Otis Redding — (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
Album: The Dock of the BayAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 3858
Length: 2:36
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Sittin' in the morning sun
I'll be sittin' when the evening comes
watching the ships roll in
and then I watch them roll away again, yeah
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
watching the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
I left my home in Georgia
headed for the Frisco Bay
because I've had nothin' to live for
and look like nothin's gonna come my way
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
watchin' the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
Looks like nothin'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
Sitting here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's 2,000 miles I've roamed
Just to make this dock my home now
I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
watchin' the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
I'll be sittin' when the evening comes
watching the ships roll in
and then I watch them roll away again, yeah
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
watching the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
I left my home in Georgia
headed for the Frisco Bay
because I've had nothin' to live for
and look like nothin's gonna come my way
So I'm just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
watchin' the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
Looks like nothin'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
Sitting here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone
It's 2,000 miles I've roamed
Just to make this dock my home now
I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
watchin' the tide roll away
I'm sittin' on the dock of the bay
wasting time
Comments (221)add comment
Laptopdog wrote:
Yeah I agree, I just upped my vote as well
I had rated this a 9. What the hell was I thinking? It's a 10 if there ever was one.
Yeah I agree, I just upped my vote as well
10+++++++++ !
I had rated this a 9. What the hell was I thinking? It's a 10 if there ever was one.
lily34 wrote:
I was also lucky @ a young age to have cool parents with an awesome LP catalog. Dad wired speakers throughout the house and also outside so whatever was playing could be heard literally anywhere. Then someone would just shout out "flip the stack" when it was time for the A sides to become B sides.
Fond fond memories.
i would play this over and over when i was a little girl. my parents had that huge stereo contraption thing (console?) and at 5 i was allowed, VERY CAREFULLY, to play records. i specifically remember sitting at a window staring outside listening to this. still love it.
I was also lucky @ a young age to have cool parents with an awesome LP catalog. Dad wired speakers throughout the house and also outside so whatever was playing could be heard literally anywhere. Then someone would just shout out "flip the stack" when it was time for the A sides to become B sides.
Fond fond memories.
The Song of Songs. Unequal. Timeless.
A terrible loss..
i would play this over and over when i was a little girl. my parents had that huge stereo contraption thing (console?) and at 5 i was allowed, VERY CAREFULLY, to play records. i specifically remember sitting at a window staring outside listening to this. still love it.
This was the first 45 I bought. Didn't know the artist was already dead when released.
"Sinking In a Bottle a Day" I swear!
OTIS
FUCKING
REDDING
FUCKING
REDDING
I am grateful that the mighty giant Otis so inspired Jim Morrison that such a wonderful world of bluesy, soulful music came to be a crucial part of my wild life...
One of the first 45's I ever purchased. This and a Neil Diamond tune I can't remember.
I never knew he died so young. 
First time I noticed the waves and seagulls. Perfection.
This song sounds so different then you live not in your own country...
rpdevotee wrote:
With all due respect, as someone who's lived his entire life in the Bay Area and who just spent yesterday at the beach watching the tides of the Bay roll out, Otis does say "Frisco" ("I left my home in Georgia...Headed for the Frisco Bay") and yes, it is noticeable because no one here ever says that. So, I have to agree with MinMan and share his pet peeve. That said, Otis gets a pass (and MinMan did not criticize him directly) because he is someone from another place who truly appreciated the beauty of the Bay. No one can deny what a wonderful song this is despite the use of the "frisco" word; and besides, I think he would have been stuck with a poetic dilemma if he didn't use it.
I found this rather interesting because I've heard "Frisco" many a time over my almost six decades on the planet. I looked up the name history; the first comment on the article is this:
Being an actual native of SF and not from some rich neighborhood (grew up in the southern area of the city), we all called it Frisco and still do. In the urban area where I’m from as well as the local hip hop culture in the 80s/90s, we always used Frisco. If not that, then it’s The City (with Oakland being The Town). All these out-of-towners who are now claiming SF who attempt to correct people on the nicknames, especially this one, need to get over themselves and respect the actual locals and culture we had before all of this hipster craziness. I’ll call it whatever I want, which is Frisco!
