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.
You're Still My Baby
Otis Redding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you done left me alone, yeah
I've got nobody to call my own
I believe it's bye bye, baby, yeah
I wish you a lot of luck, darling
But you're still my baby
my my my baby
Told you I love you, honey
Yes, I did
Many, many, many times again, yeah
I've always played a losing hand
But it's bye, bey, bye, baby
That's what you're telling me
I wish you a lot of luck, darling
But I'm letting you know
You're still my baby
ooh yeah
You may be, yes you may be
A thousand miles away, yeah
No matter how far or you may be
Looking at me somewhere
Right here in this town, Lord, Lord
But tell me all I, all I
All I want to know, know
Tell me, tell me what did I do, honey
Why, why, why did you put me down
Darling, darling
Somebody, somebody help me
Out of all this pain
But I've always played a losing game
But it's bye bye, baby, yeah
That's what you tellin'
Lots of luck, darling
But I want you to know
That you're still my baby, my baby, my baby, yeah
You're still my baby, yeah
I want you to know
No matter where you go
No matter where I see you
I want you to be my baby
No matter what in the world you do
Honey, I want you to be my baby...
In Otis Redding's song You're Still My Baby, the lyrics speak of a love that has been lost, with the singer left feeling alone and neglected. Despite this, the singer still holds on to their love for the person who has left them, calling them "my baby" repeatedly throughout the song. The chorus repeats the sentiment "I wish you a lot of luck, darling, but you're still my baby", demonstrating the conflict between the singer's desire to move on and their inability to let go of their feelings for this person. The lyrics also express the singer's confusion and desperation, as they ask "tell me, tell me what did I do, honey, why did you put me down" and plead for someone to "help me out of all this pain".
Overall, the lyrics of the song convey a sense of heartbreak and longing, as the singer grapples with their conflicted emotions towards their lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gone away
You left me and are no longer with me.
And you done left me alone, yeah
You left me by myself and I feel lonely.
I've got nobody to call my own
I have no one that belongs to me or whom I can call mine.
I believe it's bye bye, baby, yeah
I think it's time to say goodbye.
I wish you a lot of luck, darling
I want you to have good fortune in life, my dear.
But you're still my baby
Even though you're leaving, you'll always be my child or someone I care for deeply.
Told you I love you, honey
I expressed my affection for you, my dear.
Yes, I did
I definitely told you that I loved you.
Many, many, many times again, yeah
I've told you this multiple times before.
I've always played a losing hand
I've never been successful in my endeavors.
But it's bye, bey, bye, baby
It's time to say goodbye, my child or someone I care for deeply.
That's what you're telling me
That's what you're saying to me.
You may be, yes you may be
It's possible that you are.
A thousand miles away, yeah
You're very far from me.
No matter how far or you may be
It doesn't matter how distant you are.
Looking at me somewhere
Observing or perceiving me from some location.
Right here in this town, Lord, Lord
Even if you're in this very town, you may not be with me.
But tell me all I, all I
Please tell me everything I need to know.
All I want to know, know
The only thing I'm interested in hearing about right now.
Tell me, tell me what did I do, honey
Please explain to me what I did wrong, my dear.
Why, why, why did you put me down
I don't understand why you rejected or abandoned me.
Darling, darling
A term of endearment for someone I love deeply.
Somebody, somebody help me
I'm pleading for assistance from someone, anyone.
Out of all this pain
I hope to find relief from all the anguish and suffering.
That's what you tellin'
That's what you're saying to me.
Lots of luck, darling
I hope you have good fortune, my dear.
But I want you to know
I need to let you understand.
That you're still my baby, my baby, my baby, yeah
You'll always be someone I care for deeply, someone I love and protect as a parent.
You're still my baby, yeah
I still care for you deeply, even though you're leaving or gone.
I want you to know
I need to make sure you understand.
No matter where you go
Even if you travel far away from here.
No matter where I see you
No matter where I encounter you again someday.
I want you to be my baby
I still want to care for you deeply, protect you as if you were my child.
No matter what in the world you do
Regardless of your actions, decisions or paths in life.
Honey, I want you to be my baby...
Sweetheart, I want you to know that you'll always be someone I cherish and protect as if you were my child.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Virgil Signore
What a song and what a singer! It really doesn't get any better than this. Never be another Otis.
Dorothy Etheredge-Cunningham
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER ARTIST WHO SINGS FROM THE HEART & SOUL LIKE OTIS REDDING!
geraldine gandy
Dorothy Etheredge-Cunningham
.
Ann Lightbourne
You rite with that
Ann Lightbourne
You gat that right.. He can put a relationship back together cause people to stay in love..💕💕
clara geer
Otis continued to be missed by many off his peers. RIP OTIS !
dorothy mcmillon
Love fly in 1963 I miss
clyde dahler
To me there are only a few Deep Blues Singers in the past or now that reached the very high level of Otis Redding, he will never be forgotten.
james Locklear
On long lonely nights at the office like tonight, listening to great Otis Redding tunes like this gets me through the night. Still you're biggest fan. #RIPBigO
Austin Labove
I was fortunate to see Otis in 1965 and the Man was awesome...you felt it deep inside you heart...and What a band...the horns, the horns, the horns....love it.