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.
Mr. Pitiful
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, that's my name now, oh
Call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how I got my fame
But people just don't understand, now
What makes a man feel so blue
Ooh, they call me Mr Pitiful 'cause I lost someone just like you, yeah
They call me Mr. Pitiful
They call me Mr. Pitiful most every place I go
But nobody seems to understand now
How can a man sing such a sad song, now
Ooh, when he lost everything, when he lost everything that he had
How can I explain to you
When somebody had been so very blue?
How can I tell you about my past
If all things won't end?
Mr Pitiful
That's my name now
They call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how I got my fame
But nobody seems to understand now
Ooh, what make a man feel so blue
They call me Mr. Pitiful 'cause I'm in love with you
Can I explain to you?
Everything is going wrong
I've lost everything I had
And I have to sing these sad songs to get back to her
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want you
And I want to tell you everything that, everything that's going through my mind
Sing, and I want to sing
And I want to sing this song with you
And I'm gonna sing this song to everybody
'Cause I want them to understand what I talkin' about
I want you to understand what I'm sayin'
The lyrics to Otis Redding's "Mr. Pitiful" tell the story of a man who has lost everything, including the affection of someone he loves. He has become famous for singing sad songs, but nobody seems to truly understand the depth of his despair. He is referred to as Mr. Pitiful, a name that has become synonymous with his sadness and heartbreak. Despite his fame, he is still longing for the person he lost and trying to find a way to explain his pain to others.
The song speaks to the idea of a public persona versus a private reality. The singer may be famous for his melancholy music, but that doesn't mean he isn't still experiencing real pain and heartache in his personal life. He is trying to communicate this pain to others, but it seems that nobody truly understands. In this way, the song is about the human desire for connection and understanding, even in the face of overwhelming sadness.
Overall, "Mr. Pitiful" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal human experience of loss and heartbreak. It reminds us that even those who seem the most put together may be struggling to keep their lives together behind closed doors.
Line by Line Meaning
Call me Mr. Pitiful
Address me as Mr. Pitiful
Baby, that's my name now, oh
That is the name I go by now
Call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how I got my fame
I gained popularity because they call me Mr. Pitiful
But people just don't understand, now
However, individuals fail to grasp it
What makes a man feel so blue
What causes a man to feel so down
Ooh, they call me Mr Pitiful 'cause I lost someone just like you, yeah
They refer to me as Mr. Pitiful because I had a similar loss like yours
This, everybody know now
This fact is common knowledge
They call me Mr. Pitiful most every place I go
Nearly everywhere I go, I'm known as Mr. Pitiful
But nobody seems to understand now
However, no one seems to comprehend
How can a man sing such a sad song, now
How is it possible for a man to sing such a sorrowful tune?
Ooh, when he lost everything, when he lost everything that he had
Even after losing everything he had,
How can I explain to you
How can I make you understand
When somebody had been so very blue?
When someone has been so miserable
How can I tell you about my past
How can I elucidate my history
If all things won't end?
If situations refuse to come to a conclusion?
Can I explain to you?
May I clarify it to you?
Everything is going wrong
Nothing seems to be working
And I have to sing these sad songs to get back to her
Sorrowful ballads are what it'll take to win her back
And I want you
And I desire you
And I want you
And I need you
And I want you
And I yearn for you
And I want you
And I crave you
And I want to tell you everything that, everything that's going through my mind
And I want to express everything that's running through my thoughts
Sing, and I want to sing
Sing, and I want to croon
And I want to sing this song with you
And I yearn to sing this melody with you
And I'm gonna sing this song to everybody
And I am going to perform this tune to everyone
'Cause I want them to understand what I talkin' about
Because I want them to comprehend what I am discussing
I want you to understand what I'm sayin'
I want you to grasp what I am saying
Lyrics © Royalty Network
Written by: OTIS REDDING, STEVE CROPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rulas Rules
Call me Mr. Pitiful
Baby, that's my name now, oh
Call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how I got my fame
But people just don't understand, now
What makes a man feel so blue
Ooh, they call me Mr Pitiful 'cause I lost someone just like you, yeah
They call me Mr. Pitiful
This, everybody know now
They call me Mr. Pitiful most every place I go
But nobody seems to understand now
How can a man sing such a sad song, now
Ooh, when he lost everything, when he lost everything that he had
How can I explain to you
When somebody had been so very blue?
How can I tell you about my past
If all things won't end?
Mr Pitiful
That's my name now
They call me Mr. Pitiful, that's how I got my fame
But nobody seems to understand now
Ooh, what make a man feel so blue
They call me Mr. Pitiful…
Jevezy
King of Soul, the one and only Otis Redding, his voice is out of this world. Miss him and still enjoying his music in 2019. Often imitated, but, never, never, never should be replicated. There is only one King of Soul.
Heather Powers
I love Otis Redding.. Love his soulful music..
Juanita Renee
Still sounds wonderful in 2020 💯🔥❤
Dennis Stone
Soul music is timeless
Mrs Christian
Yes in 2022
Latrica Hill
Speechless! My God that voice was Heaven sent 😥 😥 😢
John Dean
How do you know Heaven exists?
Flute64
Go on Otis Readding. Your voice,lyrics and band, brill.
Thanking you for your style.❤🎹🎺🎸🎤🎼
Moka Moka
Magnifique chanson, celle-ci et les autres, du regretté, Otis Redding, que j'adore et dont je connais, depuis que je suis ado. Sublime, sa voix et ses belles chansons. Merci, Otis, tous ceux qui t'aimaient ne t'ont pas oublies. 💐👏💐👏🌠🎺🎷🎸
Jay Emes
I still remember, as a teenager first hearing Dock Of The Bay, walking into my local music store (when there still was such a thing) and asking for an Otis Redding compilation. The store owner was so shocked. It was the 80s after all. Anyway, loved it! This song, I Can't Turn You Loose and Cigarettes & Coffee were always my favourites.