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.
Could I Be The One
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My goal is to be the one you're dreaming of
I wanna be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
Trust me and I'll never let you down
Let me be with you through all your hard times
I wanna be around when the ?
It'll be me and you, I can see our position
You've been there to solve all of my problems
You've been there to help me solve them
I don't know what, I don't know what you do to me
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Could I be the one?
Trust me with your dreams, I'll make them all come true
For the rest of my life, I'll be grateful to you
Time will pass, our love will last
I'll spend my life cherishing you
Let me be the one
Let me be the one in your life at the end of the rainbow
Let me be the one
Let me be the one that you love so
Late at night, the time is right
I wanna be the one you just think is out of sight
Let me be the one
Let me be the one, let you be the girl
Let me be the one
Let me be, let me be the one at the end of the rainbow
Oh, I'll never, never, never, let you done
Let me be the one, let me be the one
Oh, talk to me girl, let me be the one, be the one, oh yeah
At the end of the rainbow, I'll never, never, never let you down
Let me be the one, let me be the one
In "Could I Be The One," Al Green sings about his desire to be the one person his love interest is thinking of and dreaming about. He compares himself to a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and promises to always be there for her through hard times, and to never let her down. Green asks for her trust and pledges to make all her dreams come true. He speaks about their love shining through and envisions spending the rest of his life cherishing her. The repetition of the lines "let me be the one" emphasizes the importance of being chosen as the significant other.
Overall, the song is about committing to a loving and trusting relationship, where both partners are devoted and dedicated to each other. Green takes a romantic and hopeful approach to love and expresses the importance of being chosen as the one for his love interest. His lyrics offer a sense of security and comfort, setting a tone of commitment and loyalty.
Line by Line Meaning
Could I be the one that you're thinking of
I aspire to be the person who is constantly on your mind
I wanna be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow
I desire to be the one who brings you all the joy and happiness in the world
Trust me and I'll never let you down
If you have faith in me, I will never disappoint you or break your trust
Let me be with you through all your hard times
I want to support you during all your tough times and be there for you, no matter what
I wanna be around when the ?
I want to be there for you during all the uncertain, unpredictable moments in your life
It'll be me and you, I can see our position
I can envision a future with us together, as partners, united and inseparable
Can't you see our love shinning through?
Our love is so pure and strong, it shines through every obstacle we face
You've been there to solve all of my problems
You have always been the one to help me resolve my issues and make everything better
I don't know what, I don't know what you do to me
I am unsure of what magic you possess that makes me feel so deeply connected to you
Could I be the one?
I am wondering if I have the potential to be your perfect match
Trust me with your dreams, I'll make them all come true
Believe in me and my abilities, and I will help bring all your wildest dreams to fruition
For the rest of my life, I'll be grateful to you
I am eternally thankful for having you in my life and will always cherish you
Time will pass, our love will last
As time goes on, our love will only continue to grow stronger and last forever
I'll spend my life cherishing you
I will spend the rest of my life treasuring and adoring you
Late at night, the time is right
When the night falls, it seems to be the perfect moment for love
I wanna be the one you just think is out of sight
I want to be the one who you think is the best person in the entire world
Let me be the one, let you be the girl
Allow me to be the one who you can always rely on, and you be the girl who always makes my heart skip a beat
Oh, I'll never, never, never, let you done
I will always be there for you, and I will never, ever let you down
Oh, talk to me girl, let me be the one, be the one, oh yeah
Communicate with me, and let me be the one who makes your heart sing and your soul dance
At the end of the rainbow, I'll never, never, never let you down
No matter what obstacles or difficulties we may face, I will always be there for you and never disappoint you
Let me be the one, let me be the one
Give me the chance to be the one who loves you, cares for you, and stays by your side forever
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL L. GREEN, ANN MITCHELL, WILLIE MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexxx Garcia
Just like Don Cornelius said " there are many stars in the sky but Al Green is the moon .. and there is only 1 moon and there us only 1.... AL GREEN!
BEAUTIFUL JAM BUMPING IN EAST LOS!!!
cynthiamungofa
Im listening from South Africa
glamslamr
This song feels like a warm and cozy blanket when you need a little comfort and to feel loved!!!
Mitchell Woods
SOOOOO ROMANTIC AND JUST FEEEELS!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Barry Goodwin
I love it
love to the world
For years this is my sanity.🌹🕊️🕊️
UNbowed62
This Gem is still beautiful comfort after all these years; still resonates the Soul. 🎶🥰🎶🙌🏽
VICTORIA Johnson
I played this song when my mother passed away in 95 Rest easy mom you are in my heart forever love you
Al Green
May she rest in peace. Thank you for listening. All love. Bless
*DeadQuinn*
How can you dislike an Al Green's song?