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.
For The Good Times -
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know it's over
But life goes on
And this world
Keeps on turning
Yeah
Let's just be glad
We have this time
To spend together oh
There is no need
To watch the bridges
That we're burning hey oh
Lay your head on my pillow sweet babe
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine hey
Hear the whisper of the raindrops
Roll softly
Against my window hey hey oh late at night
Make believe you love me one more time hey
For the good times hey
For the good times
I'll get along
I'm sure you'll find another but baby please remember
I'll be here, I'm gon stay right here
And you should ever find that you need me yeah
Don't say a word
About tomorrow
Ah forever and ever and ever and ever
They'll be times
Enough for severance when you leave hey hey hey
For the good times
For the good times
Lay your head
On my pillow
Oh this is one time girl
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine
Hear the whisper
Of the raindrops
Rolling softly against my window
Oh you gotta do is
Oh you gotta do is make believe you love me one more time
For the good times
For the good times
Here's what you outta do is
Lay your head on my pillow
Hold your warm and tender body close to mines....
Al Green's song "For The Good Times" is a beautiful ballad about a relationship that has ended, but instead of focusing on the heartache of breaking up, it encourages the listener to cherish the memories of the good times spent together. Green sings about life moving on and the world continuing to turn, and how we should be grateful for the time we had with the person we loved. He acknowledges that there may be times of sadness and pain, but ultimately, he wants to cling onto the memories of the past and enjoy the present moment together.
The second verse of the song is particularly poignant, as Green pleads with his former lover to stay close to him and hold onto the feeling of love they once shared. He asks her to lay her head on his pillow and hold her warm body close to his, while they listen to the soft raindrops outside. He urges her to make believe that she loves him one more time, just for the sake of reliving the happy times they had. The song ends with Green promising to be there for his ex-partner if she ever needs him, even after they have gone their separate ways.
Overall, "For The Good Times" is a beautiful and heartfelt song about the beauty of love and the pain of losing it. It encourages listeners to hold onto the memories of happier times and to appreciate the moments that they have with their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't look so sad
Please don't be sad or upset over what's happening.
I know it's over
I am aware that our relationship is coming to an end.
But life goes on
However, life doesn't stop, it still moves forward.
And this world
The world we live in.
Keeps on turning
Continuously moves and progress.
Yeah
Affirmation and agreement.
Let's just be glad
Let's find happiness in what we had and appreciate it.
We have this time
We got this moment.
To spend together oh
To share this time with each other.
There is no need
It's unnecessary.
To watch the bridges
To continuously observe the connections between us and what's leaving.
That we're burning hey oh
As we're moving forward, there's no need to keep the memories of what we had or started.
Lay your head on my pillow sweet babe
Rest your head on my pillow, love.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine hey
Come close and hold me tightly.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops
Listen to the silent sound of the raindrops outside.
Roll softly against my window hey hey oh late at night
The raindrops softly tap my window as the night goes deeper.
Make believe you love me one more time hey
Imagine that you still love me, even for a split second.
For the good times hey
For the sake of our intense and happy past moments.
I'll get along
I will be okay.
I'm sure you'll find another but baby please remember
I know you will find someone else, but please don't forget our moments together.
I'll be here, I'm gon stay right here
I will stay where I am.
And you should ever find that you need me yeah
If in the future, you ever feel the need to come back to me, I will be here.
Don't say a word
No need for explanation.
About tomorrow
Tomorrow is something we can't control nor predict.
Ah forever and ever and ever and ever
For all eternity.
They'll be times
There'll be moments.
Enough for severance when you leave hey hey hey
There will be enough moments for us to part ways when it's time.
For the good times
For the happiness we share together, even if it's just in the past.
Here's what you outta do is
This is what you have to do.
Oh you gotta do is
All you need to do is.
Oh you gotta do is make believe you love me one more time
It would mean everything if you imagine loving me one more time, even now.
For the good times
Just for the sole reason of remembering and feeling our good memories.
For the good times
Again, for the sake of our happy past moments.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JERRY CHESNUT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrOmgfreak
My mom had this album,
she loved her some Al green.
we were so young back then, I
dont remember much.
but we never understood why she would play this song over and over again all day long ... i was about 6 yrs old
at the time,
i guess now i understand why.
my mom did a great job raising 3 boys and my sister , my
dad was always at work
They made sure
we wanted for nothing.
and yep
we watched her go without so we could have! .
but we all made it out an doin fine.
Now
with families of our own ,
she would be so proud.. and i know she is.
man..
when ya think about how it use to be
compared to how it is now, u cant help but cry.
Such good times back then.
the 70s was so much fun!
an the best decade to be alive in.
an so many good friends too
hard to find theses days!
and tho most are gone now
the memories still remain.
lol my dad would always loose his car keys
yellin where my dam keys!
my mom would say did u check ya shirt pocket mr..
and yep, there they were
then my dad would say
one of these days....one of theses days
my mom would say and,
what u gonna do!
my dad would just smile and say, i'm gonna love u more today then i did yesterday…
momma would say u better take yo ass to work!
my mom had a infectious laugh that would light up a room!!
we would laugh so hard
so much fun back then.
And you were right momma,
people ain’t no dam good ,
and as i type this with tears in my eyes
having sooo many good memories growing up with my mom in the 70's
as long as u can still feel them
mom and dad!!
no one truly dies.
and i feel them both..everyday.
I’m
not gonna lie tho ,
i have my moments
sad moments...missing them both.
so much has happend, many good things!
i wish
I could share with them.
im sure they know
but its still not the same.
wow amazing..!
im a grown successful man
and yet
I find myself still
wanting my mom
just a hug ..
or just to lay my head on her shoulder
she would always tell us hey!!
you guys better get it together cuz im not gonna live for ever!!
ok mom we get it!
just didnt think it would be so hard!
without you.
We miss u guys.
@clashawnbooth22
Who here in 2024?
@antwonharris2521
I’m with you frat for the good time‼️‼️‼️
@ChrishonSmith-bk2bp
I'm
@ginamantovani9622
❤❤❤🇧🇷
@rachelsimbhu3965
I am the entire year and forever ❤
@rachelsimbhu3965
I will always be with him , al green is the man forever
@user-dl7ze2wp4c
2024 Still jamming…… Singing Real Music from your heart & soul.
@nomawethusokoyi3516
Who’s here still and committed to Al ❤❤❤in 2023
@alankennedy4210
And not just for the good times, YAx
@DeeDeex007o
👌@@alankennedy4210