The story of songs

(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAY BY OTIS REDDING Written, as you might hope, while sitting on the dock of a bay. But, although its lyrics may describe Redding “heading for the Frisco bay,” he was staying on a houseboat moored in nearby Richardson Bay. Regardless of the location, we’ve all been there: sitting, turning things over in our head as the world goes on around us. Begun in June, the song wasn't completed until early December 1967. Its famous whistle ending came about when Redding was given space to ad-lib, while the seagulls were added later. According to guitarist/producer Steve Cropper,

Redding tried to mimic some gulls, but just “sounded like a crow.”

Why Redding never finessed his gull call is an extremely sad story. On 10 December, as Cropper was adding the track’s finishing touches, Redding died in a plane disaster, aged just 26. Record bosses had been sceptical about the song – a departure from Redding’s usual RnB – but he knew he’d hit gold, calling it his “first million-seller.” He was right. It made number one in the US on its posthumous release, and later became the 20th century’s sixth-most performed song, perhaps showing that everybody needs a little time to sit, think, watch the ships roll in, and the tide roll away.

“Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun” Kahlil Gibran