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.
Glory glory
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since I laid my burdens down
Well, I'm feeling better, so much better
Now I know that you're around yeah
Before you came into me, somebody had to show me
There was more to life than living, there was loving, there was giving
That's the story of the way you made me smile, well
And I betcha, I'm glad I metcha
Someone like you well that's my style yeah
People laugh and say it
""Well I guess he's feeling good""
Well I guess if that's the weigh in
I just really have to say that I love you
Have to say it, have to say it that I love you
(adlib)
Then I'll let you bear it, let me share it
Love is joy I have found, well
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Plus I have to say it right now, well
I'm feeling joy all night above all most feelings
Got me singing and dancing
Heavens doors are almost ceiling
That I love you
Yeah have to say it say it say it that I love you
In "Glory Glory," Al Green sings about the transformative power of love and how it has changed his life. Through the lyrics, Green expresses his gratitude for his newfound happiness and his belief that love is the key to a fulfilling life.
The opening lines of the song, "Glory, glory, hallelujah, since I laid my burdens down," are a direct reference to the traditional African American spiritual "Down by the Riverside." This line conveys the idea that Green has found relief from his troubles through his experience of love. The verses that follow describe how before he found love, he was lost and didn't know what he was missing. He sings about how someone had to show him that life is more than just existing and how he had to learn to love and give to truly experience all that life has to offer.
In the chorus, Green expresses how the love he has found has made him feel so much better, giving him a reason to smile and a reason to live. He rejoices in meeting someone like his beloved whom he can love and connects his well-being to this person's presence in his life. Throughout the song, Green's lyrics paint an image of someone who has found the ultimate joy in life: the joy of loving and being loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Expressing deep gratitude and excitement towards experiencing positive changes in life
Since I laid my burdens down
The feeling of being relieved since removing all the negative elements in life
Well, I'm feeling better, so much better
Feeling the immense joy and happiness that comes after being freed from burdens
Now I know that you're around yeah
Expressing gratitude towards someone who played a significant role in overcoming the burdens and achieving happiness
Before you came into me, somebody had to show me
Acknowledging the influence of someone who showed the path to happiness and love
There was more to life than living, there was loving, there was giving
Realizing that life is not just about existing, but loving, and giving to others
That's the story of the way you made me smile, well
Expressing the happiness that the person brought to the singer's life
And I betcha, I'm glad I metcha
Feeling grateful and lucky for meeting someone special
People laugh and say it
Others notice the positive change in the artist's life
"Well I guess he's feeling good"
People make assumptions about the happiness the artist feels
Well I guess if that's the weigh in
Acknowledging how others view the change in the singer's life
I just really have to say that I love you
Expressing the deep feelings of love towards the person who brought happiness and positivity
Then I'll let you bear it, let me share it
Sharing the joy and happiness felt with the person who brought it
Love is joy I have found, well
Realizing that love brings immense joy and happiness to life
Plus I have to say it right now, well
Expressing the urgency to express the feelings of love
I'm feeling joy all night above all most feelings
Feeling extremely happy and joyful, more than any other feeling
Got me singing and dancing
The happiness felt is expressed through singing and dancing
Heavens doors are almost ceiling
Feeling the happiness to the extent of being close to heaven's doors
That I love you
Expressing the deep feelings of love towards the person who brought happiness and positivity
Yeah have to say it say it say it that I love you
Reiterating the importance of expressing the feelings of love
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL L. GREEN, WILLIE MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cocopalmer9585
Love this song❤❤❤❤❤
@unique74muzik
Young Green..one of the last brilliant sessions with Mr Willie Mitchell..somewhat of a swan song..
@minorsnow5306
Low key good Green album...don't tell no one!
@charlenenoble6675
Love this song!!!!!!!
@cordeliahowitt45
Where could I get the lyrics for this beautiful song? Does anyone know?
@vburd62
here you go Cordelia
and yes, this is a very difficult song to get the lyrics to but this is 99-100% correct.
enjoy!
glory glory, hallelujah.. since i laid my burden's down, well...
i'm feeling better, so much better...now i know that you're around, yea...
before you came into me.. somebody had to show me, there was more to life than living..there was love and there was giving.
glory glory, well that's the story.. of the way you made me smile, well.
and i bet cha, i'm glad i met cha..someone like you, well that's my style, yea..
people laugh and saying..."well i guess he's feeling good"...well i guess if that's the way it is, i just really have to say that i love you...got to say it gonna say it that i love you.
bridge...
yeah...yeah....and if you'll bear it, let me share it.....all this joy i have found, well....
glory glory, hallelujah..yes i have to say it right now, well...
i'm feeling joy and high, of the foremost feeling..
it's got me singing and dancing... heaven's doors i'm almost in..
and i love you...yea...got to say it, say it, say it, that i love you...yea....heyyyy
(fade) people talking, people talking bout' my joy.....joy joy joy..
@cordeliahowitt45
Hi Vince, thank you so much, that is very kind of you. That was the nicest Christmas present I could have asked for. I shall start singing! all the best Cordelia
@vburd62
you're very welcome...
@lindarivas4388
❤