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.
Sitting on the Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be sitting when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
And I watch 'em roll away again
Sitting on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay
I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
'Cause I had nothin' to live for
And look like nothing's gonna come my way
So I'm just
Sitting on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay
Wasting time
Look like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same
Sittin' here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home
Now, I'm just
Sitting on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay
Wasting time
Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" was released in 1968, shortly after the iconic soul singer died in a plane crash at the age of 26. The melancholic lyrics reflect a sense of longing and restlessness, as the singer sits on the dock of the bay, watching the world go by. The opening lines of the song convey a sense of peacefulness, as the singer sits in the morning sun and plans to stay until nightfall. He watches the ships come and go, showing a desire to have some kind of connection to the outside world.
The chorus of the song repeats the image of the singer sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away. He has nothing to do and no place to go, so he is simply wasting time. The second verse reveals that the singer has left his home in Georgia and traveled to San Francisco in search of something more. However, he feels as though he has nothing to live for and that nothing is going to change. He references the fact that he can't be told what to do, showing a sense of rebellion and resistance.
The final verse reflects on the singer's current situation. He has traveled 2000 miles and made the dock his home, but he still feels lonely and restless. The song ends with him repeating the chorus once again, showing that he is still sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away, and wasting time.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting in the morning sun
I am spending my time relaxing and enjoying the warmth of the sun in the morning.
I'll be sitting when the evening comes
I plan on sitting here until the evening arrives because I have nothing else to do.
Watching the ships roll in
I am observing the boats as they come into the harbor.
And I watch 'em roll away again
I am also observing the boats as they leave the harbor and go back out to sea.
Sitting on the dock of the bay
I am currently seated on this wooden pier by the sea in San Francisco Bay.
Watching the tide roll away
I am watching the current of the sea water ebbs and flows from where I am seated.
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay
I am simply remaining here during my free time and not doing anything significant.
Wasting time
I am not focusing my attention on anything important or useful at the moment.
I left my home in Georgia
I departed from my house in the state of Georgia to come to San Francisco Bay.
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
The place I was going to was the San Francisco Bay in Northern California.
'Cause I had nothin' to live for
I felt like I had no purpose or direction in my life, so I had nothing to lose by leaving.
And look like nothing's gonna come my way
I am not expecting any significant changes or opportunities to come my way anytime soon.
Look like nothing's gonna change
I do not anticipate any significant changes occurring in my life or my surrounding environment.
Everything still remains the same
The world around me and my personal circumstances have not changed since I arrived in San Francisco Bay.
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
I am an independent person who cannot be controlled or swayed by the opinions of others.
So I guess I'll remain the same
I will continue to live my life on my own terms and not change for anyone else.
Sittin' here resting my bones
I am sitting down and taking a break from walking or any other physical activity.
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
I feel isolated and disconnected from other people, and this feeling persists even when I am on my own.
It's two thousand miles I roamed
I traveled a long distance of approximately two thousand miles to get to San Francisco Bay.
Just to make this dock my home
I have made this pier by the sea my temporary or permanent place of residence in San Francisco Bay.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Cropper, Otis Redding
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@classicalmusic1175
This song was finished up in the studio just 3 days before Redding was killed in a plane crash. What a parting gift from the king of soul.
@timtime9167
That's why the last verse is whistling he was supposed to come back and add a verse.
@beaconlight4720
Overrated
@timtime9167
@@beaconlight4720 that's your perspective.
@TF58582
Dudes a legend👏🏼
@SassaFrass28
Yes - a parting gift from Otis after his shocking death - so melancholy yet so much strength & determination despite all
@terryprice5720
It was my junior year in college. I had just signed on the dotted line to commit myself to Navy flight school and six years of active duty, right at the height of the Vietnam war. I signed the contract with the Navy recruiter while in the student center at college. After we shook hands, I walked away and sat down at a table alone. Now, I have to go home and tell my parents what I have done. This song came on the jukebox. It was September 14, 1968
@amberfillmore3517
Thank you for your service
@tawneeens436
Terry Price Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
@leebaker2588
Welcome home, Terry.