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 Lover
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
This is my lover's prayer
And I hope you can understand it, my love
My life is such a weary thing
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
What you gonna do tonight
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
Yeah, I won't be missing you
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
What can the matter be now?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
Living in this misery
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Honey but don't you let that be no problem
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
And my lover's prayer would be all over
It got to be all over, honey all over
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home, og
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
This is my lover's prayer
I hope to get the message over, honey
The lyrics of Otis Redding's "My Lover's Prayer" chronicle a tumultuous romantic relationship. In the first stanza, the singer hopes that his message of love will reach his partner and be understood, conveying a sense of emotional distance between them. Additionally, he touches on the idea that his partner's absence may be exacerbating his own loneliness in life. Though he insists he is not at fault for their issues, the singer longs for his partner's embrace and the sound of his voice.
The chorus repeats the plea for the partner to return home and help solve their issues. The singer juxtaposes his own solace in being away from his partner with the idea that his lover's prayer will magically restore their love. Ultimately, he hopes that he and his partner can work through their problems and that his message of love will be received.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing and frustration amidst a relationship that may be on the brink of falling apart. The singer acknowledges that he and his partner have their problems, but he remains hopeful that they can work through them and remain in love.
Line by Line Meaning
This is my lover's prayer
The following words are my sincere plea to you.
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
I wish that my message finds its way to you, my sweetheart.
And I hope you can understand it, my love
I hope you comprehend the depth of my feelings, my beloved.
My life is such a weary thing
My existence seems meaningless without you, my dear.
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
Your absence could be the reason for my sadness, my love.
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
You're always yearning for more, my darling.
When I know deep down that I'm not to blame
I understand that I'm not responsible for your unhappiness, my love.
What you gonna do tonight
What will you do when you need affection tonight, my love?
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
When you seek the warmth of someone's embrace, my dear?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
Please let me know, my love.
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
When you crave for the sound of my comforting voice before going to sleep?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
My darling, you cannot let our issues come in the way of our love.
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
We need to work together and find a solution to our problems, my love.
Yeah, I won't be missing you
I won't yearn for you anymore, my love.
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
Once we sort out our issues, this prayer will end, my dear.
What can the matter be now?
What is troubling us at present, my love?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
It can't be so critical that we cannot find a way out together through discussions.
Living in this misery
Our current situation is making us both unhappy, my love.
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Please don't make drastic changes to our relationship, my love.
Honey but don't you let that be no problem
However, please don't let our problems come in the way of our love, my sweetheart.
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
Let's work on finding solutions together, my love.
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
I promise to stop yearning for you, my love.
And my lover's prayer would be all over
This prayer will be answered once our issues are resolved, my darling.
It got to be all over, honey all over
Our troubles need to end, my love.
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
Please don't let our issues keep lingering, my love.
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home
This prayer is a request for you to come back to me, my dear.
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
I'm sending out this prayer with all my heart to you, my love.
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
I hope my message makes its way to you, my dear.
This is my lover's prayer
Once again, this is my heartfelt plea to you, my love.
I hope to get the message over, honey
I hope you understand the depth of my love and feelings for you, my dear.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OTIS REDDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@agustintalavera4066
This is my lover's prayer
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
This is my lover's prayer
And I hope you can understand it, my love
My life is such a weary thing
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
When I know deep down that I'm not to blame
What you gonna do tonight
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
Yeah, I won't be missing you
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
What can the matter be now?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
Living in this misery
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Honey but don't you let that be no problem
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
And my lover's prayer would be all over
It got to be all over, honey all over
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home, og
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
This is my lover's prayer
I hope to get the message over, honey
@GarrettWatts
This is one of the best songs ever written. Hands down. Otis was king.
@MrDbroo
Sam Cooke was king
@elenarosalepera1357
The Greatrst King wow what a song
@bettylovett6341
NevER HeArD It BeFoRe BUT iT’s O.T.I.S. So I GaVe It A LiKe 🥂🌞🌹♥️🖤💙🙏🏾 LoRD BleSs Y’all 🌍🍾🇺🇸👺👋🏽💯
@annmariealexis3659
Boy oh boy! This song is so feel, it touches my soul...thank you Otis.you'll be forever remembered for your priceless music.
@lisaian881
Agreed. I heard this for the first time last night in a Soprano's (pandemic binge-watching) episode. Just ordered an Otis CD. Came here to listen in the mean time. Happy surprised to see your comment Garrett! 🐁
@julz12100
If the sopranos brought you here, you're a bloody LEGEND . If not then just enjoy the beautiful music
@masonslie1146
It's not a bad thing that many people were introduced to this song from the Sopranos. At least we found it right? That's what matters. Amazing song, amazing singer. One of the many reasons I'm proud to be an American. The music.
@AlphaWasSpotted
Correct, better late than never 👏
@all_about_ches7600
Literally just heard it watching Sopranos 😅