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.
Louie Louie
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
Me said the ship all alone
Me never think me make it home
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Me think of girl constantly
On the ship I dream she there
I smell the rose in her hair
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Me see Jamaica moon above
It won't be long, me see my love,
I take her in my arms and then
Me tell her I never leave again
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
The lyrics of Otis Redding's "Louie Louie" explore themes of longing, isolation, and the search for love. The singer of the song is a man who is leaving his home behind to travel across the sea on a ship. He is leaving behind a woman who is waiting for him, and as he thinks about her on his journey, he dreams of her being with him. The lines "Three nights and days me sail the sea/ Me think of girl constantly" convey the singer's obsession with the woman he has left behind. He imagines her scent, her hair, and her presence on the ship with him, even though he knows she is far away.
As the song progresses, the tone shifts from one of longing to one of hope. The singer sees the Jamaica moon above and knows that he is getting closer to his love. He imagines holding her in his arms and telling her that he will never leave her again. The lines "I take her in my arms and then/ Me tell her I never leave again" express the intense desire and commitment the singer feels towards his love.
Overall, "Louie Louie" is a powerful expression of both the pain of separation and the hope of reunion that can come with distance. The lyrics are simple yet evocative, and the feeling they convey has made the song a classic of American popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Fine little girl she waits for me
There is a girl who is eagerly waiting for me
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
I have boarded a ship to cross the sea
Me said the ship all alone
I am sailing alone on the ship
Me never think me make it home
I don't think I will ever make it back home
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
I must leave now
Three nights and days me sail the sea
I have been sailing the sea for three days and nights
Me think of girl constantly
I am constantly thinking of the girl who is waiting for me
On the ship I dream she there
I dream that she is on the ship with me
I smell the rose in her hair
I can smell the fragrance of the rose in her hair
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
I must leave now
Me see Jamaica moon above
I see the moon in the Jamaican sky
It won't be long, me see my love,
It won't be long before I can see my love
I take her in my arms and then
I will embrace her tightly in my arms
Me tell her I never leave again
I promise her that I will never leave her again
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
I must leave now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind