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 Want to Thank You
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to thank you for giving me my pride
Sweet kisses too
And everything you do
I know I'll never find another one like you
If I prove my love it won't be true
Oh my my darling
How can I forget you
I remember the first day that we met
I taught you how to smoke your first cigarette
You were so sweet
In everything you did
And oh darling
You made me seem so big
Just to have you right there in my arms
Just to hold
To squeeze all of your sweet loving charm
I wanna thank you
Darling I wanna love you
I wanna thank you again and say bye bye
I wanna thank you again
Oh how I will cry
Sweet kisses to you and everything you do
Darling I wish I had another one like you
Just to hold you
Have them in my arms
It will bring back memories
And all of your sweet loving charm
I wanna thank you
Darling I want to love you
Baby I wanna hold you
Please let me kiss you
In this song, Otis Redding expresses his gratitude toward his lover for all the love, support, and understanding she has provided him with. He is thankful for her kindness, which has helped him regain his pride. Redding compliments his partner for her sweet gestures and affection, and says that he would never find someone like her again. He pledges his love for her and hopes to hold her in his arms forever. The song's nostalgia stems from the fact that Redding bids farewell to his love and says goodbye, implying that they will no longer be together.
Through the lyrics, Otis Redding takes us on an emotional journey through his love story. The song's power lies in its simplicity, with heartfelt lyrics that express gratitude, love, and sadness. Redding paints a vivid picture of his relationship, from the moment he met his partner, to the memories they shared together.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to thank you for being so nice now
I am grateful for your kindness and good treatment towards me at this moment
I want to thank you for giving me my pride
Thank you for boosting my self-esteem and confidence
Sweet kisses too
I appreciate your romantic gestures
And everything you do
I am grateful for all the ways you show me love and affection
I know I'll never find another one like you
You are truly unique and special to me, and I know that no one else can replace you
If I prove my love it won't be true
I don't need to prove my love to you because it is already genuine and real
Oh my my darling
A term of endearment to express affection towards you
How can I forget you
You have made such a big impact on my life that I cannot imagine ever forgetting you
I remember the first day that we met
I have vivid memories of our first encounter
I taught you how to smoke your first cigarette
I have a special bond with you and even helped you with some of your first experiences
You were so sweet in everything you did
Your actions and behavior were kind and endearing
And oh darling
An expression of affection for you
You made me seem so big
You have given me a sense of accomplishment and importance
Just to have you right there in my arms
The feeling of holding you close is comforting and valuable to me
Just to hold
Being in your presence and feeling your touch is all I need to feel happy and content
To squeeze all of your sweet loving charm
I love to hold you tight and feel your affectionate nature
I wanna thank you
Expressing gratitude towards you
Darling I wanna love you
I have deep feelings of love and affection towards you
I wanna thank you again and say bye bye
Thanking you one more time before parting ways
Oh how I will cry
I will be emotional and sad without you
Darling I wish I had another one like you
Expressing that you are truly unique and irreplaceable
Just to hold you
The feeling of holding you close is comforting and valuable to me
Have them in my arms
To hold and embrace you lovingly
It will bring back memories
Reminiscing about the good times spent together
And all of your sweet loving charm
Your endearing and warm nature that makes me feel loved and cared for
Baby I wanna hold you
Expressing the desire to hold and embrace you lovingly
Please let me kiss you
Asking for permission to show physical affection towards you
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: OTIS REDDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind