you
I've always made unwise choices because of my love for you
Way down, deep down in my soul, oh
My love for you is ingrained in my very being
I've been a fool for you
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
Well I know it's something, oh, what makes me blue
There's something about my love for you that brings me sadness
Believe me child, I've been a fool for you
I'm acknowledging that I acted foolishly because of my love for you
I've been a fool for you
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
I've been a fool for you
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
I've been a fool for you
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
I've been just so bad, yeah
My behavior has been very poor
I've been just so bad
My behavior has been very poor
You don't know what you're doing to me
You have no idea how much I'm affected by my love for you
Well, I just can't understand, yeah
I can't comprehend why I feel this way
No no no, baby, yeah
No matter what, I'm still infatuated with you
I've been a fool for you honey now
I've made foolish decisions because of my love for you
I've been a great big fool for you, baby
I've made many foolish decisions because of my love for you
A fool for you mama
I'm in love with you like a child and can't help it
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ray Charles
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