Green was born in Forrest City, Arkansas. He started performing at age ten in a Forrest City quartet called the Greene Brothers; he dropped the final "E" from his last name years later as a solo artist. They toured extensively in the mid-1950s in the South until the Greenes moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, when they began to tour around Michigan. His father kicked him out of the group because he caught Green listening to Jackie Wilson.
In 1967 at the age of 16, Al formed an R&B group, Al Green & the Creations, with several of his high-school friends. Two Creation members, Curtis Rogers and Palmer James, founded their own independent record company, Hot Line Music Journal, and had the group record for the label. By that time, the Creations had been re-named the Soul Mates. The group's first single, "Back Up Train," became a surprise hit, climbing to number five on the R&B charts early in 1968. The Soul Mates attempted to record another hit, but all of their subsequent singles failed to find an audience. In 1969, Al Green met bandleader and Hi Records vice president Willie Mitchell while on tour in Midland, Texas. Impressed with Green's voice, he signed the singer to Hi Records, and began collaborating with Al on his debut album
He was perhaps the ideal complement to the orchestral, syrupy, strong soul production work of Hi Records wizard Willie Mitchell, who also helmed 70s classics for Syl Johnson, Ann Peebles, and himself.
On October 18, 1974, Mary Woodson, a woman who was his longtime girlfriend, threw a large pot of sticky boiling grits on him as he was preparing to shower, because he didn't want to get married. She committed suicide in minutes, which deeply affected Green to turn to God and religion. This assault from behind caused third-degree burns on his back, stomach and arm. Deeply shaken, Green continued to reaffirm and grow closer to his deeply held love for God, and became an ordained pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Memphis in 1976.
Continuing to record R&B, Green saw his sales start to slip and drew mixed reviews from critics. 1977's The Belle Album was critically acclaimed but did not regain his former mass audience. In 1979 Green injured himself falling off the stage while performing in Cincinnati and interpreted this as a message from God. He then concentrated his energies towards pastoring his church and gospel singing, also appearing in 1982 with Patti Labelle in the Broadway musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. According to Glide Magazine, "by the late 70s, he had begun concentrating almost exclusively on gospel music." His first gospel album was The Lord Will Make a Way. From 1981 to 1989 Green recorded a series of gospel recordings, garnering eight "soul gospel performance" Grammys in that period. In 1985, he reunited with Willie Mitchell along with Angelo Earl for He Is the Light, his first album for A&M Records. In 1984, director Robert Mugge released a documentary film, Gospel According to Al Green, including interviews about his life and footage from his church. In 1989, Green released "I Get Joy", again with producer/guitarist Angelo Earl. In 2001, he appeared in the movie and soundtrack of On the Line featuring Lance Bass.
After spending several years exclusively performing gospel, Green began to return to Rhythm & Blues. First, he released a duet with Annie Lennox, "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" for Scrooged, a 1988 Bill Murray film. In 1989 Green worked with producer Arthur Baker writing and producing the international hit "The Message Is Love". In 1991 he created the introductory theme song for the short-lived television series Good Sports featuring Ryan O'Neal and Farrah Fawcett. In 1992, Green recorded again with Baker, the Fine Young Cannibals, and reunited with his former Memphis mix engineer (this time functioning as producer) Terry Manning, to release the album Don't Look Back. His 1994 duet with country music singer Lyle Lovett blended country with R&B, garnering him his ninth Grammy, this time in a pop music category. Green's first secular album in some time was Your Heart's In Good Hands (1995), released to positive reviews but disappointing sales, the same year Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2000, Green published Take Me to the River, a book discussing his career. Green received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.
In 2001, Green's live cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" was released on the soundtrack to Will Smith's film Ali (the song plays when Muhammad Ali learns of the death of close friend Malcolm X).
By 2003 Green released a non-religious (secular) album entitled I Can't Stop, his first collaboration with Willie Mitchell since 1985's He is the Light. In March 2005 he issued Everything's OK as the follow-up to I Can't Stop. Green also collaborated with Mitchell on this secular CD.
The title of Al Green's latest album Lay It Down released May, 2008, truly tells it like it is. Conceived as a collaboration between the soul legend and a handful of gifted young admirers from the worlds of contemporary R&B and hip hop, the album is drawn from a series of inspired sessions that yielded the most high-spirited, funky and often lushly romantic songs of Green's latter-day career.
The project features the sophisticated R&B voices of singer-songwriters John Legend, Anthony Hamilton and Corinne Bailey Rae, and it was co-produced with Green by two of hip-hop's most innovative players, drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson from the Roots and keyboardist James Poyser , the go-to guy for high-profile artists ranging from Erykah Badu to Common. Add in Brooklyn's celebrated Dap-King Horns (Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse), guitarist Chalmers "Spanky" Alford (Mighty Clouds of Joy, Joss Stone) and bassist Adam Blackstone (Jill Scott, DJ Jazzy Jeff), among others, and you've got a modern soul-music dream team, fronted by the most expressive voice in the business.
