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's Night
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
In Otis Redding's "A Hard Day's Night," the singer reflects on the challenges he faces each day as he works tirelessly to provide for his lover. He's exhausted and feels he should be sleeping instead of enduring another late night, and yet he still soldiers on, seeking refuge and solace in the comforting embrace of his lover. The singer expresses his appreciation for his lover and the little things she does to make him happy. The singer acknowledges the value of hard work and the sense of fulfillment that comes from providing for the people we care about. He recognizes that even though his work may be grueling, the reward of seeing his lover happy is worth it.
The lyrics of this song reflect not only the hard work and dedication required to build a successful relationship but also the value of human connection and the power of love to overcome even the most daunting of obstacles. Through his words, Otis Redding conveys the importance of healthy relationships and the need for support and comfort during difficult times. The song is a testament to the endurance and perseverance of the human spirit and the importance of having someone to lean on when the going gets tough.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a hard day's night
It has been a long, tiring day
And I've been working like a dog
I have been working hard, non-stop
It's been a hard day's night
The day has been difficult and exhausting
I should be sleeping like a log
I should be sleeping very deeply
But when I get home to you
When I come to you, my partner
I find the things that you do
I appreciate the things you do
Will make me feel all right
It makes me feel better or okay
You know I work all day
You know I spend the whole day working
To get you money to buy you things
I work hard to earn money to buy things for you
And it's worth it just to hear you say
It's worth it just to hear you express your happiness
"You're gonna give me everything"
"You're willing to give me everything"
So why on earth should I moan?
So why should I complain?
'Cause when I get you alone
Because when I'm alone with you
You know I feel all right
I feel good when I'm with you
When I'm home
When I'm at home with you
Everything seems to be right
Everything feels perfect
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
Feeling your embrace tightens my bond with you
It's been a hard day's night
It has been a long, tiring day
And I've been working like a dog
I have been working hard, non-stop
It's been a hard day's night
The day has been difficult and exhausting
I should be sleeping like a log
I should be sleeping very deeply
But when I get home to you
When I come to you, my partner
I find the things that you do
I appreciate the things you do
Will make me feel okay, oh!
It makes me feel better or okay
So why on earth should I moan?
So why should I complain?
'Cause when I get you alone
Because when I'm alone with you
You know I feel all right
I feel good when I'm with you
When I'm home
When I'm at home with you
Everything seems to be right
Everything feels perfect
Feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
Feeling your embrace tightens my bond with you
It's been a hard day's night
It has been a long, tiring day
And I've been working like a dog
I have been working hard, non-stop
It's been a hard day's night
The day has been difficult and exhausting
I should be sleeping like a log
I should be sleeping very deeply
But when I get home to you
When I come to you, my partner
I find the things that you do
I appreciate the things you do
Will make me feel all right
It makes me feel better or okay
You know I feel all right
I feel good with you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind