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.
Ol' Man Trouble
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go find you someone else to pick on
I live my live now you see
Ole man trouble
Please stay away from me, now
Oh yeah,
Yeah
Oh I look like I'm down in my luck
Please send faith to help pick me up
I've lived this way so many years
Ole man trouble
Please wash away all my fears
Help me
Sometimes
Sometime I get I get a little worried
Ole man trouble
Please
Please
Stay away from me
Ole man trouble
Stay away from me
You're nothing but trouble
Stay away, stay away
Please
In Otis Redding's song "Ol' Man Trouble," the singer asks for a respite from the titular "old man trouble." He pleads for this misery to leave him be, indicating that he is tired of the hardships that he has known for too long. The lyrics express a desperate plea for relief and acknowledgement of the wear and tear that trouble has taken on his life. However, there is a sense of hopeful defiance towards the end of the song as he tries to distance himself from his difficulties.
The song touches upon the importance of faith when times are tough and the importance of perseverance despite hardships. It emphasizes the notion that the old man trouble is something beyond ourselves - a force that troubles us despite its arbitrary nature. Although it can be exhausting and sometimes worry-provoking, Ol' Man Redding implores his listeners to stay strong and refuse to give up to life's challenges. Ultimately, the song offers a message of grit and determination in the face of great difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
Ole man trouble
The singer is acknowledging the presence of trouble in their life.
Go find you someone else to pick on
The singer is expressing their desire for the trouble to go bother someone else.
I live my live now you see
The singer is explaining that they are currently in control of their own life.
Ole man trouble
The artist is again acknowledging the existence of trouble in their life.
Please stay away from me, now
The artist is requesting for the trouble to stay away from them.
Oh yeah,
This is an exclamation of agreement or assent.
Yeah
This is an exclamation of agreement or assent.
Oh I look like I'm down in my luck
The artist is acknowledging that they may appear to be having a streak of bad luck.
Please send faith to help pick me up
The artist is asking for faith to help them through their tough time.
I've lived this way so many years
The artist is acknowledging that they have been dealing with this kind of trouble for a long time.
Ole man trouble
The singer is acknowledging the presence of trouble in their life again.
Please wash away all my fears
The artist is asking for their worries to be alleviated.
Help me
This is a plea for assistance.
Sometimes
The singer is acknowledging that their emotional state is not constant.
Sometime I get I get a little worried
The singer is admitting to their worries.
Ole man trouble
The artist is acknowledging the presence of trouble in their life yet again.
Please
This is a polite request.
Please
This is a polite request.
Stay away from me
The singer is requesting for the trouble to stay away from them again.
Ole man trouble
The artist is acknowledging the existence of the trouble once again.
Stay away from me
The artist is still requesting for the trouble to stay away from them.
You're nothing but trouble
The artist is expressing that the trouble is causing them nothing but harm.
Stay away, stay away
The singer is still requesting for the trouble to stay away from them.
Please
This is a polite request.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SimBryant
I was never the same after hearing this song.
@pleintijp72
I heard this Song today and he catch me
@iolanthela
Amazing sidemen: Steve Cropper on guitar; Donald Dunn on bass; Isaac Hayes on keys, Al Jackson Jr. on the drums, Wayne Jackson & Gene Miller on trumpets, Andrew Love on tenor sax, Fred Newman on baritone sax.
@freshboynuk6524
So so saddd
@heidi22209
Rad af
@JBS5022
Best Soul singer ever, I do not think James Brown, Wilson Pickett, or any of the Mo-Town people could touch this man's heart felt desire to sing the way he does. And the lyric's of his songs were deeply concentrated and embedded in his soul. I own dozens of his songs and I sing them karaoke as well. In 1965 Otis Redding was truly " Mr. Pitiful, and Try a Little Tenderness, Just One More Day, My Lover's Prayer...etc.
@keithmolineaux6787
Big O is still the undisputedly Hardee's baddes ass kickinges cooldes smoodes nice's best Blueses Blues man of All All time's for all time 🔊🎼💓🛐 Keitho
@carloscerdan2782
Al green the best
@kennethmoore5833
This is pure soul man, how can you not love this song.
@devinwilliams6030
That's What I'm saying