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.
Wonderful World
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know much about biology
Don't know much about the science book, now
Don't know much about the French I took
All I do know is I love you, now
And I wonder if you love me too
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Ooh, I don't know much about geography, now
Don't know much about trigonometry, now
Don't know much about the algebra
Don't know what a slide rule is for
But I do know one and one is two, now
And I wonder if you love me too
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
I, I don't claim to be an A-student
But that's what I'm trying to be
But by being a, an A-student, baby
Look like I could win your love for me
Don't know much about the history, now, oh now
Don't know much about biology
I don't know much about the science book, now
Don't know much about the good French I took, oh
What I do know is I love you, now, oh now
And I wonder if you love me too
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Good Lord, I don't claim to be an A-student
But that's what I'm trying to be, oh now
But if I have to be an A-student, baby
I'm gonna win your love for me
I don't know much about geography, now, oh now
Don't know much about trigonometry
Don't know much about the algebra, now
Don't know what a good slide rule is for
But I do know one and one is two, now, oh now
And I wonder if you love me too
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha
Oh, my, my good lord, I've been trying
I've been trying, I've been trying for so long...
The lyrics to Otis Redding's song Wonderful World express the idea that a lack of knowledge in academic subjects doesn't diminish one's capacity to love. The singer in the song admits to being ignorant about their own history, biology, science books, French, geography, trigonometry, and algebra. They do, however, know that they love the person they are addressing, and they wonder if that person returns their affection. The singer asserts that despite their lack of knowledge in various subjects, they know that one and one equals two. In the end, they express the hope that the world could be a wonderful place if they were able to win their love's affections.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on the limitations of knowledge or education when it comes to matters of the heart. The singer suggests that knowledge and love operate in separate spheres, and that being intelligent in one area doesn't necessarily guarantee success in the other. The song could also be seen as a gentle critique of the academic system, which often prizes knowledge over emotional intelligence.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know much about my history, now
I am unfamiliar with my past
Don't know much about biology
I lack knowledge about the study of living organisms
Don't know much about the science book, now
I am not well-read with regard to science literature
Don't know much about the French I took
My understanding of the French language is limited
All I do know is I love you, now
Despite my lack of knowledge, I have strong feelings for you
And I wonder if you love me too
I am curious about your feelings towards me
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Our love could make the world a beautiful place
Ooh, I don't know much about geography, now
My knowledge of the earth's physical features is limited
Don't know much about trigonometry, now
I am unfamiliar with the branch of mathematics dealing with triangles
Don't know much about the algebra
My understanding of the branch of mathematics dealing with equations is not comprehensive
Don't know what a slide rule is for
I am unsure how to use a calculating tool called a slide rule
But I do know one and one is two, now
I have a basic understanding of addition
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Our love could make the world a beautiful place
I, I don't claim to be an A-student
I am not saying that I am an exceptional student
But that's what I'm trying to be
But I aspire to be an excellent student
But by being a, an A-student, baby
If I work hard to excel academically, babe
Look like I could win your love for me
My academic success could cause you to feel affectionate towards me
Don't know much about the history, now, oh now
I am not extensively informed about the past
Don't know much about biology
I lack knowledge about the study of living organisms
I don't know much about the science book, now
I am not well-read with regard to science literature
Don't know much about the good French I took, oh
I did not learn the French language well
What I do know is I love you, now, oh now
Despite my lack of knowledge, I have strong feelings for you
And I wonder if you love me too
I am curious about your feelings towards me
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Our love could make the world a beautiful place
Good Lord, I don't claim to be an A-student
I am not saying that I am an exceptional student
But that's what I'm trying to be, oh now
But I aspire to be an excellent student
But if I have to be an A-student, baby
If achieving academic success is required to win your affection, babe
I'm gonna win your love for me
I will work hard to secure your feelings of love towards me
I don't know much about geography, now, oh now
My knowledge of the earth's physical features is limited
Don't know much about trigonometry
I am unfamiliar with the branch of mathematics dealing with triangles
Don't know much about the algebra, now
My understanding of the branch of mathematics dealing with equations is not comprehensive
Don't know what a good slide rule is for
I am unsure how to use a calculating tool called a slide rule
But I do know one and one is two, now, oh now
I have a basic understanding of addition
And I wonder if you love me too
I am curious about your feelings towards me
Ooh, what a wonderful world this could be
Our love could make the world a beautiful place
Cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha
An interlude of repeated cha-cha-cha's
Oh, my, my good lord, I've been trying
I have been putting in effort
I've been trying, I've been trying for so long...
I have been working hard for a considerable amount of time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Herb Alpert, Lou Adler, Sam Cooke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind