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've Been Waitin' On You
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's taking you so long?
I've been waiting on the phone
Oh, you haven't been home
Where have you gone?
What do you know
Oh, I love you so
I've been waitin' on you
Oh baby, let me hear
I got over you
You weren't real anyway
Oh, why did you say
I love you so
Before I learned my A be see
These things are true to me
Whole world to see
I've been waitin' on you, hey
Oh, baby, where did you go
I love you so, hey
Oh baby, thought you'd never go
I love you so
Where have you gone?
Where did you go?
Been calling out your name
Always the same
But I have enough to blame
Died over you
You wasn't real, no way
What did you say?
I've been waitin' on you
Hey, baby, oh
Baby, where did you go, I love you so
(I've been waitin' on you)
Got over you, oh no, it's true, oh yeah
(I've been waitin' on you)
(I've been waitin' on you)
Love you, baby, yeah
I'm gonna wait on
Waiting by the telephone
(I've been waitin' on you)
Why you ain't at home?
(I've been waitin' on you)
(I've been waitin' on you)
Waitin', waitin', waitin', waitin'
(I've been waitin' on you)
Hey, I've been waitin'
(I've been waitin' on you)
Waitin' on, waitin' on, waitin'
The song I've Been Waitin' on You by Al Green is a soul ballad that deals with the emotions of love and heartbreak. The song reveals the singer's frustration about the unavailability of his lover. He wonders where his lover has gone and what they know that could make them stay away from him. The lyrics also suggest that the singer had gotten over his lover but still has strong feelings for them. The song is basically about the singer waiting for his lover to come back to him and desiring to know the reason why they left.
The lyrics of the song are simple, but they carry a deep emotional intensity that is characteristic of Al Green's music. The song's structure is also simple, repeating the same lines repeatedly to emphasize the singer's waiting and devotion. The song's melody is smooth and slow, giving room for the lyrics to sink into the listener's heart.
The emotional depth of the song could explain why it has been covered by various artists, including Bobby Womack, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Otis Clay. The song's original recording by Al Green became a moderate hit in the US, peaking at number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it was more successful in the UK, where it reached number 32 on the UK singles chart.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby
The singer is addressing their loved one.
What's taking you so long?
The singer is wondering why it's taking their loved one so long to come back to them.
I've been waiting on the phone
The singer has been waiting for their loved one to call them.
Oh, you haven't been home
The artist has realized that their loved one hasn't been home.
Where have you gone?
The artist is asking where their loved one has gone.
What do you know
The singer is asking their loved one what they know about the situation.
And where do you go
The singer is asking where their loved one goes when they're not around.
Oh, I love you so
The artist is expressing their love for their loved one.
I've been waitin' on you
The artist has been patiently waiting for their loved one to come back to them.
I got over you
The artist is saying that they moved on from their loved one.
You weren't real anyway
The singer is saying that their loved one wasn't genuine.
Oh, why did you say
The artist is wondering why their loved one said they loved them.
Before I learned my A be see
The singer is saying that they were naive before they learned the truth about their loved one.
These things are true to me
The singer is saying that what they learned is true and real to them.
Whole world to see
The singer is saying that everyone can see the truth now.
Oh baby, let me hear
The artist is asking their loved one to speak to them.
Where did you go?
The artist is still wondering where their loved one has gone.
Been calling out your name
The singer has been trying to reach their loved one by calling out their name.
Always the same
The singer is saying that the situation hasn't changed.
But I have enough to blame
The artist is acknowledging that they have played a role in the situation.
Died over you
The artist is saying that they suffered because of their love for their loved one.
You wasn't real, no way
The artist is reiterating that their loved one was not genuine.
What did you say?
The singer is asking their loved one what they said when they expressed their love.
Love you, baby, yeah
The artist is expressing their love for their loved one again.
I'm gonna wait on
The singer is saying that they will continue to wait for their loved one.
Waiting by the telephone
The singer is physically waiting by the phone for their loved one to call.
Why you ain't at home?
The singer is asking why their loved one isn't at home.
Waitin', waitin', waitin', waitin'
The artist is emphasizing how long they've been waiting for their loved one.
Hey, I've been waitin'
The artist is reiterating that they've been waiting for their loved one.
Waitin' on, waitin' on, waitin'
The singer is continuing to emphasize their waiting.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL GREEN, WILLIE MITCHELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jacqueline Hartfield
WHAT A SONG, I'VE WAITING ON YOU!!!!!!! 😂😜🎵👍🏾