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.
Love Have Mercy
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many kisses, y'all, have I stole
From other girls they didn't belong to me
That's why the payback is just misery, yeah
Love have mercy, y'all, Lord
Love have mercy on me now
Love have mercy, y'all, on my heart
Is just tearing it apart
It's got me week
Oh don't ever let me go
Cause I couldn't stand to reap
What I've sown now
Love have mercy, y'all, huh
Love have mercy on me, yeah
This feeling, Lord, is killing me
All the things I did wasn't right
And now I'm just sittin' like a duck
Sittin' here on that dynamite, yeah, yeah, yeah
O whee, now, lord, somebody help me
Comin' loose y'all
Love have mercy, yeah, on this man
All the wrong I did now I understand
I broke a lot of hearts
Before I got to her
And now this suffering
Just like they were, tell me 'bout it
Love have mercy, yeah, ooh
Love have mercy on poor me
Love have mercy
Yeah, got to tell you about it
You got me sufferin'
Lord, just like they were
Don't make me suffer
Don't make me, love have mercy on me
Don't make me suffer, no no no no no no
Love have mercy, mercy, mercy
Love have mercy, mercy, mercy
Love have mercy on me
No don't do it to me
You got me doin' the things
I don't want to do, y'all, yeah
You got me sufferin'
Just like the girls were, now, now
Sorry 'bout that, sorry 'bout that
Sorry 'bout that, baby
In Otis Redding's song Love Have Mercy, the singer is essentially asking for forgiveness for the mistakes he has made in his past relationships. The lyrics express regret and guilt over his wrongdoings, as well as a desire to not repeat those mistakes. He acknowledges that he has taken kisses from other girls who did not belong to him, and that he has broken a lot of hearts before finding the girl he is currently with.
The chorus of the song repeatedly asks for mercy from a higher power, specifically in regards to love. The verses describe the struggles and pain caused by his past actions and the fear of losing the person he is with now. He begs for help in avoiding the consequences of his previous behavior, recognizing that the consequences are potentially disastrous.
The song overall has a certain sense of urgency to it, conveyed through the singer's impassioned delivery of the lyrics. It seems that the weight of his past mistakes has caught up with him and he is desperate to make amends before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Love have mercy, yeah, on my soul
I am asking for forgiveness for all the times I have done wrong in the past.
How many kisses, y'all, have I stole
I have done things that are not right by taking things that do not belong to me.
From other girls they didn't belong to me
I have taken things that belong to others without their permission.
That's why the payback is just misery, yeah
I understand that my past wrongdoings are now causing me to suffer and be unhappy.
Love have mercy, y'all, Lord
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy from God.
Love have mercy on me now
I need mercy and forgiveness now.
Love have mercy, y'all, on my heart
I need mercy and forgiveness for the pain I have caused to others.
For this young girl
I have hurt this young girl.
Is just tearing it apart
My actions are causing her a lot of pain and suffering.
It's got me week
I feel weak and helpless because of my wrongdoings.
Oh don't ever let me go
I need help and support to overcome my mistakes and make things right.
Cause I couldn't stand to reap
I do not want to face the negative consequences of my actions.
What I've sown now
I do not want to experience the negative effects of my past mistakes.
Love have mercy, y'all, huh
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy from others.
Love have mercy on me, yeah
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy for my past mistakes.
This feeling, Lord, is killing me
The pain and regret from my past actions are causing me a lot of emotional distress.
All the things I did wasn't right
I know that the things I did were wrong and harmful to others.
And now I'm just sittin' like a duck
I am feeling vulnerable and exposed to the negative consequences of my actions.
Sittin' here on that dynamite, yeah, yeah, yeah
I am in a dangerous and volatile situation because of my past mistakes.
O whee, now, lord, somebody help me
I need help and support from others to overcome the negative effects of my past actions.
Comin' loose y'all
I am losing control and feeling overwhelmed by the consequences of my past mistakes.
Love have mercy, yeah, on this man
I need mercy and forgiveness as a person who has made mistakes in the past.
All the wrong I did now I understand
I now understand the harm and wrong that I have caused to others in the past.
I broke a lot of hearts
I have caused a lot of pain and suffering to others by breaking their hearts.
Before I got to her
I have hurt others before I met the young girl mentioned earlier.
And now this suffering
I am now experiencing the same pain and suffering that I caused to others in the past.
Just like they were, tell me 'bout it
I now understand and empathize with the pain and suffering that I have caused to others in the past.
Love have mercy, yeah, ooh
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy from others.
Love have mercy on poor me
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy for my past mistakes.
Yeah, got to tell you about it
I need to confess and ask for forgiveness for my past mistakes.
You got me sufferin'
I am suffering from the consequences of my past actions.
Lord, just like they were
I am now experiencing the same pain and suffering that I caused to others in the past.
Don't make me suffer
I do not want to experience the negative consequences of my past mistakes.
Don't make me, love have mercy on me
I am asking for forgiveness and mercy for my past mistakes.
Sorry 'bout that, sorry 'bout that
I am apologizing for my past mistakes.
Sorry 'bout that, baby
I am apologizing to the person I have hurt in the past.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID PORTER, ISAAC HAYES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind