(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay Introduction
In a Nutshell
Waves crashing. Laid-back soul. Cheerful whistles. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" sounds like a vacation song, one you can close your eyes and feel at peace to.Otis Redding came up with the idea for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" in 1967, while he was living on a houseboat docked on the San Francisco Bay. He'd been on the road for Stax Records (a situation he was growing a little weary of) and changing as an artist, and plunked out these peaceful chords and lyrics while "resting his bones" by the ocean.
Though the song was inspired by real events, and is at some level autobiographical, listeners have come up with some very different interpretations for this song. Some think it's an expression of peace with life, while others hear overwhelming sadness, which isn't surprising. Redding tragically died in a plane crash at 26, drowning in very icy Wisconsin waters—much different than the waves in his song—just days after recording. Those whistles? They were meant to be a placeholder, but Redding died before a verse could be filled in. A perfect fit, they made the song famous.
Despite the song's mixed interpretations, everybody agrees on the fact that it's intimate, emotional, and powerful, and it guarantees a reflective mood for the listener.
About the Song
| Artist | Otis Redding | Musician(s) | Otis Redding (vocals), Steve Cropper (guitar), Booker T. Jones & Isaac Hayes (keyboards), Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass), Al Jackson, Jr. (drums), Wayne Jackson (trumpet) |
| Album | The Dock of the Bay | ||
| Year | 1968 | ||
| Label | Stax/Volt, reissued by Atco | ||
| Writer(s) | Otis Redding, Steve Cropper | ||
| Producer(s) | Steve Cropper | ||
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Shmoop Connections
Otis Redding built a following in the early 1960s as an R&B performer. He and his label, Stax Records, played a big part in the story of soul music, and by extension, in the history of the blues and R&B, the roots of soul.But Redding wanted more—he wanted to expand his audience, and this song was more laid-back than his others. It was a big deal to appeal to both white and Black audiences in the 1960s.
In 1967, he took his chances at the Monterey Pop Festival, his first big performance for a mostly white audience. It was a huge success, and the crowd went wild. Soon after, he recorded "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," a song he said was influenced by the Beatles' Sgt. Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band, and a great example of the give and take between R&B and rock and roll.