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 Hard Day
Otis Redding Lyrics
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And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel all right
You know I work all day
To get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say
"You're gonna give me everything"
So why on earth should I moan?
'Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel all right
When I'm home
Everything seems to be right
When I'm home
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel okay, oh!
So why on earth should I moan?
'Cause when I get you alone
You know I feel all right
When I'm home
Everything seems to be right
When I'm home
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
It's been a hard day's night
And I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night
I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you
I find the things that you do
Will make me feel all right
You know I feel all right
You know I feel all right
The lyrics of "A Hard Day's Night" by Otis Redding tell the story of a hardworking man who spends his days working tirelessly for his woman. Despite the exhaustion that comes with his hard work, he finds comfort in her love and affection. The chorus of the song repeats the line "It's been a hard day's night," emphasizing the singer's exhaustion from the day's labor. However, when he gets home to his lover, he finds the solace he needs.
The underlying theme of the song is the idea that love and affection are more important than material possessions. The singer works hard to provide for his woman, but ultimately what he wants is affection and love. He is willing to work hard for her, and he finds fulfillment in seeing her happy.
The song's melody features a catchy guitar riff and a lively drumbeat, which gives the lyrics an up-tempo feel. The overall tone of the song is optimistic and joyous, which reflects the singer's happiness with his life.
Overall, "A Hard Day's Night" is a testament to the power of love and the importance of finding solace and comfort in the people we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
I have been working tirelessly all day and it's been tough.
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
After a hard day's work, I should be sleeping soundly like a log.
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
When I come home, being with you and the things you do are the things that make me happy.
You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
I work hard all day to earn money so I can buy things for you.
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're going to give me everything
It makes it all worth it when you say you'll give me everything.
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel OK
There's no reason for me to complain because when I'm with you, everything is okay.
When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight
Being home with you makes everything feel right and I love feeling you hold me tight.
You know I feel alright, ow
Being with you makes me feel alright and happy.
It's been a hard day's night, and I been working like a dog
I have been working tirelessly all day and it's been tough.
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright
Being with you makes me feel alright and happy.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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