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.
My Little Tenderness
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And young girls, they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You know she's waiting
Just anticipating
But while she's there waiting, and without them
Try a little tenderness
That's all you gotta do
It's not just sentimental, no, no, no
She has her grief and care, yeah yeah yeah
But the soft words, they are spoke so gentle, yeah
It makes it easier
Easier to bear, yeah
You won't regret it, no no
Young girls, they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah
But it's all so easy
All you got to do is try, try a little, tenderness yeah
All you've gotta do is, man
Hold her where you want her
Squeeze her, don't tease her
Never leave her, get to her
Just try, try a little tenderness, y-y-yeah
You got to love and kiss her, man
Got to, got to, got to, don't lose her, no, no
You got to love her, tease her, don't you leave her
Got to try, now, now, now
Try, tru a little tenderness
Yeah, watch the groove now, you gotta know what to do, man
The song "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding speaks about a young girl who is exhausted and worn out from wearing the same old torn dress. Despite the fact that she may be waiting or anticipating something she may never have or obtain, the song suggests that she could be comforted and eased by a little tenderness. The singer urges the audience to not just feel sentimental about her situation, but to show her genuine care and tenderness. These soft words and actions will make her hardships easier to bear.
The song reminds men that young girls don't forget tenderness and love which is the source of their happiness. The chorus of the song repeatedly urges the audience to "try a little tenderness," meaning to show care and affection towards the girl. Otis Redding highlights the importance of not just loving or kissing the girl but also teasing her, holding her tight, and never leaving her. The song emphasizes the need for men to show tenderness to their loved ones, especially when they are weary and worn out.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, she may be weary
She may be exhausted and in need of rest.
And young girls, they do get wearied
Even young ladies may get tired in their own way.
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah
She may be feeling worn out and unappealing in her clothing.
But when she gets weary
But when she becomes weary and tired,
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
show her compassion and kindness so she can feel loved and supported.
You know she's waiting
You know she's looking out for you.
Just anticipating
She is expecting and eagerly awaiting a specific something.
The thing that she'll never, never, never, never possess, yeah, yeah
She yearns for something she knows she'll never have.
But while she's there waiting, and without them
While waiting, she lacks what she desires,
Try a little tenderness
so show love and kindness to make her day easier.
That's all you gotta do
That is the one key thing you need to do right now.
It's not just sentimental, no, no, no
These actions are not shallow or purely emotional, oh no.
She has her grief and care, yeah yeah yeah
She has her own problems and worries to deal with, oh yes.
But the soft words, they are spoke so gentle, yeah
Soft and gentle words spoken with kindness and care,
It makes it easier
make it easier for her to cope,
Easier to bear, yeah
more bearable for her to deal with.
You won't regret it, no no
You will not regret doing this kind deed, oh no.
Young girls, they don't forget it
Young girls will remember and cherish this kind action.
Love is their whole happiness, yeah
Love is everything that matters to them, oh yes.
But it's all so easy
This action is simple to accomplish,
All you got to do is try, try a little, tenderness yeah
All you have to do is show her some love and care.
All you've gotta do is, man
All you have to do is, my friend,
Hold her where you want her
Hold her in a gentle but firm way.
Squeeze her, don't tease her
Give a gentle, warm hug to show her you care, don't disrespect or mock her.
Never leave her, get to her
Stay with her and stay close to her because she needs you,
Just try, try a little tenderness, y-y-yeah
Show her a little bit of warmth and kindness so she can feel better.
You got to love and kiss her, man
You must love and kiss her to make her feel wanted and valued, my friend.
Got to, got to, got to, don't lose her, no, no
You must not let her go, oh no!
You got to love her, tease her, don't you leave her
You must show her love and playfully tease her to keep her interest, and never abandon her.
Got to try, now, now, now
Now is the time to show her you care, so don't hesitate any longer.
Try, tru a little tenderness
By using tenderness, try to show her you understand and care.
Yeah, watch the groove now, you gotta know what to do, man
Keep the rhythm and show confidence in your actions, my friend.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pricostalmeida
Oh she may be weary
Them young girls they do get wearied
Wearing that same old shaggy dress, yeah, yeah
But when she gets weary
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You know she's waiting
Just anticipating
The thing that you'll never, never, never, never possess, yeah, yeah
But while she's there waiting
Without them try a little tenderness
That's all you got to do
It's not just sentimental no, no, no
She has her grief and care, yeah, yeah, yeah
But the soft words they are spoke so gentle, yeah
It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah
You won't regret it no, no
Young girls they don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness, yeah, yeah, yeah
But it's all so easy
All you got to do is try
Try a little tenderness
Yeah
All you got to do is, man, hold her when you wanna
Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her
Get to her, got, got, got to try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah
You got to know how to love her, man
Don't be surprised, man
You got to squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave
You got to hold her, brother, something, man
Try a little tenderness, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got to grab her gently, man
Don't bruise her, no, no
You got to love her, tease her, don't squeeze her
You got to try, na na na na na
Try, try a little tenderness, yeah
Watch her groove
You got to know what to do, man
Take this advice
You gotta love, squeeze, don't tease
@DBIGDEENO
The fact that this man was 24 years old when he recorded this is mind blowing ... sung with so much soul, conviction and passion man
@ChanellJWilson
It speaks to the time. I can only imagine what his eyes and soul and heart saw. What his spirit endured. All I know is this song speaks to a deep place in my heart always and makes me want to wave my hand...it hits my soul every time.
@janetmccoy2192
Dennis Den Diesel Jackson I didn’t know he was that young.
@Mr41nitro
The man was was born with love, seduction, truth and soul in his voice, unmatched, one of a kind, but thank the Lord he gave us Otis for those few wonderful years.
@MrNostalgiabuff
He was outstanding w so many of his songs Dennis, especially Loving you, Hard to Handle, and others!! 😎
@deniseevans7960
This brother was so young singing like this. Singing like he has been here before. So mature.
He is missed!
@aerixaa
Sounds so soulful, don't you agree?
@nouhchahbouni2780
@aer uh I invented Swag poppin' bottles , puttin' supermodels in the cab
@squealteamvi8487
I see what you did there… 😉💎
@_ahmed2.0
@nouh chahbouni PROOF