<… Read Full Bio ↴The definitive Afroamerican gospel group in the jubilee quartet style.
Founded as the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet in Norfolk, Virginia in 1934 by A. C. “Eddie” Griffin, Robert “Peg” Ford, Henry Owens, and Bill Johnson, they began as a traditional jubilee quartet, combining the clever arrangements associated with barbershop quartets with rhythms borrowed from the blues and jazz.
The makeup of the group changed over the years, as some members were drafted during the war and new members were brought in to replace those who had retired or left to join other groups. William Langford joined the group when Griffin left in 1935 and Orlandus Wilson replaced Ford the same year. Clyde Riddick replaced Langford in 1938, Johnson left in 1948 to join “The Jubalaires” and Owens left the group later to become a preacher and solo artist. Riddick remained with the group until his retirement in 1995 and Wilson until his death in 1998.
The Gates had a broad repertoire of styles—from Owens’ mournful, understated approach in songs such as Anyhow or Hush, Somebody’s Calling My Name, to the group’s highly syncopated arrangements in Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo. Like The Mills Brothers of popular music, they would often include vocal special effects in their songs, imitating train sounds in songs such as Golden Gate Gospel Train. Langford often sang lead, using his ability to range from baritone to falsetto, while Johnson narrated in a hip syncopated style that became the hallmark for the group.
The Dock Of The Bay
The Golden Gate Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
Watching the ships roll in
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
'Cause I've had nothing to live for
And look like nothin's gonna come my way
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' 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, yes
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 gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time
"The Dock of the Bay" is a melancholy song by the Golden Gate Quartet. The first and second verses describe the singer's calm, uneventful routine of sitting on the dock watching ships coming and going. In the third verse, the singer reveals he left his home in Georgia, headed to the San Francisco bay, because he had nothing to live for and nothing seems like it will come his way. The fourth verse describes his acceptance of his current state and the fact that nothing seems to change. Rather than force himself to do what others want, he will remain the same. In the final verse, the singer reveals his reasoning for choosing solace on the dock of the bay over home, stating he's travelled two thousand miles simply to make it his home.
The song, considered a classic, captures a moment of reflection and loneliness. It portrays someone who has lost all sense of purpose and agency, a lost soul seeking an escape in a seemingly endless routine. Despite this person's lack of purpose, the song seems to suggest that there is a unique beauty in this melancholy state of mind. It also highlights the interesting juxtaposition of the singer's search for solace in a seemingly difficult and restless place, as well as the universal human experience of finding comfort in routine and familiarity.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I am sitting down at the dock at sunrise
I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
I'm here all day; will continue to sit as the day ends
Watching the ships roll in
I am observing the boats arrive
And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah
And then I observe them depart once more
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm taking up space on the bay's pier
Watching the tide roll away
I'm paying attention to the ocean's movements
Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm doing nothing but occupying the dock
Wastin' time
I'm passing the hours with no particular goal
I left my home in Georgia
I departed from my hometown of Georgia
Headed for the 'Frisco bay
I set off towards San Francisco's bay area
'Cause I've had nothing to live for
I've been given no reason to keep going
And look like nothin's gonna come my way
It appears that there are no immediate prospects for positivity
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Thus, I'm content with just sitting down at the dock
Lookin' at the tide roll away
Observing the water's movements
Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
Doing nothing but taking up space on the dock
Wastin' time
Tossing away the minutes and hours with no particular goal
Look like nothing's gonna change
It seems as if my circumstances won't alter
Everything still remains the same
Nothing is different from before
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
I am limited in what instructions I can follow
So I guess I'll remain the same, yes
I must accept that I'll always be who I am
Sittin' here resting my bones
I'm taking a break and recuperating
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
I am experiencing a sense of isolation
It's two thousand miles I roamed
I traveled a distance of 2,000 miles
Just to make this dock my home
To the point that I now regard the dock as my dwelling
Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
And so, I will remain at the pier
Watching the tide roll away
Yet more observing of the water's movements
Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay
Simply remaining at the dock with no other destination
Wastin' time
Losing time with no particular purposes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Cropper, Otis Redding
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind