SAN FRANCISCO — Otis Redding sat on a Sausalito, Calif., dock by his rented houseboat more than 50 years ago a few blocks away from where my wife and I were having a couple of beers.
The story goes he was having a bad day and began to scrawl what would become his posthumous classic “(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay.”
kAm#655:?8 >2J 92G6 =67E 9:D v6@C8:2 9@>6 7@C E96 uC:D4@ q2J E@ H2DE6 9:D E:>6 H2E49:?8 E96 E:56 C@== 2H2J]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ H6 =67E @FC G2==6J 9@>6 7@C E96 r:EJ 3J E96 q2J 2?5 H2DE65 ?@ E:>6 :? C6?E:?8 2 E2?56> 3:4J4=6 E@ C@== @G6C E96 v@=56? v2E6 qC:586 7@C 2 4=2DD:4 g\>:=6 DA:? 7C@> $2? uC2?4:D4@ E@ @?6 @7 |2C:? r@F?EJ’D D62D:56 E@H?D :? E96 D925@HD @7 >@F?E2:? 3:<:?8’D 3:CE9A=246 |@F?E %2>2=A2:D]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 92G:?8 E9@D6 H6==\62C?65 3C6HD[ =2DE H66< >J H:76 y2? 2?5 x 49@D6 2 3:4J4=6 C6?E2= 4@>A2?J 7C@> 2 D255=6328 7F== @7 @AE:@?D :? E96 962G:=J\E@FC:DE65 u:D96C>2?’D (92C7 2C62 — E9:?< {67E r@2DE u2?6F:= w2== — H:E9 :ED =@F?8:?8 D62 =:@?D 2?5 72C\C2?8:?8 G:6HD @7 E96 t2DE q2J :?4=F5:?8 E96 v@=56? v2E6 qC:586[ q2J qC:586 2?5 :?72>@FD p=42EC2K xD=2?5]k^Am
kAmq:4J4=6D 2C62 A=6?E:7F= :? $2? uC2?4:D4@[ H:E9 4@>>FE6CD FD:?8 E96> E@ 86E 2C@F?5 2?5 C64C62E:@?2=:DED A652=:?8 2H2J 7@C 7:E?6DD] %96 56=:G6CJ 64@?@>J FD6D E96> 2D 5@ A2C6?ED 76CCJ:?8 E96:C <:5D E@ D49@@= @? 42C8@ 6\3:<6D W2 3:8 A=FD @? E96 DE66A DEC66EDX @FE7:EE65 H:E9 CF??6C 3@2C5D @? E96 C62C 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6?’D 52?8=:?8 =68D] #:56 D92C6 3:<6D 2?5 D4@@E6CD 2C6 F3:BF:E@FD] %96C6 2C6 6G6? 5:8:E2= 3:4J4=6 96=>6ED H:E9 5:C64E:@?2= D:8?2=D @? E96 324<]k^Am
kAmqFE H6 H6C6 @3G:@FD=J =@H\E649 3J D6EE=:?8 @? 2 7@FC\=68 AC@A6==65 E2?56> :?DE625 @7 D:?8=6 3:<6D @C 6\3:<6D 7@C E96 4@2DE2= 4J4=6 5C6DD65 :? DEC66E 4=@E96D @? 2 A2CE=J DF??J 52J H:E9 E6>A6C2EFC6D :? E96 >:5\e_D]k^Am
kAm%96 EC6< 7C@> pBF2E:4 !2C< ?62C 2 EFC?2C@F?5 7@C @?6 @7 E96 4:EJ’D E9C66 72>@FD 423=6 42C =:?6D WSg 2 C:56X CF?D E9C@F89 2 D46?:4 D=:G6C @7 E96 v@=56? v2E6 }2E:@?2= #64C62E:@? pC62 :?4=F5:?8 u@CE |2D@?[ E96 !C6D:5:@ 2?5 u@CE !@:?E 367@C6 C6249:?8 E96 3C:586 2?5 E96 5C2>2E:4 4=:77D @7 E96 |2C:? w625=2?5D AC:@C E@ 56D46?5:?8 :?E@ $2FD2=:E@]k^Am
