Dock Of The Bay
The Hip Pocket Band Lyrics
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I'll be Sittin' When The Evening Comes
Watching the ships roll in
Then I watch 'em roll away again, Yeah
I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Watching The Tide Roll Away
Ooh, I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Wastin' Time.
I Left My Home In Georgia
Headed For The Frisco Bay
'Cos I've Had Nothing To Live For
And Look Like Nothing's
Gonna Come My Way
So I'm Just Gonna
Sit On The Dock Of The Bay
Watching The Tide Roll Away
Ooh, I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Wastin' Time.
Looks 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, Listen.
Sittin' Here Resting My Bones
And This Loneliness
Won't Leave Me Alone, Listen
2000 miles I've 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
Ooh Wee,
I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Wastin' Time.
(MUSIC)
Looks 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, Listen.
Sittin' Here Resting My Bones
And This Loneliness
Won't Leave Me Alone, Listen
2000 miles I've 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
Ooh Wee,
I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Wastin' Time.
The Hip Pocket Band's "Dock of the Bay" is a soothing and contemplative song that is directed towards a person who is feeling stuck and wandering through life, like the singer of the song. The lyrics are full of melancholy expressions and a sense of dissatisfaction with the present state of things. The phrase "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" is a metaphor for a person who is lost and without any direction in their life, just waiting for something profound to happen. As the singer describes in the first two verses, he/she is sitting on the dock watching the ships roll in and then depart. This morning-to-evening cycle of ships rolling in and out symbolizes the passage of time and how the singer remains the same sitting on the dock, with no change.
In the second verse of "Dock of the Bay," the singer provides insight into why they are sitting on the dock, wasting away. They tell us about their journey from Georgia to the Frisco Bay, in search of purpose and meaning in life, but they haven't found it yet. They have no hope that there will ever be anything worth living for, so they continue to sit on the dock and waste away. The last two verses suggest the feeling of loneliness and despair, with the singer having roamed thousands of miles without any destination. The final message of the song is that the singer will continue to sit at the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away, and remain the same, indicating that there is no escape from this feeling of being lost and helpless.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' In The Morning Sun
I am sitting here in the morning sun
I'll be Sittin' When The Evening Comes
I will still be sitting here when the evening comes
Watching the ships roll in
I am watching the ships roll in
Then I watch 'em roll away again, Yeah
Then I watch them roll away again, yes
I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
I am sitting on the dock of the bay
Watching The Tide Roll Away
I am watching the tide roll away
Ooh, I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Oh, I am sitting on the dock of the bay
Wastin' Time.
Wasting time
I Left My Home In Georgia
I left my home in Georgia
Headed For The Frisco Bay
I am headed for the Frisco Bay
'Cos I've Had Nothing To Live For
Because I have had nothing to live for
And Look Like Nothing's
And it looks like nothing is
Gonna Come My Way
Going to come my way
So I'm Just Gonna
So I am just going to
Sit On The Dock Of The Bay
Sit on the dock of the bay
Watching The Tide Roll Away
Watching the tide roll away
Ooh, I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Oh, I am sitting on the dock of the bay
Wastin' Time.
Wasting time
Looks Like nothing's gonna change
It looks like nothing is going to change
Everything still remains the same
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what
I cannot do what
Ten People Tell Me To Do
Ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same, Listen.
So I guess I will remain the same, listen.
Sittin' Here Resting My Bones
I am sitting here resting my bones
And This Loneliness
And this loneliness
Won't Leave Me Alone, Listen
Will not leave me alone, listen
2000 miles I've roamed
I have roamed 2000 miles
Just To Make This Dock My Home
Just to make this dock my home
Now I'm Just Gonna
Now I am just going to
Sit At The Dock Of The Bay
Sit at the dock of the bay
Watching The Tide Roll Away
Watching the tide roll away
Ooh Wee,
Oh, wow
I'm Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
I am sitting on the dock of the bay
Wastin' Time.
Wasting time
Writer(s): OTIS REDDING, STEPHEN LEE CROPPER
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.