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough;
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me
From that day on, I made a vow,
I'll be there when you want me,
Some way, some how.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand,
I'll be there on the double
As fast as I can.
Don't you know that there
Ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
'Cause you are my goal.
If you're ever in trouble;
I'll be there on the double.
Just send for me, oh baby.
If you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
The lyrics to Al Green's song Ain't No Mountain High Enough are an expression of the singer's unwavering commitment to being there for his lover no matter what obstacles they may face. The song speaks to the power of love and the lengths that someone will go to ensure that the person they care about is safe and happy. The lyrics suggest that there is no mountain, valley, or river that is too high, too low, or too wide to keep the singer from getting to his lover.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics. The repetition of "ain't no" emphasizes the singer's confidence and determination. He reassures his lover that she can always count on him, no matter where she is or how far away she may be. The singer has made a vow to be there for his lover, and he means to keep it. The chorus repeats this sentiment, underscoring the singer's conviction that he will always be able to get to his lover, no matter the circumstances.
The verse that begins with "My love is alive" expresses the singer's commitment to his lover in a different way. The words "way down in my heart" suggest that his love is not just an abstract concept, but something that he feels deeply and personally. He tells his lover that even if they are miles apart, he will be there for her if she ever needs him. The final lines of the song repeat the chorus, reinforcing the message that there is nothing that can keep the singer from getting to his lover.
Overall, the lyrics to Ain't No Mountain High Enough are a powerful expression of love and commitment. The song speaks to the idea that true love knows no boundaries, and that when you care about someone deeply, nothing can keep you apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen baby, ain't no mountain high,
I am telling you that there is no obstacle that can prevent me from coming to you.
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough;
There is no distance far enough that can keep me away from you because my love for you is very strong.
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
I will always be available for you and you can call me anytime regardless of where you may be.
No matter how far;
Even if you are miles away from me, I will come to you whenever you need me.
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
All you need to do is call my name and I will come running to you as fast as I can.
You don't have to worry,
You can trust me completely and never worry about being alone or facing any difficulties because I am always here for you.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
My love for you is so strong that no matter how high the obstacles might be, I will always find a way to overcome them and reach you.
Ain't no valley low enough,
Even if you are in the lowest valley, I will still find you and come to you because my love is unwavering.
Ain't no river wide enough
Even if there is a wide river between us, my love will find a way to cross it and reach you.
To keep me from getting to you babe.
No matter what comes between us, I will always find a way to come to you and be with you.
Remember the day I set you free
I am reminding you of the day when I gave you your freedom, but also the promise of being with you whenever you need me.
I told you you could always count on me
I assured you that I will always be there for you, no matter what.
From that day on, I made a vow,
I made a promise to myself on that day that I will always be there for you whenever you need me.
I'll be there when you want me,
I will be with you at all times, whenever you need me, no matter what.
Some way, some how.
I will always find a way to be with you, no matter what the circumstances may be.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
My determination to be with you is so strong that no obstacle can stop me from reaching you.
My love is alive
The love I have for you is still very strong and alive.
Way down in my heart
My love for you is deep down inside my heart and nothing can change that.
Although we are miles apart
Even if we are far away from each other, my love for you will always keep us connected.
If you ever need a helping hand,
If you ever find yourself in a difficult situation, know that I am always here to help you.
I'll be there on the double
I will come to you as fast as I can to help you, whenever you need me.
As fast as I can.
I will always be there for you as quickly as possible when you need me.
Don't you know that there
I want to remind you that there is always someone who loves you and is willing to help you in any way they can.
No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
I am emphasizing that no matter how difficult the circumstances may be, I will always be with you.
'Cause you are my goal.
My ultimate goal in life is to be with you and make you happy.
If you're ever in trouble;
If you ever find yourself in trouble, know that you can always count on me to help you.
I'll be there on the double.
I will always come to you as fast as I can to help you whenever you need me.
Just send for me, oh baby.
Whenever you need me, just let me know and I will come to you immediately to help you.
If you need me call me no matter where you are,
You can always call me whenever you need me, and I will be there for you regardless of where you may be.
No matter how far;
Even if you are far away, my love for you is strong enough to bring me to you in a very short time.
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
All you have to do is call my name and I will rush to you as fast as I can, because I want to be there for you.
You don't have to worry,
You can trust me completely and never have to worry about being alone or facing any difficulties because I am always here for you.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
My love for you is so strong that nothing can stop me from reaching you when you need me.
Ain't no valley low enough,
Even if the distance between us is very far, my love will always find a way to get to you.
Ain't no river wide enough
Even if there is a very wide river between us, my love will still be able to find a way to reach you.
To keep me from getting to you babe.
Nothing can stop me from coming to you whenever you need me, because I love you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Valerie Simpson, Nickolas Ashford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Destiny Joyner
I love that he's able not to conform to others style but hold his own. Difficult song to sing without turning into Diana Ross but he did well.
Eden Charles
Well said.
Eden Charles
Beautiful song, my favourite from Al Green.
fannycraddock99
Love Al but this is terrible!
Simon Dilling
I had also expected him to do much better than this.