kAmp A@AF=2C 5C2H:?8 A@:?E @7 E96 E@FC :D E96 ?@G6=EJ @7 E2<:?8 2 76CCJ 324< E@ E96 4:EJ[ H9:49 H6 A=2??65 E@ 5@ E@ 2==@H 7@C E96 F?C6DEC:4E65 4@?DF>AE:@? @7 25F=E 36G6C286D]k^Am
kAmu@==@H:?8 E96 3:<6 A2E9 :D 62DJ — ;FDE <66A E96 H2E6C E@ J@FC C:89E] (2=<6CD 2?5 CF??6CD D92C6 E96 C@FE6[ H:E9 D@>6 DEC6E496D 92G:?8 56D:8?2E65 =2?6D 7@C 6249] p?8=6CD 7:D965 7C@> E96 A:6CD 2?5 DFC76CD C@56 E96 3C62<D :? E96 H2G6D F?56C E96 3C:==:2?E D<:6D] %96C6’D ?@ D9@CE286 @7 G:6HA@:?ED @C DA@ED E@ C6DE] xE’D ?@E 2 7=2E H2J 6:E96C[ H:E9 2 4@FA=6 @7 8C2??J\862C EJA6 @7 9:==D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 @?6 C:89E 367@C6 C6249:?8 E96 3C:586]k^Am
kAmrJ4=:?8 24C@DD E96 3=FDE6CJ 3C:586 >@C6 E92? a__ 766E 23@G6 E96 H2E6C :D 2 BF:C<J 2?5 >6>@C23=6 6IA6C:6?46] rJ4=:DED 2?5 A656DEC:2?D FD6 E96 ?62C=J `_\7@@E H:56 D:56H2=<D @? E96 62DE 2?5 H6DE D:56D @7 E96 D:I\=2?6 3C:586] &D6CD 2C6 C68F=2E65 E@ H9:49 D:56 E@ FD6 32D65 @? E96 52J 2?5 E:>6]k^Am
kAm(:E9 8:2?E 423=6D 2?5 E@H6CD @G6C9625 A=FD ;2H\5C@AA:?8 =@@<D @FE E@ E96 !24:7:4 ~462? E@ E96 H6DE 2?5 t2DE q2J @? E96 @E96C D:56[ E96 H@H 724E@C :D EC6>6?5@FD 5FC:?8 E96 `]f\>:=6 3C:586 4C@DD:?8] %92?<7F==J[ E96 7@8 H2D 2E 32J] qFE :E 5@6D?’E E2<6 =@?8 E@ D66 E92E E96 D:56H2=<D 2C6?’E H:56 6?@F89 E@ 244@>>@52E6 >62?56C:?8 E@FC:DED DE@AA:?8 6G6CJH96C6 7@C A9@E@D[ =@42=D 6?;@J:?8 2 DA:? 2?5 E96 >2:?E6?2?46 4C6HD A2:?E:?8 E96 3C:586]k^Am
kAm%96 4C6HD 2C6 @FE 52:=J[ 2AA=J:?8 >@C6 @7 E92E :?E6C?2E:@?2= @C2?86 4@=@C65 A2:?E E@ E96 ggf[___\E@? 3C:586 H:E9 23@FE gg E@?D @7 DE66=] $@ ;FDE =:<6 5C:G:?8 E9C@F89 2 4@?DECF4E:@? K@?6[ 4J4=:DED >FDE 4@?E6?5 H:E9 6BF:A>6?E @? E96 D:56H2=<[ 2?5 4C6H >6>36CD 9@=5:?8 E9@D6 D=@H 2?5 DE@A D:8?D 2=@?8 E96 H2J]k^Am
kAm%96 3C:586 J:6=5D E@ 2 a\>:=6 5@H?9:== :?E@ $2FD2=:E@ H96C6 H6 7@F?5 @FCD6=G6D 6?;@J:?8 E9@D6 46=63C2E@CJ 3C6HD]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 C6EFC?:?8 H6 H2E4965 2 J@F?8DE6C 92F= :? D@>6 4C23D 96 32:E65 H:E9 C2H 49:4<6? :? 2 ?6E 2E E96 5@4<D]%96 76CCJ 925 3:4J4=:DED 3@2C5:?8 7:CDE 2?5 5:D6>32C<:?8 =2DE H:E9 4J4=:DED =62?:?8 E96:C 3:<6D 282:?DE 6249 @E96C :? 2 D6=64E65 2C62[ G6CDFD E96> FD:?8 <:4<DE2?5D 2?5 DF49 @? E96 6G6C\D9:7E:?8 D62]k^Am
kAm~?46 @77 E96 3@2E[ H6 DE@@5 @? 2 5@4< @7 E96 32J[ H2E49:?8 E96 D9:AD C@== :? 2?5 E96 D62 8F==D 7=J 3J :? H92E 567:?:E6=J :D ?@ H2DE6 @7 E:>6]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.