Wednesday 9th September 2015 by Alexandra Pollard | Photos by WENN

Happy Birthday Otis Redding: His 11 greatest lyrics

'I've been loving you too long... I don't want to stop now'

"Sittin' here resting my bones / And this loneliness won't leave me alone, listen / Two thousand miles I roam / Just to make this dock my home" - 'Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay'

"I'll be the rainbow after the tears are gone / Wrap you in my colours and keep you warm / That's how strong my love is, darling" - 'That's How Strong My Love Is'

"Take my hand, don't be afraid / I wanna prove every word I say / I'm advertisin' love for free / So, you can place your ad with me" - 'Hard To Handle'

"But it seemed so natural, darling / That you and I are here / Just talking over cigarettes and drinking coffee" - 'Cigarettes and Coffee'

"But nobody seems to understand now / How can a man sing such a sad song / When he lost everything / When he lost everything that he had" - 'Mr. Pitiful'

"These arms of mine, they are burning / Burning from wanting you / These arms of mine, they are wanting / Wanting to hold you" - 'These Arms Of Mine'

"You are tired and you want to be free / My love is growing stronger, as you become a habit to me / Ohh, I've been loving you too long / I don't wanna stop now" - 'I've Been Loving You Too Long'

"What you want / Honey you've got it / And what you need / Baby you've got it / All I'm asking / Is for a little respect when I come home" - 'Respect'

"There's only 24 hours in a day / That don't leave much time to play / I don't dig that no way, honey / 'Cause my heart can't take it another day" - 'A Waste Of Time'

"I've been so wrong, so many times / Now you know what I'm talkin' about / We've all been wrong a time in our life" - 'Open The Door'

9 September: 74 years ago today, one of the most influential soul musicians who ever lived, was born. His name was Otis Redding.

"Basically, I like any music that remains simple," was Redding's mantra, and his lyrics were no exception. "When any music form becomes cluttered and/or complicated you lose the average listener's ear. There is nothing more beautiful than a simple blues tune. There is beauty in simplicity."

Whether the beauty lay in lyrics he'd written himself, or - as is the case for a few of the songs on this list - ones he'd carefully chosen to cover, and in doing so given them a new lease of life, the lyrics Redding sang were always simple, moving and profound.

Here are 11 of the best.

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