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.
Look at That Girl
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In some old smokey place
I bet I was the only one there to watch her face
All night I never saw a smile there
'Cause she didn't even try
You know for just a little while there
I saw a tear in her eyes
[Come on
Come on baby I love to see you now
Ou wi
One more time baby watch me swinging, huh]
I sit and watch her on the floor
I said baby, baby, baby
Come on baby just dance some more
I wonder how it is to love her
I toss it to her in my head
The way she dance to the music
She got me going out of my head
[Come on
Watch
One more time you fine foxy thing you
Uh, yeah ]
One more time just watch she do
She do this
Huh
She walk the mellow-man a little bit
Then she skate a little bit
Then she boog a little bit
Then she twist a little bit
I gotta
One more time
I got to see her on the floor, now, now
Gotta, gotta
I gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta see her now, now
One more time
Sweet little thing, sweet little thing, sweet little thing
You sweet little
Come on, watch that, yeah, yeah, yeah...
In "Look at That Girl," Otis Redding tells the story of a beautiful girl he sees dancing in a smokey place. Despite the lack of smiles on her face, he is drawn to her and can't stop watching her. He wonders what it would be like to love her and how she dances so effortlessly to the music. He begs her to dance some more, and in the final verses, he describes the various dance moves she does, including the mellow-man, skating, boogying, and twisting.
The song gives off a mix of emotions - on one hand, the singer seems enamored with the girl and her dancing, but on the other hand, there are hints of sadness and longing. The fact that she never smiles and seems to be holding back creates a sense of mystery and sadness around the girl.
Redding's soulful voice, combined with the horn and guitar arrangements, contributes to the overall feeling of passion and yearning in the song. The repetition of the line "one more time" highlights the singer's desire to see the girl dance again and again.
Overall, "Look at That Girl" is a classic Otis Redding song that showcases his ability to infuse soul and emotion into every note and word.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her dancing, dancing
I witnessed her dancing with great passion and energy
In some old smokey place
The place where she was dancing was old, poorly ventilated and filled with smoke
I bet I was the only one there to watch her face
I speculate that I was the sole observer of her facial expressions during her dance
All night I never saw a smile there
She didn't smile through the night
'Cause she didn't even try
She wasn't trying to appear unhappy
You know for just a little while there
However, for a brief period of time
I saw a tear in her eyes
I observed a tear drop from her eyes
I sit and watch her on the floor
I sat and observed her dance moves
I said baby, baby, baby
I spoke to her, using the word 'baby' repeatedly
Come on baby just dance some more
I encouraged her to keep dancing and enjoy herself
I wonder how it is to love her
I pondered what it would be like to love her
I toss it to her in my head
I mentally presented the thought to her
The way she dance to the music
The style in which she danced was in sync with the music
She got me going out of my head
She made me lose my mind, in a good way
She walk the mellow-man a little bit
She danced a smooth and slow movement for a brief moment
Then she skate a little bit
She performed a gliding motion for a brief moment
Then she boog a little bit
She executed a rhythmic and lively movement for a brief moment
Then she twist a little bit
She moved in a gyrating and twisting action for a brief moment
One more time
I requested to witness her dance once again
I got to see her on the floor, now, now
I urgently required to watch her dance immediately
Sweet little thing, sweet little thing, sweet little thing
She is an affectionate and delightful young woman
You sweet little
You are so charming
Come on, watch that, yeah, yeah, yeah...
I urged others to observe her dance because it is worth seeing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MORRIS STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind