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 Lover
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
This is my lover's prayer
And I hope you can understand it, my love
My life is such a weary thing
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
What you gonna do tonight
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
Yeah, I won't be missing you
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
What can the matter be now?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
Living in this misery
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Honey but don't you let that be no problem
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
And my lover's prayer would be all over
It got to be all over, honey all over
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home, og
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
This is my lover's prayer
I hope to get the message over, honey
In "My Lover's Prayer," Otis Redding longs for his love to return home and solve their problems. He begins by confessing that his life is "such a weary thing," suggesting that his partner's absence has taken a toll on him. Yet, he also acknowledges that their problems aren't entirely his fault, and he implores his partner to come home to find solutions together. Otis expresses his willingness to provide love and comfort, asking his partner what they will do when they "need some loving arms to hold [them] tight" and his "happy voice to tell [them] good night." He then insists that they must come home to fix their problems because he won't be missing them anymore. According to him, his lover's prayer will be all over once they reunite.
Overall, "My Lover's Prayer" is a plea for his lover to come home and put an end to their troubles. Otis Redding hopes that this message will reach his love and that they will understand his feelings. Through his soulful voice, he conveys the longing, sadness, and hope his character feels throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
This is my lover's prayer
I'm sending this message out to you with sincerity and deep love
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
I hope that you receive and understand the true emotions behind this prayer
And I hope you can understand it, my love
I hope that you can fully comprehend the passion and sincerity behind this prayer
My life is such a weary thing
Without you, my life is empty and unfulfilling
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
Your absence brings sadness and difficult times for me
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
You're searching for something that I can't quite provide for you
When I know deep down that I'm not to blame
I have done everything in my power to fulfill your needs, but I can't be everything to everyone
What you gonna do tonight
What will you do when you're alone and need comfort?
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
When you need someone to hold you close and make you feel loved?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
I'm worried about you and want to make sure you're okay
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
When you need to hear my voice to feel at ease and fall asleep peacefully?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
Don't worry, I'll still be here for you when you need me
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
We need to work together to overcome these struggles
Yeah, I won't be missing you
I will always be thinking about you
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
If you come back to me, we can put an end to our suffering together
What can the matter be now?
What could have caused our relationship to reach this point?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
We need to have an honest conversation and work through our problems
Living in this misery
The pain of being apart from you is too great to bear
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Without you, my life is incomplete and unfulfilled
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
We need to work together to overcome our difficulties
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
I'll always be thinking of you and waiting for you to return to me
And my lover's prayer would be all over
If you come back to me, we can put an end to this heartache and pain
It got to be all over, honey all over
We need to end our suffering and be together again
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
I'm stuck in a cycle of pain and longing without you
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home, og
I'm pleading with you to return to me and make our love whole again
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
I'm sending you all my love and longing through this prayer
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
I pray that my message finds you and touches your heart
This is my lover's prayer
I'm pouring out all my love and passion to you through this prayer
I hope to get the message over, honey
I hope you understand how much I need you, how much I love you, and how much I want you back
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: OTIS REDDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@agustintalavera4066
This is my lover's prayer
I hope it'll reach out to you, my love
This is my lover's prayer
And I hope you can understand it, my love
My life is such a weary thing
But it might be your own presence bringing rain
You keep wanting, waiting and wishing
When I know deep down that I'm not to blame
What you gonna do tonight
When you need some loving arms to hold you tight?
Tell me, what you gonna do tonight
When you need my happy voice to tell you good night?
Honey, but you can't let that be no problem
You've got to come on home and help me solve 'em
Yeah, I won't be missing you
And honey, my lover's prayer would be all over, oh my
What can the matter be now?
It can't be too serious we can't talk it over
Living in this misery
Darling, you can't make my life all over
Honey but don't you let that be no problem
Just come on home and help me solve 'em
Dear, I won't be missing you, I won't be missing you
And my lover's prayer would be all over
It got to be all over, honey all over
Don't keep my life going round, so many circles
This is my lover's prayer, come on come on home, og
This is my lover's prayer I'm sending it out to you
And I hope it'll reach you, darlin'
This is my lover's prayer
I hope to get the message over, honey
@GarrettWatts
This is one of the best songs ever written. Hands down. Otis was king.
@MrDbroo
Sam Cooke was king
@elenarosalepera1357
The Greatrst King wow what a song
@bettylovett6341
NevER HeArD It BeFoRe BUT iT’s O.T.I.S. So I GaVe It A LiKe 🥂🌞🌹♥️🖤💙🙏🏾 LoRD BleSs Y’all 🌍🍾🇺🇸👺👋🏽💯
@annmariealexis3659
Boy oh boy! This song is so feel, it touches my soul...thank you Otis.you'll be forever remembered for your priceless music.
@lisaian881
Agreed. I heard this for the first time last night in a Soprano's (pandemic binge-watching) episode. Just ordered an Otis CD. Came here to listen in the mean time. Happy surprised to see your comment Garrett! 🐁
@julz12100
If the sopranos brought you here, you're a bloody LEGEND . If not then just enjoy the beautiful music
@masonslie1146
It's not a bad thing that many people were introduced to this song from the Sopranos. At least we found it right? That's what matters. Amazing song, amazing singer. One of the many reasons I'm proud to be an American. The music.
@AlphaWasSpotted
Correct, better late than never 👏
@all_about_ches7600
Literally just heard it watching Sopranos 😅