One of the finest of the Stax/Volt soul artists, he was, like Otis Redding, able to tell a story with great sincerity and flawless musicality. His song "You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry)" is a Memphis masterpiece.
A Tribute To A King
William Bell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I`m gonna sing you a song
About a man who lived good
But didn't live too long
He was born in Macon, Georgia
A poor boy without a dime
He found his way to Memphis
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
Without his soulful singing
This old world won`t be the same
Now he traveled on to Frisco
New York and abroad
Everywhere he sang
The people would applaud
One day he left Georgia
Wisconsin bound
But he didn`t get to sing that night
The plane he was in went down
He was a soul music singer
The king of the Memphis sound
It makes me feel so sad
Cause now he ain`t around
He died with his guitar
Close to his hands
But his soul lives on today
In the heart of a million fans
Taking about
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
His picture oughta be hung
In the music hall of fame
Otis, he was known as Big O
Otis, we gonna miss him so
Otis, ooh, yeah,
We gonna miss him so
William Bell's song "A Tribute To A King" is about none other than the legendary soul singer, Otis Redding. The lyrics pay tribute to Otis, who was born into poverty in Macon, Georgia. Despite his humble beginnings, Otis became an unparalleled force in the world of music. He was known for his soulful singing and his contribution to the Memphis sound.
The song charts Otis' journey from singing for the first time in Memphis with "These Arms Of Mine" to traveling across the US and around the world to perform. Despite his success, Otis never forgot his roots and he took his guitar wherever he went. Unfortunately, Otis' life was cut short when he died in a plane crash while traveling to a performance in Wisconsin. He died with his guitar in his hands, but his music and the memories he created live on in the hearts of his fans.
Bell's song is a touching eulogy to Otis Redding, one of the greatest musicians of all time. Through his lyrics, Bell paints a picture of an artist who touched countless people with his music but was taken from this world too soon.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen, people, listen
Attention everyone, please pay attention
I`m gonna sing you a song
I intend to perform a musical tribute
About a man who lived good
In honor of a good man's life
But didn't live too long
Sadly, his time was too short
He was born in Macon, Georgia
His birthplace was Macon, Georgia
A poor boy without a dime
He grew up with very little money
He found his way to Memphis
He made his way to Memphis, Tennessee
Singing These Arms Of Mine
Performing the song 'These Arms Of Mine'
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
This good man was Otis Redding
Without his soulful singing
Without his heartfelt vocal performances
This old world won`t be the same
The world would not be as it is without him
Now he traveled on to Frisco
He journeyed to San Francisco, California
New York and abroad
Also traveling to New York City, and beyond the United States
Everywhere he sang
He sang at every location
The people would applaud
His audiences always showed appreciation
One day he left Georgia
He departed from Georgia one day
Wisconsin bound
He was traveling to Wisconsin
But he didn`t get to sing that night
Unfortunately, he was unable to perform that evening
The plane he was in went down
He died in a plane crash
He was a soul music singer
Otis was a singer of soul music
The king of the Memphis sound
He was known as the leader of the Memphis style of music
It makes me feel so sad
This news is quite heart-wrenching
Cause now he ain`t around
Because he is no longer with us
He died with his guitar
At the time of his death, he was still holding his guitar
Close to his hands
He held his guitar near to himself
But his soul lives on today
Though his physical body has passed, his spirit continues to endure
In the heart of a million fans
In the hearts of the many people who appreciated him
Taking about
Referring to the topic of discussion
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
Again, his name was Otis Redding
His picture oughta be hung
It is fitting for his portrait to be displayed
In the music hall of fame
In a hall of fame that honors great musical artists
Otis, he was known as Big O
His nickname was 'Big O'
Otis, we gonna miss him so
We will dearly miss Otis Redding
Otis, ooh, yeah,
An expression of sorrow and remembrance
We gonna miss him so
His passing will continue to be mourned
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOOKER T. JR. JONES, WILLIAM BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ghost Man
A Tribute To A King
William Bell
Listen, people, listen
I`m gonna sing you a song
About a man who lived good
But didn't live too long
He was born in Macon, Georgia
A poor boy without a dime
He found his way to Memphis
Singing These Arms Of Mine
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
Without his soulful singing
This old world won`t be the same
Now he traveled on to Frisco
New York and abroad
Everywhere he sang
The people would applaud
One day he left Georgia
Wisconsin bound
But he didn`t get to sing that night
The plane he was in went down
He was a soul music singer
The king of the Memphis sound
It makes me feel so sad
Cause now he ain`t around
He died with his guitar
Close to his hands
But his soul lives on today
In the heart of a million fans
Taking about
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
His picture oughta be hung
In the music hall of fame
Otis, he was known as Big O
Otis, we gonna miss him so
Otis, ooh, yeah,
We gonna miss him so
Stephen Deroski
Awesome song, a worthy tribute to Otis Redding
Stuart Glynn
gives me the chills every time
John Prior
I remember hearing the news of his death over the radio, while I was sweeping up the "mess" in Chatham naval barracks in 1967 - it was awful - his records were such a big part of the music that changed my life - Can't Turn You Loose - Fa Fa Fa Sand Song - My Girl and so many more. Atlantric and Stax were never the same after that. A HUGE man!! RIP Otis.
Luis Luis
Esta canción fue para mi una de las mejores del soul de memphis. Gran tema en memoria de Otis Redding.
Joanna B. Marketing
Wow! Beautiful!! 🙏🏼🌹😢💘 May he continue to rest in peace. 😊
Sadly Beautiful
One of my favorite songs from my Stax singles collection. If you love Otis this song can't help but give you the chills.
Ghost Man
A Tribute To A King
William Bell
Listen, people, listen
I`m gonna sing you a song
About a man who lived good
But didn't live too long
He was born in Macon, Georgia
A poor boy without a dime
He found his way to Memphis
Singing These Arms Of Mine
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
Without his soulful singing
This old world won`t be the same
Now he traveled on to Frisco
New York and abroad
Everywhere he sang
The people would applaud
One day he left Georgia
Wisconsin bound
But he didn`t get to sing that night
The plane he was in went down
He was a soul music singer
The king of the Memphis sound
It makes me feel so sad
Cause now he ain`t around
He died with his guitar
Close to his hands
But his soul lives on today
In the heart of a million fans
Taking about
Otis, Otis Redding was his name
His picture oughta be hung
In the music hall of fame
Otis, he was known as Big O
Otis, we gonna miss him so
Otis, ooh, yeah,
We gonna miss him so
Charles Falzon
The Best Soul singer, Big ‘O’
Eldridge Joseph
Been looking for this for years who sang about this man Otis Redding my wife just found in today what a great song
plezful
I still and continue to miss Otis Redding, he is the greatest. Otis was a Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones combined but twenty years early. They can kill the dreamer but the dream (spirit) lives. Otis Lives!