Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an America… Read Full Bio ↴Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding's style of singing gained inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s. During his lifetime, his recordings were produced by Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

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.

Little Ol Me
Otis Redding Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I was just a kid coming up those steps
All dressed up in my Sunday best
Learning to sing, learning to stand
Right in the front, holding mamma's hand
I still remember listening to my dad
Even if I didn't always understand
Cause deep in his heart, deep in his soul
There was a fire that I wanted to know

And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You're writing my life
However could it be, to have a part in your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
I may not know Your plan but I'm safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me
Walking through the halls on my way to class
Caught my reflection in the trophy glass
Who was this girl, trying to be
And who in the world is she trying to please
Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior's voice speaking right to my heart
"Don't give up now, and don't be afraid, you know who you are,
you got something to say"
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You're writing my life
However could it be, to have a part in Your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
And I may not know Your plan
But I'm safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me
Turning the page, I'm up on stage
But I'm still a kid in a lot of ways
So many dreams, that are coming true
But Lord when they see me, I hope they see You
Nothing but You
(God I know, I know You got big plans for me)
However could it be, to have a part in Your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
And I may not know Your plan
But I'm safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me

(God I know, I know You got big plans for me)
Little old me, little old me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Otis Redding's "Little Ol Me" reveal the story of a young girl who is learning to sing and finding her place in the world. She reminisces about her childhood, seeing herself as a little girl dressed up in her Sunday best, learning to stand and sing in the front row while holding her mother's hand. She talks about her father's passion for music and how she felt a fire in her soul to learn more, even if she didn't understand everything he said. She continues to share the story of her journey as she remembers hearing a spark in her heart when she caught her reflection in the trophy glass, wondering who she was trying to be and who she wanted to please. It was then that she heard her Savior's voice speaking to her heart, telling her not to give up and that she had something to say. She reflects on the memories of her past and the experiences that brought her to where she is now.

The song is a beautiful testimony of faith that encourages believers to trust in God's plan for their lives, even if they cannot see it clearly. The lyrics speak to those who feel small and insignificant, reminding them that they have a purpose and a story that God is writing. It reminds them that they are valuable and loved by God, despite their flaws and weaknesses. Through the song, Otis Redding encourages the listener to trust in God's guidance and to surrender their lives to His will instead of seeking their own desires and temporal pleasures.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I was just a kid coming up those steps
I was a young child taking steps to learn and grow

All dressed up in my Sunday best
I was dressed in my best clothes

Learning to sing, learning to stand
I was learning to sing and be confident

Right in the front, holding mamma's hand
I was standing in the front with my mother holding my hand

I still remember listening to my dad
I remember listening to my father

Even if I didn't always understand
Even if I didn't always comprehend

Cause deep in his heart, deep in his soul
Because deep down in his heart and soul

There was a fire that I wanted to know
He had a fire inside that I wanted to experience

And those memories are still burning brightly
Those memories still shine bright in my mind

Oh Jesus how I love the way You're writing my life
I love the way God is leading my life journey

However could it be, to have a part in your story
How could it be possible for me to have a role in God's story

Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
A role bigger than I can imagine, even though I am just a small person

I may not know Your plan but I'm safe here in Your hands
Even though I don't know what God has planned for me, I trust that I am safe in His care

Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me
I know that God believes in me, even though I am small and insignificant in the world's eyes

Walking through the halls on my way to class
Walking through school hallways on my way to class

Caught my reflection in the trophy glass
I saw my reflection in a trophy case glass

Who was this girl, trying to be
Who was I trying to become

And who in the world is she trying to please
Who was I trying to make happy

Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior's voice speaking right to my heart
I was suddenly inspired by God's voice speaking to my heart

"Don't give up now, and don't be afraid, you know who you are,
"Don't give up and don't be scared, you know your own identity

you got something to say"
You have something important to share with the world"

Turning the page, I'm up on stage
Starting a new chapter, I am performing on stage

But I'm still a kid in a lot of ways
But I am still young and inexperienced in many aspects

So many dreams, that are coming true
So many of my dreams are coming to fruition

But Lord when they see me, I hope they see You
I hope that people see God through my actions and accomplishments

Nothing but You
I am nothing without God