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.
Good To Me
Otis Redding Lyrics
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But you're so good to me
I don't what you're doing wrong to me baby
But you're so good to me
Honey, I've been loving you for a long time
And you're still good to me
I've been loving you woman 20 long years
Cause I've got that will to try, huh
I remember those sweet kisses you give me last night
And man they we're so good to me
All of that good, good, good old loving you give me baby
Honey we were sure good to me
I've been loving you woman 20 long years
If it takes forty more
Honey I let my will to try, huh
I don't know what you're doing to me baby
But it sure is good to me
Whatever you do wrong honey
I don't care baby
Because you're so good to me
I keep on loving you woman
For twenty more years
After that I'm going for forty
Cause I got my will to try
I've been loving you woman too long
But I'm just going to keep on loving you all day long, honey
I'll never going to dissatisfy you in no kind of way, honey
And I'm going to love you baby long in the early morning sun
And I'm going to squeeze you tight, honey, lord yeah
You're just so good to me baby
And I love, love, love you, honey
I just love, love, love you, baby
I'm just keep on loving you honey
Cause you're so good to me
So, so good to me
The lyrics of Otis Redding's "Good to Me" are a declaration of undying love and gratitude towards the subject; the person who is the inspiration behind the song. The singer is in awe of how good the person is to him and how they always manage to make him happy, despite not understanding what exactly they do to make that happen. He has been in love with this person for a long time, and even though he is not sure what the future holds, he is ready to love them for 20 more years and even 40 if need be. The singer expresses his affection for the person by referring to the sweet kisses and the good old loving that he enjoyed with them, stating how their love makes him feel good.
The repeated usage of "good", "so good to me", and "sweet kisses" reinforces the idea of how amazing this person is to the singer. He is ready to hold on to this person regardless of what obstacles come his way, and the promise of loving them for 20 more years and beyond shows the depth of his devotion. The song also showcases the power of love and how it can bring immense joy and happiness to a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what you got baby
I'm not exactly sure what you possess, dear
But you're so good to me
But whatever it is, you treat me so kindly and lovingly
I don't what you're doing wrong to me baby
I can't even identify what faults or errors you are committing, darling
But you're so good to me
But despite that, you continue to shower me with goodness and care
Honey, I've been loving you for a long time
I have been devotedly cherishing you for quite some time, dear
And you're still good to me
And you still continue to provide me with warmth and affection
I've been loving you woman 20 long years
I've been loving you, my lady, for a period of 20 years
I'll love you 20 more
And I am determined to love you for 20 more years
Cause I've got that will to try, huh
Because I possess the resolve to keep trying and loving you always
I remember those sweet kisses you give me last night
I recall the tenderness of the kisses you bestowed on me last evening
And man they we're so good to me
And my goodness, they really pleased and satisfied me
All of that good, good, good old loving you give me baby
All the love and devotion you show me, sweetheart, is just so darn good
Honey we were sure good to me
Darling, you really treated me well
I've been loving you woman 20 long years
I've been loving you, oh, lady, for two decades
If it takes forty more
If it takes another 40 years to cherish you, I will
Honey I let my will to try, huh
Because my determination to keep trying and loving you never fades, dear
I don't know what you're doing to me baby
Honestly, I can't identify how you affect me, dearest
But it sure is good to me
But one thing I'm sure of, your presence and your love are just so good to me
Whatever you do wrong honey
Even if you make mistakes or err, my sweet
I don't care baby
I don't really mind or concern myself about them, darling
Because you're so good to me
Because your love and kindness towards me are more than enough to outshine your faults
I keep on loving you woman
I will keep on loving and adoring you, my lady
For twenty more years
For another two decades hence
After that I'm going for forty
And then, after that period, I will continue pursuing for another 40 years
Cause I got my will to try
Because I have the resolve to keep trying and loving you whatever happens
I've been loving you woman too long
I've been loving you for so long, my lady
But I'm just going to keep on loving you all day long, honey
But I will just push forward and keep on loving you all day long, darling
I'll never going to dissatisfy you in no kind of way, honey
I will never ever disappoint or let you down in any way possible, sweetheart
And I'm going to love you baby long in the early morning sun
And I will love you, my baby, for a very long time as the morning sun rises
And I'm going to squeeze you tight, honey, lord yeah
And I will hug you firmly and tenderly, with all my heart, my love
You're just so good to me baby
You're just so wonderfully kind and loving to me, my dear
And I love, love, love you, honey
And I've fallen in love, love, love with you so much, my love
I just love, love, love you, baby
My love for you is just so, so deep, my baby
I'm just keep on loving you honey
I will just keep on adoring and cherishing you, my love
Cause you're so good to me
Because you treat me so well and with so much love and kindness
So, so good to me
In fact, you're just so good to me, my classy lady
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OTIS REDDING, JULIE GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind