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.
How Can You Mend A Broken
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was everything a man could want to do
I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again
I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
We could never see tomorrow, no one said a word about the sorrow
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again
In "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," Al Green reminisces about his youthful days when he was living life to the fullest, without a care in the world. He remembers the carefree times of his youth, when he could not fathom the idea of sorrow and pain that would come later in life. The song speaks to the pain and grief of a broken heart, and asks the question of how one can possibly move on after such a loss.
The lyrics of the song are laden with metaphors, as the singer expresses his emotions in poetic language. The rain symbolizes tears, the sun represents happiness, and the breeze signifies a memory of the past. The song also highlights the idea of hope and redemption, as Green pleads for help in mending his broken heart and finding a way to live again.
Overall, the song is a poignant and emotional reminder that heartbreak is a universal experience, and it is something that everyone can relate to in some way.
Line by Line Meaning
I can think of younger days when living for my life
I reminisce about the days when I lived for myself and did everything I wanted.
Was everything a man could want to do
I had everything I could ever want.
I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow
I never thought about the future or the pain that I might feel.
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How do you repair a heart that has been shattered?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you prevent sadness and tears?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
How can you stop happiness and brightness?
What makes the world go round?
What is the reason for the ups and downs of life?
How can you mend a this broken man?
How can you restore a man who has lost hope and faith?
How can a loser ever win?
How can someone who has failed ever succeed?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again
I am asking for help to heal my broken heart and find happiness again.
I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
I still remember the small things in life that brought me joy.
And misty memories of days gone by
I have blurry recollections of the past that is now gone.
We could never see tomorrow, no one said a word about the sorrow
We never thought about the consequences of our actions or the pain that would follow.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yomnafarouk2649
Lyrics
I can think of younger days when living for my life
Was everything a man could want to do
I could never see tomorrow
I was never told about the sorrow
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
Tell me, how can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go 'round?
How can you mend a this broken man? Yeah
How can a loser ever win?
Somebody please help me mend my broken heart
And let me live again, la-la, la-la, la
I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
But we could never see tomorrow
Would you believe that no one, no one ever told us about the sorrow?
So how can you mend a broken heart? And mine is
How can you stop the rain from falling down? Baby
How can you stop that old sun from shining?
What makes the world go 'round? And sometime I have to say, yeah, say
La-la-la, la-la-la, uh-huh, yeah
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, tell me
Help me mend my, my broken heart
I just wanna, I just wanna, I just wanna, I just wanna
I just wanna live again, baby
How can you mend this broken man? Yeah, somebody tell me
How can a loser ever win? 'Cause, baby
Help me mend my, this old broken heart
I think I, I believe I
I feel like I got to, I feel like I wanna live again
How can you mend, ah, this broken heart? Somebody please tell me
How can you stop the rain from falling down? I know my clothes are all wet, tell me
How can you mend my, please help me mend my broken heart
I think I, I believe I, I've got a feeling that I want to live and live and live
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la
La
@damonpitt2528
I'm sitting here sipping on Bourbon looking at the window 75° feeling the breeze I can see my son's face my only son I lost the heroin I failed as a father I'm not looking for no pity party I'm just looking at his face in the clouds but I can't hear his voice this song in this man is a blessing to my life my son was like a brother more than a son and being a lone wolf no hand to hold on to just the bulldog Maybelline and Al Green my man
@jasonlynn1017
You didn't fail. Were Heroin legal and over the counter as it was in the 1800s your son might very well be alive, as would at least two people I knew; no one questions why the government suddenly decided the regulation of people's moods, and other mental states was fair domain for tyranny and causing more problems than the drugs themselves typically, nor does anyone question why despair is so prevalent; it all goes way past the dinner-table. And in the 1920s that same darling government also decided you couldn't have your Bourbon either.
@damonpitt2528
@@jasonlynn1017 thank you Jason you stay safe man he was 29 years old I wasn't no angel at 29 years old I grew up right all kinds of drugs I'm 52 years old now and all my family that party back in the seventies and '80s are dead before they hit 60 it's a trip man but thank you brother you stay safe and stay strong
@jasonlynn1017
@@damonpitt2528 I'm 59 and can't tell you how I made it this far, but I can tell you I almost didn't because of theme of another song by Al I just saw on the Midnight Special, 1974: " I'm Tired Of Being Alone," which I'm now writing a poem about as it's the greatest truth ever told. Remember that many people use drugs not for pleasure, but to kill the pain and despair of being tired of being alone; and they use drugs including H to exit this world because of this epidemic of loneliness & sadness, versus aloofness, & even viciousness, so they choose to leave as nothing is on the horizon. This whole world has to get well, which is another thing than just not being sick. But the world is sick. Really sick. Al Green's song is truer today in 2022 than in 1974, and everyone needs to do something about it. I'm sorry about your son. Your grief must be beyond comprehension. But you feel it. Therefore you did not cave into the plastic- numb advertised life which so many people now have, which of course worsens everything. So you are a hero of emotionality. It takes guts to feel. It takes guts not to hide feeling. DON'T ever believe anyone saying that it's easy or trivial, as it is one of the last things proving humanity left.
@mistyblue200
I turned sixty on November 16th, My youngest son of two turned 26 on the 14th. I used to talk to him everyday three four times a day, He made me upset on thanksgiving day. I have not talked to him since. Maybe I'll call him after reading this. God bless you and praying for you. I would lose my mind if I lost my baby. It 's been a week yesterday since I talked to him.
@burronnieholsey8201
I'm so sorry to have read this I share your Pain" I pray you continue to find the strength to keep you going .🙏.so 😔 this has happen.
@givehonestanswer5508
This is the Greatest song Ever!!!!
ONLY JESUS can mend a broken heart
@givehonestanswer5508
@@mick6721 Are you talking to me about Al Green belief??if you are let me lay this on you. When a man has been scorned by a unfaithful woman/man him or her life is upside down. in order to mend the Scared and Mental Tortured of the mind it will take God to refresh and restore Peace in him only he can do. the moral of the song is God "Only" can mend a man's , women mind and heart.
Amen and God bless you Mick
@lewis2553
So true, my brothers! I've been there and lived that and so much more. Thank God for the Holy Ghost! This song, too, has been my prayer to God during some of those depressing times.
@user-qi6rz1ot6o
❤❤❤❤so true❤❤❤❤