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.
Cigarettes and Coffee
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About a quarter 'til three
I'm sittin' here talkin' with my baby
Over cigarettes and coffee, yeah
And to tell you that
Darling I've been so satisfied
Honey since I met you
Baby, since I met you, whoa
All the places that I've been around
And all the good looking girls I've met
They just don't seem to fit in
Knowing this particularly sad, yeah
But it seemed so natural, darling
That you and I are here
Just talking over cigarettes and drinking coffee, ooh now
And, oh, my heart cries out
Love at last, I've found you, ooh now
And honey won't you let me
Just build my whole life around you?
And whoa, how complete, how complete my whole life would be, yeah
If you would take things under consideration
And walk down this aisle with me
I would love it, yeah
Well, I say it's so early in the morning
Ooh, it's a quarter 'til three
We're sittin' here talkin'
Over cigarettes and drinking coffee, now, Lord
And I'll like to show you, well
I've known nothing but good old joy
Since I met you, darling
Honey since I've met you, baby yeah
I would love to have another drink of coffee, now
And please, darling, help me smoke this one more cigarette, now
I don't want no cream and sugar
'Cause I've got you, now darling
But just let me enjoy
Help me to enjoy
This good time that we'll have, baby
It's so early, so early in the morning
So early, so early in the morning
And I've got you
And you've got me
And we have each other
And we don't, and we don't want nothing but joy, y'all
Nothing but joy
In Otis Redding's song "Cigarettes and Coffee," the singer is conversing with his sweetheart late at night over cigarettes and coffee. He expresses his satisfaction with their relationship, stating that he's been so satisfied since he met her. The singer mentions other people that he's come across in his life, but they don't compare to the special connection he shares with his love interest. He suggests that being with her is natural, and expresses how he wants to build his life around her.
As the song progresses, the singer yearns for a deeper commitment from his sweetheart. He asks her to consider walking down the aisle with him, stating that his life would be complete if she did. They continue to chat and indulge in their simple pleasures, sharing cigarettes and coffee while basking in each other's love. The song ends with the singer reveling in their joy and contentment that they've found in each other.
The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of a couple in love, enjoying each other's company and having deep conversations over simple pleasures. The smoke and coffee serve as a metaphor for the intimate moments shared between two people, and the singer's lyrics reveal his deep devotion to this woman.
Line by Line Meaning
It's early in the morning
It's a quarter 'til three in the morning
About a quarter 'til three
It's very early in the morning
I'm sittin' here talkin' with my baby
I'm having a conversation with my lover
Over cigarettes and coffee, yeah
While smoking and drinking coffee together
And to tell you that
I want to express to you that
Darling I've been so satisfied
I'm very content and happy, my dear
Honey since I met you
Ever since I met you, my love
Baby, since I met you, whoa
It's been great since we met
All the places that I've been around
Everywhere I've traveled to
And all the good looking girls I've met
And all the attractive women I've encountered
They just don't seem to fit in
None of them compare to you
Knowing this particularly sad, yeah
It's a little depressing to think about
But it seemed so natural, darling
But being with you feels so right, my love
That you and I are here
That we are together right now
Just talking over cigarettes and drinking coffee, ooh now
Having a nice conversation while smoking and drinking coffee
And, oh, my heart cries out
My heart is filled with emotion
Love at last, I've found you, ooh now
I finally found true love
And honey won't you let me
My love, can you please
Just build my whole life around you?
Let me make you the center of my life?
And whoa, how complete, how complete my whole life would be, yeah
My life would be so fulfilling with you in it
If you would take things under consideration
If you would think about it
And walk down this aisle with me
And marry me
I would love it, yeah
I would be ecstatic
Well, I say it's so early in the morning
I keep reminding myself it's very early
Ooh, it's a quarter 'til three
It's still very early
We're sittin' here talkin'
We're just sitting here having a conversation
Over cigarettes and drinking coffee, now, Lord
While smoking and drinking coffee, oh my goodness
And I'll like to show you, well
I want to demonstrate to you
I've known nothing but good old joy
I've been nothing but happy
Since I met you, darling
Since I met you, my love
Honey since I've met you, baby yeah
It's been wonderful since I met you
I would love to have another drink of coffee, now
I would really enjoy another cup of coffee
And please, darling, help me smoke this one more cigarette, now
Can you please help me smoke this last cigarette?
I don't want no cream and sugar
I don't need any cream or sugar
'Cause I've got you, now darling
Because I have you, my love
But just let me enjoy
Just allow me to savor
Help me to enjoy
Help me appreciate
This good time that we'll have, baby
This happy moment we're experiencing
It's so early, so early in the morning
It's still very early in the morning
And we have each other
And we have one another
And we don't, and we don't want nothing but joy, y'all
And all we want is to be happy together
Nothing but joy
Only happiness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jay Walker, Eddie Thomas, Jerry Butler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@melyndaduh3501
My favorite male singer when I was 16 years old. Noone has ever usurped his place. I'm 72 now and he is still my standard of vocal perfection.
@sweetiepie792
He has a Prophetic voice..yes mam..and a pastor he was called to be.......yes mam
@johnbennettusa123
ME TOO! .... I'm 71 and it all started when I was 16! .... Love that man! .... Saw him at Fairfield Hall Croydon when I was 17 on the Stax tour with Sam and Dave and co ....
@techdumbdad896
im 45, raised on otis by mom n pops and still my favorite
@tylerlabine9360
i was born 15 years after he died and i have to agree, he gets respect from the generation after him too
@Dsparks7777
That is a mouth full. So much time and artist's have passed.
@kim4502
Everytime that I hear this song I think of me and my Moms late night conversations. Sweets memories and much wisdom.
@djmaxipad6238
In 2016 I married my best friend and THIS MASTERPIECE was our wedding song 💛
@ecb1979
I married my best friend to this in 2019. Great taste 🥰
@jessewilson9782
NICE