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.
I Need Your Lovin'
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need it every hour
Come on and set my little soul on fire
I say I need love, love, love, love
Need your lovin', babe, I need it every day
Come on and give it to me every hour
I want you to set my little soul on fire
I need your lovin', baby
Hear what I say, need it every day
Need it every hour
Set my little soul on fire
Now everybody needs somebody sometime
Need it every day, I wanna say it to you
Just a little bit louder
Tell you just hear what I say
I say, I need love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey baby
The lyrics to Otis Redding's "I Need Your Lovin'" make it clear that the singer is yearning for his lover's affection. The repeated refrain of "I need love, love, love, love" emphasizes the depth of his desire, and he states that he requires this love every day and every hour. Additionally, he asks his lover to "set [his] little soul on fire," indicating that his need for their love is passionate and intense.
The song is ultimately a declaration of the singer's dependence on his lover, and the urgent repetition of the titular phrase serves to emphasize the immediacy of his need. The final lines of the song seem to take a more general turn, with the singer acknowledging that "everybody needs somebody sometime." This suggests that the song's focus on his own need for love is meant to be relatable to listeners, as everyone experiences feelings of loneliness or isolation at some point in their lives.
Overall, "I Need Your Lovin'" is a straightforward and emotionally charged song about the importance of love and connection in the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I need your love every day
I require your affection and care on a daily basis
I need it every hour
I desire your love and attention every minute of every hour
Come on and set my little soul on fire
Ignite my passion and desire for you to the highest extent
I say I need love, love, love, love
I cannot emphasize enough on how much I need your love
Need your lovin', babe, I need it every day
I desperately need your love and affection every single day
Come on and give it to me every hour
I urge you to shower me with your love and attention every hour of every day
I want you to set my little soul on fire
I crave for the intensity that your love can bring to my soul
Say I need love, love, love, love
I reiterate my need for your love and affection
I need your lovin', baby
I am dependent on your love and cannot live without it
Hear what I say, need it every day
Please listen attentively to my needs and requirements of your love every day
Set my little soul on fire
Give me the passion and intensity of your love that I long for
Now everybody needs somebody sometime
It is a universal fact that everyone needs someone in their life at some point
Need it every day, I wanna say it to you
I cannot stress enough on how important it is to receive your love every day, and I want to express this to you
Just a little bit louder
I request you to convey your love and affection to me a bit more loudly and clearly
Tell you just hear what I say
I want you to listen to my words and understand my needs clearly
I say, I need love, love, love, love
I continuously state my desire and requirement for your love and affection
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love
I express the various forms of love I require - emotional, physical, and spiritual
Hey, hey, hey, hey
An expression of affection and excitement towards the person
Hey, hey, hey, hey baby
An endearing term used to refer to the person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRETT STRONG, NORMAN WHITFIELD, NORMAN J. WHITFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind