THE HIT HAMMER: Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

Otis Redding - "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay"

Hit Number 1: March 16, 1968

Stay at Number 1: 4 Weeks

On December 7, 1967, Otis Redding was finishing up recording a yet-to-be released song, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". It was his second take on the song, and though the product sounded good enough to be a potential hit, he wasn't satisfied. He planned to record the song one last time for the final version, but he never got the chance to do so. While touring in between recording sessions, Redding's charter plane took off from Cleveland, and was headed to Madison, Wisconsin to play at the Factory nightclub. While the plane was in flight, it almost made it to its destination, but crashed in Lake Monona, which is just outside of Madison. Redding, along with six others, were killed in the crash. Redding never got to do his final take of his song, but with some seagull and crashing wave sound effects edited in by his guitarist Steve Cropper, the song became a posthumous hit. And at least at this point, it was the only posthumous #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

On the fateful flight, Redding was accompanied by the Bar-Kays, who often played as his backing band. Only one of the members survived. The traces of "The Dock of the Bay" date all the way back to when Redding was touring with them earlier in 1967, and he wrote the first verse of the song down while on a houseboat in California. He wrote even more lyrics of the song on napkins and hotel paper while continuing to tour with the Bar-Kays. Cropper claims to be responsible for some of the lyrics as well, but it's hard to know for sure if he did, or if he's stealing Redding's thunder after he died. We'll never know, but to me, "The Dock of the Bay" sounds like a song that's only written by someone who has gone through those personal experiences. It doesn't sound at all like a story that was made up. It sounds like Redding's personal life, and the things that only he has experienced. It's hard for me to buy into Cropper's claims in other words. Again, we'll never know.

That's because "The Dock of the Bay" is really based off of events of Redding's life. He really did leave "his home in Georgia" and "headed for the Frisco bay". In the song, Redding takes the part of a broken man, one who feels as if everything good in his life is gone, and all he has is watching the boats sail in and out on the bay. It's a man who has had a great track record of success, but he still feels like his life has gone stale. He can't make a difference, so he spends his days on the dock. It's definitely a melancholy piece of work, but it took on a whole new meaning after Redding's untimely death. I like to think that the song still would've been a big hit even if Redding didn't die, but it's hard to say for sure.

We've already covered the fact that the song is lyrically depressing, but it's also a soothing song. Redding doesn't sound like a guy who is drowning in his sorrows, and doesn't want you to feel bad for him. Instead, he seems almost content. The message I get is that sure, Redding left his home for a life of uncertainty, but he still enjoys sitting at the dock watching the ships sail in. It's what gives him a sense of comfort and peace. Musically, the song does nothing but support that. Redding's calm voice, the wave-crashing sounds, the slumbering guitar weeps, and Redding's improvised whistling creates a song that's easy to enjoy. But the real power behind it is the unfortunate story connected to it. Just three days after Redding recorded the song, his life was cut short at the age of 26. Just days after singing a song about how it seems "nothing will change" in his life, his life was over in one of the most tragic ways possible. All of the power and success "The Dock of the Bay" had behind it is what made Redding a real star. Unfortunately, he wasn't around to see it, but without "The Dock of the Bay", it's hard to imagine just how big Redding would be today. It's a song that can really mess you up if you're not careful, and it's one any given person can relate to at any given time. It's infused with power and emotion in the most subtle ways.

I've talked about this before on this blog. When an artist dies, we always seem to "honor" them by playing their greatest hits. This is the first time that an artist hit #1 because of their death, but it's unfortunately not the last. It's a situation that will pop up a handful of times, with each of those songs leaving a sort of lasting legacy with their respective artist. I don't think any of those songs do it better than "The Dock of the Bay" though.

GRADE: 10/10

JUST MISSED:

Gary Puckett & the Union Gap had their highest peaking song with the nice enough, and fairly memorable song "Young Girl" peaking at #2 behind "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay". It's a 7.