With all due respect, as someone who's lived his entire life in the Bay Area and who just spent yesterday at the beach watching the tides of the Bay roll out, Otis does say "Frisco" ("I left my home in Georgia...Headed for the Frisco Bay") and yes, it is noticeable because no one here ever says that. So, I have to agree with MinMan and share his pet peeve. That said, Otis gets a pass (and MinMan did not criticize him directly) because he is someone from another place who truly appreciated the beauty of the Bay. No one can deny what a wonderful song this is despite the use of the "frisco" word; and besides, I think he would have been stuck with a poetic dilemma if he didn't use it.
Being an actual native of SF and not from some rich neighborhood (grew up in the southern area of the city), we all called it Frisco and still do. In the urban area where I’m from as well as the local hip hop culture in the 80s/90s, we always used Frisco. If not that, then it’s The City (with Oakland being The Town). All these out-of-towners who are now claiming SF who attempt to correct people on the nicknames, especially this one, need to get over themselves and respect the actual locals and culture we had before all of this hipster craziness. I’ll call it whatever I want, which is Frisco!
Maybe it's time to retire the RP rating system. When I see 10 "1" votes for a classic like this, it makes you wonder if there are trolls just messing with us. Maybe just a button that says "Add to Favorites"?
The first 45 I ever bought was this tune. I was at a Scott's dept. store in Janesville Wis with my Sister and my cousin. Ahh, memories!
h8rhater wrote:
With all due respect, as someone who's lived his entire life in the Bay Area and who just spent yesterday at the beach watching the tides of the Bay roll out, Otis does say "Frisco" ("I left my home in Georgia...Headed for the Frisco Bay") and yes, it is noticeable because no one here ever says that. So, I have to agree with MinMan and share his pet peeve. That said, Otis gets a pass (and MinMan did not criticize him directly) because he is someone from another place who truly appreciated the beauty of the Bay. No one can deny what a wonderful song this is despite the use of the "frisco" word; and besides, I think he would have been stuck with a poetic dilemma if he didn't use it.
MinMan wrote:
At no point does the singer claim to be a native of Frisco. He was from Georgia. It's in the song, for Pete's sake.
... people who don't listen, just one of my pet peeves.
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
At no point does the singer claim to be a native of Frisco. He was from Georgia. It's in the song, for Pete's sake.
... people who don't listen, just one of my pet peeves.
With all due respect, as someone who's lived his entire life in the Bay Area and who just spent yesterday at the beach watching the tides of the Bay roll out, Otis does say "Frisco" ("I left my home in Georgia...Headed for the Frisco Bay") and yes, it is noticeable because no one here ever says that. So, I have to agree with MinMan and share his pet peeve. That said, Otis gets a pass (and MinMan did not criticize him directly) because he is someone from another place who truly appreciated the beauty of the Bay. No one can deny what a wonderful song this is despite the use of the "frisco" word; and besides, I think he would have been stuck with a poetic dilemma if he didn't use it.
MinMan wrote:
At no point does the singer claim to be a native of Frisco. He was from Georgia. It's in the song, for Pete's sake.
... people who don't listen, just one of my pet peeves.
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
At no point does the singer claim to be a native of Frisco. He was from Georgia. It's in the song, for Pete's sake.
... people who don't listen, just one of my pet peeves.
26 years old. Damn.
c.
c.
Definitely one of the best soul vocalists of all time (IMO)
Timeless classic....
MinMan wrote:
Otis Redding was not a native of the SF Bay area; the lyrics should make that clear.
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
Otis Redding was not a native of the SF Bay area; the lyrics should make that clear.
10+++++
Reminds me of sitting on the dock of a bay. We watched the sun go behind the mountains.
Another song I am going to hit the next button, heard it too damn much
PRoeder61 wrote:
1986 was a long time ago.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com...
Forever ruined by Top Gun.
1986 was a long time ago.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com...
Long Live Radio Paradise
10 -GODLIKE
10 -GODLIKE
Deserves an 11. 
Mister class
Beyond criticism, or the judgement of mere mortals.
Friends:
This morning's New York Times celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of this enduring masterpiece.
