The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group fro… Read Full Bio ↴The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group from Chicago who signed their first professional contract in 1952. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1914–2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (1934–2013), Pervis (1935-2021), Yvonne (1937-2018), and Mavis (b. 1939). They are best-remembered for their 1970s hits "Respect Yourself", "I'll Take You There", "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)", and "Let's Do It Again". In 1999 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2005 the group was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The family began appearing in Chicago-area churches in 1948, and signed their first professional contract in 1952. They signed with United Records, then Vee-Jay, Riverside, Epic and, eventually, the black-owned indie Stax Records label where they hit their most fertile commercial peak.

In 1967, on Columbia subsidiary Epic, the Staple Singers first began moving into mainstream pop markets with "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" and "For What It's Worth" (written by Stephen Stills). In 1968, the Staple Singers signed to Stax and released two albums recorded with Steve Cropper of Booker T & the MG's fame - Soul Folk in Action and We'll Get Over. By 1970, Al Bell had become producer, and the family began recording at the famed Muscle Shoals studio, moving in a more funk and soul direction. The first Stax hit was "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)". In 1972, the group had a No. 1 hit in the United States with "I'll Take You There." Their 1972 recording on Stax of "Respect Yourself," written by Luther Ingram and Mack Rice, was number 2 on the R&B charts and a Top 40 pop hit as well. The song's theme of self-empowerment had universal appeal, released in the period immediately following the intense American civil rights movement of the 1960s. During this Stax period they appeared at a 1972 summer concert at the LA Memorial Coliseum attended by 100,000 people and documented in the 1973 film and soundtrack album Wattstax.

The Staple Singers then signed to Curtom, Curtis Mayfield's imprint, and released the soundtrack to a comedy film co-starring Bill Cosby called "Let's Do It Again". The soundtrack was produced by Mayfield; and the title song was a huge hit in 1975. After this, however, they were not able to regain their commercial momentum, releasing occasional minor hits, and moving from label to label including Warner Brothers and 20th Century before returning to Epic in the mid 80s. Lead singer Mavis Staples began a fruitful solo career in earnest that continues to this day and involves live performing with her sister Yvonne Staples. The other daughters in the group who did not pursue solo careers were Pervis Staples, and Cleotha Staples.

In 1994, the family made this final recording of a duet with Mary Stuart (reprising their Last Watz style backing on a cover of "The Weight" by The Band), somewhat re-establishing an audience.

Pops Staples died in December 2000.

Cleotha Staples died in Chicago on February 21, 2013.

Yvonne Staples died in April 2018 and Pervis Staples in May 2021.

Dock of the Bay
The Staple Singers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sittin' in the mornin' sun
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

Wastin' time

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

Overall Meaning

The Dock of the Bay by The Staple Singers is a song about loneliness, feeling stuck, and being lost. The singer is sitting on a dock, watching the tide and the ships come and go, and wasting their time. They left their home in Georgia and headed to San Francisco because they had nothing left to live for, and it feels like nothing is going to change. The singer is unable to do what ten people tell them to do, and so they will remain the same. The loneliness is still with them, even after traveling two thousand miles, and they have made the dock their home.

The song captures a sense of hopelessness and resignation, but also a desire for peace and a break from the pressures of daily life. The melancholic melody and slow tempo reinforce this feeling of introspection and contemplation. The Staple Singers’ powerful vocals and harmonies add depth and emotion to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Sittin' in the mornin' sun
I'm sitting at the dock of the bay in the morning sunshine

I'll be sittin' when the evenin' come
I'll still be sitting here when evening comes

Watching the ships roll in
I'm watching the ships come into the harbor

And then I watch 'em roll away again, yeah
And then I watch the ships leave again

I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm sitting on the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away
I'm watching the tide go in and out

Ooo, I'm just sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm just sitting on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time
I'm not doing anything productive, just passing the time

I left my home in Georgia
I left my home in Georgia to come here

Headed for the 'Frisco bay
I came here to San Francisco Bay

'Cause I've had nothing to live for
Because I have no purpose or reason to live

And look like nothin's gonna come my way
And it seems like nothing good is going to happen to me

So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
So I'm just going to sit here on the dock of the bay

Lookin' at the tide roll away
Watching the tide go in and out

Ooo, I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
I'm sitting on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time
I'm not doing anything productive, just passing the time

Look like nothing's gonna change
It seems like nothing will be different

Everything still remains the same
Everything is still the same as before

I can't do what ten people tell me to do
I can't follow the instructions of many people

So I guess I'll remain the same, yes
So I suppose I'll stay the same

Sittin' here resting my bones
I'm sitting here, relaxing my body

And this loneliness won't leave me alone
And this feeling of being alone won't go away

It's two thousand miles I roamed
I traveled two thousand miles to get here

Just to make this dock my home
Just to make this dock my place to stay

Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Now I'm just going to sit on the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away
Watching the tide go in and out

Oooo-wee, sittin' on the dock of the bay
Oh, I'm sitting on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time
I'm not doing anything productive, just passing the time

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Cropper, Otis Redding

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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