Reverend Albert Green (born April 13 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas) is an … Read Full Bio ↴Reverend Albert Green (born April 13 1946 in Forrest City, Arkansas) is an American Grammy award winning soul and gospel singer who enjoyed great popularity in the 70s with hit singles such as "Let's Stay Together", Tired of Being Alone", and "You Oughta Be With Me". Green has boasted a voice capable of both fluid high streams of sugar and deep south growls and rasps. He has sold over 20 million records worldwide, and he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, being referred to as "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music."

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.

Hold On Forever
Al Green Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hold on forever, hold on forever
'Til I can get everything in place
Well, hold on forever, hold on forever
'Til I can see my shapeless face

I've got to smile on forever
Smile 'cause there's a me for you to joy
That's a smile, smile, smile

Well, this song is for every girl and boy

I've had good times, I've had bad times
I haven't had enough
I have my ups and down, I've been turned around
I haven't given up

Don't you know everybody have to walk the line?
I have had to do my time, it's a shame my song's for free
And everybody knows that's the way it goes
The Lord is watching over me

I think I really better hold on forever, hold on forever
'Cause there's a smile I'd like to wear
I'll hold on forever, hold on forever
'Cause, 'cause there's some joy I've got to share

I wanna thank somebody [Incomprehensible]
That may keep on holding on
That may keep on holding on [Incomprehensible]
I keep holding on, I keep holding on

I keep on holding on, I keep seeing face
Nothing in the world can take this face

I, I, I keep holding, I'm holding
I'm holding, I'm holding, I'm holding

Overall Meaning

"Hold on Forever" by Al Green is a hymn-like ballad about resilience and perseverance. The lyrics speak to the strength and endurance of the human spirit. The repeated refrain of "hold on forever" serves as a reminder to keep pushing through tough times until we can see our "shapeless face." Here, Green seems to be speaking to the idea that we are all constantly evolving and changing, and that it takes time and effort to understand ourselves fully.

Green's use of the phrase "smile on forever" is a nod to the power of positivity and the importance of maintaining a hopeful outlook, even in the face of adversity. He recognizes that life is a mixture of good times and bad times, but encourages listeners to keep moving forward and not give up. The line "everybody has to walk the line" suggests that life is full of obstacles and challenges, but we must persevere and keep holding on.

Overall, "Hold on Forever" is a timeless anthem of resilience and hope. It encourages us to stay strong, keep smiling, and hold on to the promise of better days to come.

Line by Line Meaning

Hold on forever, hold on forever
Keep hanging on, never let go

'Til I can get everything in place
Waiting until everything falls into the right place

Well, hold on forever, hold on forever
Keep hanging on, never let go

'Til I can see my shapeless face
Waiting until I find my true self and identity

I've got to smile on forever
I have to keep smiling no matter what happens

Smile 'cause there's a me for you to joy
Smiling because I bring joy to the people around me

That's a smile, smile, smile
My smile is my expression of happiness and hope

Well, this song is for every girl and boy
This song is for everyone, young and old, male or female

I've had good times, I've had bad times
I've experienced both happiness and sadness in my life

I haven't had enough
I still want more out of life

I have my ups and down, I've been turned around
Life has its ups and downs and I've experienced setbacks

I haven't given up
I haven't lost hope and still keep going forward

Don't you know everybody have to walk the line?
Everyone has to follow a certain path in life

I have had to do my time, it's a shame my song's for free
I've gone through difficult times and it's unfortunate that I cannot monetize my music

And everybody knows that's the way it goes
Everyone understands that life is hard and unpredictable

The Lord is watching over me
I have faith in a higher power guiding me through life

I think I really better hold on forever, hold on forever
It's important for me to never give up and always hold on

'Cause there's a smile I'd like to wear
My goal is to be happy and wear a smile on my face

'Cause, 'cause there's some joy I've got to share
I have to share my happiness and joy with others

I wanna thank somebody [Incomprehensible]
I want to express gratitude and give thanks

That may keep on holding on
Someone who will not give up no matter what

I keep holding on, I keep holding on
I keep persevering and not letting go

I keep on holding on, I keep seeing face
I never lose sight of my goals and aspirations

Nothing in the world can take this face
No one and nothing can take away my identity and sense of self

I, I, I keep holding, I'm holding
I continue to hold on and persevere

I'm holding, I'm holding, I'm holding
I never let go and keep pushing forward

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALICIA AUGELLO-COOK, PAUL L GREEN, KUMASI HILLIARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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