Hear Sting Cover Otis Redding’s ‘(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay’

Song marks first installment of Alzheimer’s Association’s “Music Moments” project

Sting recorded a laid-back cover of Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” The release marks the first installment of the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Music Moments,” a project where artists tackle songs they appreciate on an emotional level.

Throughout the track, Sting whistles and croons over an acoustic guitar and soft waves of brass. In an accompanying video, the rocker discusses his connection to the classic, reflecting on his youth in Wallsend, England. “When I was 16, I had no idea how to achieve my dreams,” he says. “And so I lived near the river in my town. I’d go down to the ferry and I’d watch ships go back and forth. I wondered where they were going, and I realized my life was like that. I had to leave where I was.”

“My wife’s mother died from premature Alzheimer’s, and it’s a tragic and horrifying disease,” he adds. “It’s a potential in all of our lives, so whatever research we do at this present time is absolutely important.”

Other artists participating in “Music Moments” include Nile Rodgers (covering the Beatles’ “Hey Jude”), Sharon Van Etten, Jason Isbell, Band of Horses, Joan Jett, Lee Ann Womack, Anthony Hamilton, Brett Eldredge and the Head and the Heart.

The Alzheimer’s Association, founded in 2002, describes its mission as “[providing] support, services and education to individuals, families and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias nationwide, and [funding] research for better treatment and a cure.”

Watch the video and listen to Sting’s full cover of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” at Rolling Stone.

(c) Rolling Stone by Angie Martoccio & Ryan Reed