"As a singer, range is great, but you got to learn to sing the right notes the right way. Otis was one of the masters of that ... "
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/arts/music/otis-redding-sittin-on-dock-bay-anniversary.html
This morning's New York Times celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of this enduring masterpiece.
"As a singer, range is great, but you got to learn to sing the right notes the right way. Otis was one of the masters of that ... "
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/arts/music/otis-redding-sittin-on-dock-bay-anniversary.html
Wilfrue wrote:
What he said. That cut is 50 years old and still Godlike.
For my ears, this has to be among the very best recordings in the history of sound. Otis' voice is so emotive and plaintive. Steve Cropper's guitar is subtle, but omnipresent. It is simple and approachable, dramatic and relatable.
I gave up noodling to this song myself, because I cannot sound like Otis, (Hell, who can?), I wouldn't even pretend to know what a guitar was if Steve was in the room; and inasmuch as I love it, I couldn't ever come anywhere close to replicating the utter perfection of this creation and performance.
I gave up noodling to this song myself, because I cannot sound like Otis, (Hell, who can?), I wouldn't even pretend to know what a guitar was if Steve was in the room; and inasmuch as I love it, I couldn't ever come anywhere close to replicating the utter perfection of this creation and performance.
What he said. That cut is 50 years old and still Godlike.
Yes Yes
doesn't get any better than this ....
Perfection! 
3 days after this recording he died...
willmcnaught wrote:
you need PSD button, lol AVERAGE rating 9 out of 1300 + hmmm you are in the MINORITY
Brilliant song, but since when is being in the minority some sort of wrongdoing?
you need PSD button, lol AVERAGE rating 9 out of 1300 + hmmm you are in the MINORITY
Brilliant song, but since when is being in the minority some sort of wrongdoing?
For my ears, this has to be among the very best recordings in the history of sound. Otis' voice is so emotive and plaintive. Steve Cropper's guitar is subtle, but omnipresent. It is simple and approachable, dramatic and relatable.
I gave up noodling to this song myself, because I cannot sound like Otis, (Hell, who can?), I wouldn't even pretend to know what a guitar was if Steve was in the room; and inasmuch as I love it, I couldn't ever come anywhere close to replicating the utter perfection of this creation and performance.
I gave up noodling to this song myself, because I cannot sound like Otis, (Hell, who can?), I wouldn't even pretend to know what a guitar was if Steve was in the room; and inasmuch as I love it, I couldn't ever come anywhere close to replicating the utter perfection of this creation and performance.
jimys wrote:
Nice image.
melzabutch wrote:
melzabutch wrote:
Doesn't get any better than this. I'm smiling now.
Johnny_Wave wrote:
you need PSD button, lol AVERAGE rating 9 out of 1300 + hmmm you are in the MINORITY
Tired and overplayed. 4
you need PSD button, lol AVERAGE rating 9 out of 1300 + hmmm you are in the MINORITY
If I never heard this song again it would really be OK.
I used to work for a gentleman who I think would want you all to know that Mr. Redding is a little confused here. No matter what he says this is not what he was doing
Forever ruined by Top Gun.
Great song...bad whistling!
Tired and overplayed. 4
Nice image.
melzabutch wrote:
melzabutch wrote:
dave216j wrote:
Thanks for the Amy Winehouse flip again. It was great.
That segue from Amy Winehouse to this song was sublime.
Thanks for the Amy Winehouse flip again. It was great.
Everybody in my church loves this song...
Completely classic. Perfect in its own way. American R & B at its finest. But played too much everywhere. Bordering on cliche.
First heard this song when I was six years old. It had such a groove - temporarily turned my attention from the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. Also made me want to check out San Francisco. Moved there 20 years later.
Needed this, thanks RP.
The song is the epitome of excellent songwriting and performance.
That segue from Amy Winehouse to this song was sublime.
this song has been ruined a little bit for me by foul-mouthed comics. but at least i got some laughs out of it. :)
Never listened to this one with headphones on before. What a well put together song it is!
Damn.
Reminds me of drinking beers in La Jolla, CA. Good enough for a 10 in that respect.
I got introduced to this song by my girlfriend after spending the evening sitting on the dock, wildly in love, staring at each other and the setting sun. It became 'our song'.
Three years later, the relationship was over. Going to France, leaving the madness behind, I stopped for a pizza at a restaurant in a tiny village in the middle of the French Alps. It turned out the place had live music that evening.
The band opened with this song...
Life's strange and beautiful like that I guess. :-)
Three years later, the relationship was over. Going to France, leaving the madness behind, I stopped for a pizza at a restaurant in a tiny village in the middle of the French Alps. It turned out the place had live music that evening.
The band opened with this song...
Life's strange and beautiful like that I guess. :-)
Beautiful song.. The lighthearted whistle at the end belies the profound sadness of the story of this lost soul from Georgia...
9
9
This song will be played at my funeral. I hope I can hear it in my head as I pass through. I love this!
maybe the most 'played out' song of all time...
Today has been blessed with great tunes from RP! Thanks for tugging my heart strings and letting my soul sing along. Love it!
I have scaled back the 10s I give, happy to say this track still gets a 10.
Ahhhhh 
tallman wrote:
This is a great song. I never need to hear it again. Let KFOG have it.
This is a great song. I never need to hear it again. Let KFOG have it.
i feel bad that my rating of 9 could actually drag down this songs overall rating of 9.2
Now this is a good track!
Wow, when I was 12 this song use to be my favorite......now, its still appropriate at 55!
Another great song by Otis! Another talent taken too soon.
Three in a row I've commented on.. WOW! Not bad for a thursday.
ziggytrix wrote:
SNAP Ziggy!!!
MinMan wrote:
Kindly note the song is about a guy who moved there from Georgia. So, he ain't no native of The SF Bay Area. ;)
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
Kindly note the song is about a guy who moved there from Georgia. So, he ain't no native of The SF Bay Area. ;)
SNAP Ziggy!!!
Sheer awesomeness!
MinMan wrote:
Kindly note the song is about a guy who moved there from Georgia. So, he ain't no native of The SF Bay Area. ;)
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
Kindly note the song is about a guy who moved there from Georgia. So, he ain't no native of The SF Bay Area. ;)
Nostalgiaslurpanicious song. A fav of mine.
Getting better and better, have a nice day all of you.
MinMan wrote: Interesting. Is it anything like Nu Or-LEENS? Nobody there uses that pronunciation unless it's for rhyming purposes in a song. Then, strangely, it's okay.
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
romeotuma wrote:
This really is a great song...
You so funny
, but yea this is a great song...
This really is a great song...
You so funny
, but yea this is a great song...Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Ba
Jimmy Cliff - Sitting In Limbo
Otis Taylor - Ten Million Slaves
Jimmy Cliff - Sitting In Limbo
Otis Taylor - Ten Million Slaves
MinMan wrote:
Word. We call it "The City." Frisco is a little resort town on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
Word. We call it "The City." Frisco is a little resort town on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Maconga.
unclemrbig wrote:
unclemrbig wrote:
A fellow Maconite
BTW no natives of The SF Bay Area have ever called it "Frisco"... just one of my pet peeves.
A fellow Maconite
k_trout wrote:
only solution is lobotomy
A bottle in front of me, or a frontal lobotomy.
only solution is lobotomy
A bottle in front of me, or a frontal lobotomy.
Great song. When I used to work in a record store, we'd make bets before playing this song as to whether at least one customer would whistle along. Nine times out of ten, someone would. It's almost impossible not to, hehe.
crowhog2000 wrote:
Tree_Hugger wrote:
My same thought too!!!!
only solution is lobotomy
Tree_Hugger wrote:
tom cruise killed my love for this song. I still love it, but I still see tom's face decades after that dumb movie. :(
My same thought too!!!!
only solution is lobotomy
Tree_Hugger wrote:
That dumb movie was the way I first heard this song. Of course I was six when it came out in theaters and I thought it was far from dumb at the time (eww, their tongues are touching, gross). But long term the best part of seeing that movie was being introduced to Otis.
tom cruise killed my love for this song. I still love it, but I still see tom's face decades after that dumb movie. :(
That dumb movie was the way I first heard this song. Of course I was six when it came out in theaters and I thought it was far from dumb at the time (eww, their tongues are touching, gross
). But long term the best part of seeing that movie was being introduced to Otis.This use to be my absolute favorite song in those younger years......
romeotuma wrote:
This song is good for the ears...
..and good for the soul
This song is good for the ears...
..and good for the soul
unclemrbig wrote:
bless you, City of Macon
We recently dedicated a park in Macon to Otis Redding. His wife and children still live here.
bless you, City of Macon
No matter how stressed out I am, this song will relax me. Aaaaaah, that's better. 
bluedot wrote:
This recording wasn't even released until after his death. The "story" I had always heard was that he still considered the song "unfinished" and that the whistling at the end was filler for some more lyrics that he hadn't finished yet and was apparently going to punch in later. I don't know if that part is really true or just one of those "myths", I just remember hearing it many times.
too bad for otis that this song only went to the top of the charts AFTER he died in an airplane crash. sigh.
This recording wasn't even released until after his death. The "story" I had always heard was that he still considered the song "unfinished" and that the whistling at the end was filler for some more lyrics that he hadn't finished yet and was apparently going to punch in later. I don't know if that part is really true or just one of those "myths", I just remember hearing it many times.
My volume just got cranked up to 11.
pennantpro wrote:
Man could get funky, too..."Tramp" will get your booty shakin'. He makes me proud to be from the Georgia woods...
Otis is an undeniable genius. But sad to say this is as overrated a tune as there is. It's such an outlier. Yeah, it's Otis, but..... Far better is the "B" side of this single, "My Lover's Prayer". And "Try a Little Tenderness" is, in my opinion, perhaps the greatest song of its decade. It would be great to hear that on RP.
Man could get funky, too..."Tramp" will get your booty shakin'. He makes me proud to be from the Georgia woods...
Tree_Hugger wrote:
tom cruise killed my love for this song. I still love it, but I still see tom's face decades after that dumb movie. :(
My same thought too!!!!
A song that stands the test of time. Recognized by generation after generation deserves godlike status.
Since this has been a part of the pop canon since before I can remember, I haven't listened to it as closely as I did just now. It really is masterful. What I noticed this time is that chords in the chorus do not resolve in an obvious way, and the singing is great. I also enjoyed the brass more than I have before, although the tasty guitar stood out to me most. I glad RP played this so that I could finally appreciate it more fully, sitting by computer with the leisure to be able to listen closely.
Could be the greatest pop song of all time.
fretman wrote:
After Otis passed, Cropper could not bear to hear this song. Don't know if he can now...
Steve Cropper sure could write 'em. Or co-write 'em, in this case.
Stax records rules...
Stax records rules...
After Otis passed, Cropper could not bear to hear this song. Don't know if he can now...
We recently dedicated a park in Macon to Otis Redding. His wife and children still live here.
Otis is an undeniable genius. But sad to say this is as overrated a tune as there is. It's such an outlier. Yeah, it's Otis, but..... Far better is the "B" side of this single, "My Lover's Prayer". And "Try a Little Tenderness" is, in my opinion, perhaps the greatest song of its decade. It would be great to hear that on RP.
RadarScope1 wrote:
i loved this as a kid just as much as i do today.
An unequivocal 10 if there ever was one.
yeah....i loved this as a kid just as much as i do today.
i have this same problem!
I just sang along this one..
An unequivocal 10 if there ever was one.
One of my favourite songs
Yes, I'm here in Memphis takin' care of Otis at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Come visit!
Why won't this thing go to 11?
This song has earned its spot as an all-time classic...
but can we hear some different Otis once in a while? The man was truly a genius, and his library is chock full of fantastic tunes.
tom cruise killed my love for this song. I still love it, but I still see tom's face decades after that dumb movie. :(
KurtfromLaQuinta wrote:
The first time I heard this, I was sitting in the 8th grade classroom of catholic school. . . . I remember this song really stood out. So I rode my bike to the downtown music store and bought the 45. I still have it. . . .
Cool story! I was eight, and it was in heavy rotation on AM radio, and, yeah, it really stood out for me too.
Another anthem from my youth and it still is today!
Thea wrote:
best song EVER? hmmmm. if not, and I'm not sure it's not, then it's definitely in the top five.
This IS the best song EVER.
c.
Could be the greatest pop song of all time.
Pop?