“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”: Otis Redding’s Last Recorded Song
Wednesday, June 20th, 2012“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” is one of those songs that create a unique blend of melancholy and light heartedness. Written by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper, the song started as jotted lines on napkin sheets and hotel paper. The inception of the tune began with the lyric, “I watch the ships come in and I watch them roll away again” due to the fact of staying on a houseboat with a friend while on tour with The Bar-Kays. Later the song was completed with Cropper’s collaboration and he distinctively placed an autobiographical spin of Redding’s life with the lyric, “I left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay” . As popular as this song has been through the years, it was met with many naysayers from Stax Records and even his own wife. Regardless of the less than enthusiastic welcome, Redding wanted to change his style and incorporate other musical influences in his artistry. While we know this song as a classic hit, this would paradoxically be the last song Redding ever recorded. Sadly, he died three days later due to a plane crash.
