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.
Shake
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell you what I'm gonna do now
There's a new thing going around now
And I'll tell what to put down
Move your body all around, and just shake
Ha, that's the way you do it
Oh, g'on, g'on, baby, now
Ha, you shake it like a bowl of soup
You let it go a-loop-de-loop, yeah
Put your hands around your hips, yeah
Come on and let your backbone slip
Move your body like your hip and just shake
Got-to, got-to, got-to have it now
Keep on pushing babe
Shake, got to, yeah, ah, ooh
A ring-a-ling-a-ling
Honey, shakin' is the greatest thing
Ha, but if you really roll
Gotta do the thing with soul
Shake-it, shake with all your might now
If you do it, do it right now
Put your hands around your hip, yeah
Honey, you let your backbone slip, now
You move your body like your hip, you just shake
Got to, got to do it
Got to have it now
Shake, shake, oh shake yeah
If you really want to roll
Gotta do the thing with soul
Shake, shake with all your might
Now, if you do it, do it right
Just let your body loop-de-lite
Just got to, shake-a, shake, baby, now
Got to, got to have it
Shake-a-shake early in the morning now
Shake, shake-shaking in the evening
Shaking all, all, all night long
Shake it, shake it, all night long
Shake, shake it all night long
Shake, shake it all night long
Early in the morning you're doing the shake...
The lyrics to Otis Redding's song "Shake" are a call to action, encouraging the listener to let loose and move their body in a rhythmic and sensual manner. The singer explains that there is a new trend of shaking going around and tells the listener how to participate - by moving their entire body, letting their backbone slip, and using their hips to shake. The song emphasizes the importance of doing the shake with soul, and encourages the listener to keep going, shaking all day and night.
Overall, the song is about the joy of physical movement and the release and freedom that comes with dancing. The lyrics are suggestive and playful, using language like "got-to-have-it" to convey the urgency and pleasure of shaking. The song is also notable for its catchy, upbeat melody and the dynamic, soulful vocal performance of Otis Redding.
Line by Line Meaning
You listen while I'm talkin' to you, now
Pay attention to what I'm about to tell you
There's a new thing going around now
A new dance or trend has become popular
Move your body all around, and just shake
Dance and move your body in any way you like
Ha, that's the way you do it
That's how to dance properly
Put your hands around your hips, yeah
Place your hands on your hips while dancing
Got-to, got-to, got-to have it now
I really need this dance right now
A ring-a-ling-a-ling
The sound of a bell signaling the start of the dance
Shake-it, shake with all your might now
Dance with all your energy and effort
You move your body like your hip, you just shake
Move your body, specifically your hips, while dancing
If you really want to roll
If you want to dance properly
Gotta do the thing with soul
Dance with passion and emotion
Just let your body loop-de-lite
Let your body dance freely and spontaneously
Shake-a-shake early in the morning now
Dance early in the morning
Shake, shake-shaking in the evening
Dance in the evening
Shaking all, all, all night long
Dance for the entire night
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind