Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay
Otis Redding's lonely lament, and why it matters to people aged from 20 to 80
Soul Music · BBC Radio 4
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Show Notes
Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay was written whilst Otis Redding was reflecting on his life on Sausalito Bay, California, in the summer of 1967.
Its upbeat, laidback melody belies the loneliness of the lyrics.
In December of the same year, Otis was killed in a plane crash.
His song was subsequently released and became the first posthumous Number 1 record in the US.
His musician contemporaries including Booker T Jones and guitarist Steve Cropper, who co-wrote Dock of the Bay, tell the story of the song's genesis, and people in their 20s to their 80s reveal why they relate it to dramatic periods in their lives.
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producers: Maggie Ayre and Mair Bosworth
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2020.