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.
Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Papa's in the thing
Ain't you hip, of that new green thing
It ain't no drag
Papa's got a brand new bag
It's gone berserk
He's going to fly
You know he's not shy
Imagnitate her, the alligator
Jump back Jack, see you later alligator
Come here sister
Papa's in the thing
Ain't you hip, now, of that new green thing, ha
Ain't no drag
Papa's bought himself a brand new bag
Au, come on, hey hey, come on
It's out of sight
He's uptight, come on and groove
Know you're out of sight
Papa, got it, got it, soul man, soul, groove
He's uptight, Mr. Pity that's my name
Got it, yeah
He's gonna twist
He's doing the fly
Don't playing cheap
You know he's not shy
Imagnitate her, the alligator
Jump back Jack, see you later alligator
Come here sister
Papa's in the thing
Ain't you hip, of that new green thing
Ain't no drag
My man has got a brand new bag
Come on, hey hey, come in
Come in, got it
The lyrics of Otis Redding's song "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" are about Papa, who has just acquired a new style, a new way of moving or dancing. The repetitive phrase "Papa's got a brand new bag" is used to reinforce this idea throughout the song. This new style is described as "red hot," and "gone berserk." And despite the newness of the style, Papa has clearly already mastered it, as he cuts a cool, confident figure on the dance floor. The song's lyrics also imply that this new style is a sign of cultural change - something that is unambiguously cool, and that will be embraced by young people all over the world.
The use of the phrase "the alligator" also seems to be a reference to a particular dance move, although it is not clear what that move might be. The repeated use of the phrase "jump back Jack, see you later alligator" could be seen as a way to encourage listeners to get up and dance - to jump back and forth, and wave their arms around in the air. The overall impression created by the lyrics is of a funky, high-energy party vibe, designed to get people moving and grooving.
Line by Line Meaning
Come here sister
Hey, listen up!
Papa's in the thing
Dad's got some cool new stuff
Ain't you hip, of that new green thing
Haven't you heard about this amazing new trend?
It ain't no drag
It's awesome!
Papa's got a brand new bag
Dad's got a new style
It's gone berserk
It's really caught on
He's going to fly
He's really excited about it
Don't playing cheap
Don't underestimate it
You know he's not shy
Dad's not afraid to show it off
Imagnitate her, the alligator
Imagine, it's like comparing a brand new style to an alligator
Jump back Jack, see you later alligator
This is so cool, it's like saying 'see you later' to an alligator
It's out of sight
This is sensational!
He's uptight, come on and groove
He's really into it, let's dance!
Know you're out of sight
You're also amazing for getting into this trend
Papa, got it, got it, soul man, soul, groove
Dad's rocking this new style with so much soul and groove
He's uptight, Mr. Pity that's my name
He's so cool, that it makes me pity myself
Got it, yeah
This new style is a hit, for sure
He's gonna twist
He's really getting into the dance moves
He's doing the fly
He's doing some really cool moves
My man has got a brand new bag
My dad's got a new style that's totally unique to him
Come on, hey hey, come in
Join the fun, we're all getting into this new cool style!
Come in, got it
Once you get a taste of this new style, you're going to be hooked
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind