THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER

712-Otis Redding-(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.

1968- Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.21.Pucker Up.

Otis Ray Redding was born September 9th, 1941 in Dawson, Georgia, United States, he died in a aeroplane crash on December 10th, 1967 (see also best songs 831.)

(‘Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was the last song Otis Redding (see also best songs 377) had been working on before his death. While on tour in August 1967, he was sitting on a rented houseboat in Sausalito, California, which gave him the idea for the song, as he watched ships going in and out of the bay. Redding never had time to complete the song, and it was Steve Cropper (see also best songs 906 and 828,) who had been working on the song previously with Redding, just days prior to his death, who completed the song.As well as writing extra lyrics, Cropper also added the sound of seagulls, and waves, as Redding had requested, recalling the sounds he had heard when staying on the houseboat.The song is also notable for some of the most famous whistling in pop music. Redding was well known for ad-libing at the end of his songs in the studio, but with this being a more mellow track than what was his usual, it is possible that Redding couldn’t think of anything appropriate, so decided to whistle.

The song was completed quickly after Redding’s death, and rush released by the record label, it became the first ever posthumous Number 1 single on Billboard, and the Album of the same name, would become the first ever posthumous Number 1 in the UK.

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun, I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes, watchin’ the ships roll in, then I watch ’em roll away again.