Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an America… Read Full Bio ↴Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. Redding's style of singing gained inspiration from the gospel music that preceded the genre. His singing style influenced many other soul artists of the 1960s. During his lifetime, his recordings were produced by Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

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 Don't Miss Your Water
Otis Redding Lyrics

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In the beginning
You really loved me, oh
I was too blind
I could not see, now

But now that you left me
Ooh, how I cried out, I keep crying
You don't miss your water

'Till your well runs dry

I kept you crying
Sad and blue, oh my, oh
I was a playboy
I just wouldn't be true

But now that you left me
Good lord, how I cried, I keep crying, I keep crying
Ooh, I didn't miss my water
No I never missed my water
'Till my well were run dry

I sit here and wonder
How in the world this could be, my, oh my
I never thought, oh, I never thought
You'd ever leave me

But now that you left me
Good lord, good lord, how I cried
You don't miss your water, you don't miss your water
'Till your well runs dry

Ooh, you don't miss your water, oh, you don't miss your water
'Till your well runs dry
I miss my water
I keep missing my water
I keep missing my water
And I want my water
I need my water
I love my water
And I want my water
And I'm little thirsty, now
And I'm little thirsty, now

I want my water
I keep wanting my water

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Otis Redding's "You Don't Miss Your Water" speak to the universal human experience of taking things for granted until they are gone. In the beginning of the song, Otis sings about a time when his lover really loved him but he was too blind to see it. He acknowledges his playboy ways and how he neglected his lover's needs, leading to her leaving him. After she was gone, Otis cried and realized the value of the love he had lost. He comes to the realization that "you don't miss your water till your well runs dry," meaning that you don't appreciate the important things in life until you no longer have them.

The lyrics also emphasize the regret and longing that comes with losing something important, in this case, love. Otis sings about how he misses his lover and how thirsty he is for her love. He reflects on how he took her for granted and never imagined that she would leave him. However, now that she's gone, he realizes the depth of his love for her.

Overall, the lyrics of "You Don't Miss Your Water" are timeless and resonate with anyone who has experienced the pain of lost love or taken things for granted. Otis Redding's powerful voice and emotive performance amplify the song's message and make it one of the most memorable soul ballads of all time.

Line by Line Meaning

In the beginning
At the start of our relationship

You really loved me, oh
You had strong feelings of love for me

I was too blind
I was oblivious to the signs of trouble in our relationship

I could not see, now
I now understand my mistakes

But now that you left me
Since you left me

Ooh, how I cried out, I keep crying
I cry and mourn our relationship

You don't miss your water
You don't appreciate what you have

'Till your well runs dry
Until you lose it or it's gone

(repeat) I kept you crying
I caused you pain

Sad and blue, oh my, oh
You were heartbroken

I was a playboy
I was a womanizer