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.
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even more than I usually do
And although I know
It's a long road back, I promise you
I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me, oh
Please have snow and mistletoe
Christmas eve will find me
Where the love lights gleam
I want you to know
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams, oh
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents under the tree
Oh
Christmas eve will find me
Where the love lights gleam, oh
I wanna be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams
If only in my dreams
In Al Green's version of "I'll Be Home for Christmas," he sings about dreaming of a place that he loves even more than he usually does. He is thinking of his home and loved ones during the Christmas season, but acknowledges that getting there will be a long journey. Despite this, he makes a promise to be home for Christmas and assures his loved ones that they can count on him.
Green's desire for the traditional holiday elements like snow, mistletoe, and presents under the tree also reflects his love of his family and the memories they share. He reveals that Christmas Eve will find him where the love lights gleam, suggesting that he wants to be surrounded by love and warmth during the holiday season. He concludes the song by reassuring his loved ones that he will be home for Christmas, even if only in his dreams.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of longing for the comforts of home during the holidays, while also expressing a strong desire to connect with loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm dreaming tonight of a place I'd love
I am thinking about a place I love, and it's in my dream tonight.
Even more than I usually do
This isn't just a passing thought, I am thinking about it even more than usual.
And although I know
Despite the fact I'm aware of the distance,
It's a long road back, I promise you
I guarantee that it will be a long journey to return to you.
I'll be home for Christmas
I will definitely be home to celebrate Christmas with you.
You can count on me, oh
You can rely on me to keep my promise.
Please have snow and mistletoe
I hope you have snow and mistletoe to make the holidays more special.
And presents under the tree
I hope there will be presents under the Christmas tree for us to exchange.
Christmas eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, you can expect me to be with you.
Where the love lights gleam
I'll be where love shines its brightest.
I want you to know
It's important for me to let you know, that come what may,
I'll be home for Christmas
I'll definitely be home to celebrate Christmas with you.
If only in my dreams, oh
Even if I'm not able to make it home in reality, I'll be there with you in my mind and dreams.
Please have snow and mistletoe
I hope you have snow and mistletoe to make the holidays more special.
And presents under the tree
I hope there will be presents under the Christmas tree for us to exchange.
Christmas eve will find me
On Christmas Eve, you can expect me to be with you.
Where the love lights gleam, oh
I'll be where love shines its brightest.
I wanna be home for Christmas
I really want to be home to celebrate Christmas with you.
If only in my dreams
Even if it's only in my dreams, I'll be with you on Christmas.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, GANNON & KENT MUSIC CO, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Buck Ram, Walter Kent, Kim Gannon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Otis Harris
Mr. Al Green is probably one of the only person I know in the world who could pull off a Christmas song like this and actually make it classy and mesmerizing. Huge Kudos! π
Ricky Muse
Al Green, and those like him (Billie, Smokey, Otis etc.), have a tear in their voice.
Jules La Rose
One of my favorite Al Green songs and fav Christmas songs. Al Green is family.
K.J Johnson
Best Christmas song ever!
-ππ¦π¦π°π²- π
Heard this on a tv music channel. Amazing! π
K.J Johnson
Can someone please make an instrumental of this version π«
Ricky Muse
with a sax solo?
john williams
He does a good job with this song.
Redeemed Living
One of the ABSOLUTE BEST who did this song..... my man brother Al Green who's music I Adore and Lπ€VE and still listen to this very day. ππΎππΎπ€π€π€π€π€
Laron Grey
Simply the best!!!!!!