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 Can't Get Next to You
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, I can turn a gray sky blue
You see, I can make it rain when I want it to
Oh, I can build a castle from
A single grain of sand, yeah
I, you see, can make a ship sail on dry land
Yeah
Powers that I possess, yeah
Girl, you're the key to my happiness and I
(Can't get next to you, babe) ooh Lord
(I can't get next to you)
I've been trying a long time
(Can't get next to you, babe)
(Can't get next to you)
I don't know what to do
(Let me say) i (my my my my my)
Oh, I, oh Lord
I can fly like the bird in the sky
Oh, I can buy anything that money can buy
Oh, I can turn a river into a raging fire
Oh, I, and I can live forever if I so desire
Yeah
Unhappy am I with all the
Powers that I possess, yeah
Girl, you're the key 'cause I
(Can't get next to you, babe) baby baby
(Can't get next to you)
I've been trying a long time
(I can't get next to you, babe)
(I can't get next to you)
Oh, come on
(Let me tell you that)
I can turn back the hands of time
You better believe I can
Oh, I, you see, I can make the seasons change
Just by waving my hand, let me say
I, I can change anything from old to new
Girl oh, I, yeah
And all the things I want to do the most
You see, I'm unable to do, yeah
Unimportant are all these things
That I'm trying to do here today
Girl, you see, I
(Can't get next to you, babe)
I've been trying a long time
(Can't get next to you)
Oh, somebody oughta help me
(Can't get next to you, babe)
Oh, let me, let me go
(I can't get next to you) let me!
I, Lord, I've been working on it, baby
I've been thinking about it oh, I, you see
I've been trying to call you all day long
But, you see, I don't have your phone number
Honey i, I've been, I've been thinking about
You baby, something awful, you see, i
Oh, I
Sometime I feel like I want to moan about it
And I just don't know what to say
And I say yeeeee
In Al Green's "I Can't Get Next to You," the singer is boasting about his abilities to control natural elements and do the improbable. He claims that he can turn the grey sky blue, make it rain when he wants it to, and build a castle with a single grain of sand, among other things. He sings that he is unhappy with all the power he possesses and that the woman he desires is the key to his happiness. The singer has tried and failed to get close to the woman he desires, and despite all his powers, he is powerless to win her over. In the song's final verse, the singer admits that he has been thinking about the woman constantly but hasn't been able to reach her.
The song was originally recorded by The Temptations in 1969 before being covered by Al Green in 1971. Green's version became a massive hit, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spending four weeks at the top of the R&B chart.
Line by Line Meaning
I, my, my, my, my
The singer is emphasizing that he is the singer of the song and draws attention to himself.
Oh I,
The singer repeats that he is the one talking and suggests excitement or frustration.
Can turn the gray sky blue, I
The singer boasts about his ability to improve things and create happiness out of sadness.
You see I can make it rain, when I want it to, oh I
The artist is saying that he has control over the elements and can create rain whenever he desires to do so.
I can build a castle from a single grain of sand, I
The artist boasts that he can create something grand out of something small through his imagination and ingenuity.
You see I can make a ship sail, on dry land tell 'em yeah
The singer is saying that he is capable of performing improbable feats; he can make a ship move on land, which is impossible.
I'm unhappy with all the powers I possess, yeah
Despite the singer's impressive abilities, he remains unhappy and unfulfilled.
Girl you're the key to my happiness and I
The artist believes that the one he is addressing is the missing piece that would lead to his happiness.
(I can't get next to you, babe)
The artist laments that he cannot be near the person he desires.
(I can't get next to you)
The artist is repeating his desire to be near the person he is addressing, but he cannot for some reason.
I've trying a long time
The singer has been attempting to be near the person he addresses for an extended period of time.
I don't know what to do
Despite his efforts, the artist is confused or unsure what to do next.
I,
The singer emphasizes himself once again.
Oh I,
The singer repeats himself to underline his focus.
I, oh Lord
The singer invokes a higher power to emphasize his desperation and need for assistance.
I can fly like a bird in the sky, oh I
The artist boasts his ability to achieve the impossible, which is to fly like a bird without any assistance or equipment.
And I can buy anything that money can buy, oh I
The artist suggests financial wealth and the ability to purchase anything.
Can turn a river into a raging fire, oh I
The singer suggests that he has the ability to manipulate nature and turn the water in the river into fire.
And I can live forever if I so desire, yeah
The singer suggests he is immortal, and therefore, he can live for eternity if he chooses to do so.
I'm unhappy with all the power I possess, yeah girl
Despite his extraordinary powers, the artist remains unhappy and unfulfilled without the person he is addressing.
'Cause girl your the key cause
The artist reiterates that the person he is addressing holds the key to his happiness.
Let me tell that
The artist is about to make a significant point that he wants to address explicitly.
I can turn back the hands of time,
The singer can manipulate time and reverse its flow.
You better believe I can, oh I
The artist emphasizes his point and wants the audience to believe his ability to bend time.
You see I can take the seasons change just by waving my hand, let me say I
The singer suggests that he can control the seasons simply by waving his hand, a seemingly impossible feat.
I can change anything from old to new girl, oh I
The singer claims his power to revamp and restore anything, even things that appear worn out and old.
All the things I want to do the most, you see, I'm unable to do, yeah
Despite his powers, the singer remains unable to accomplish the things that matter to him the most.
Unimportant these things that I'm trying to do here today
The artist realizes the insignificance of his attempts to do things today compared to his desire to be with the person he addresses that surpasses them all.
'Cause girl, you see, I
The artist emphasizes the importance of the person he addresses.
Let me, let me go
The singer may want to end this cycle of wanting so much but being unable to attain it.
I, Lord I've been working on it, baby
The singer has put effort into getting close with the addressed person.
I've been thinking about it
The artist has dedicated time and thought to figure out how to get near the person he addresses.
But you see, I've been trying to call you all day long
The artist attempted to communicate with the person he addresses purely to get closer to them.
But you see I don't have your phone number, honey, I
The artist is using not having the phone number of the addressed person as an example of his difficulty getting close to them.
I've been, I've been, thinking about you baby, something awful
The singer's desire to be close to the person he addresses is really strong, and he thinks about it all the time.
You see, I, oh I, sometimes I feel like I want to moan about it
The artist confesses a sense of despair and helplessness that makes him feel like complaining.
And I, I don't just know what to say about it
The singer is at a loss for words or action to take regarding his unattainable desire.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealForrestGeorge
I.. (my my my my)
I can turn a gray sky blue (you see)
I can make it rain when I want it to
I can build a castle from a single grain of sand (you see)
I can make a ship sail on dry land (children, yeah)
Unhappy am I with all the powers that I possess
Girl, you're the key to my happiness
And I...
(Can't get next to you, babe)
Oh Lord
(Can't get next to you)
I've been trying a long time
(Can't get next to you, babe)
(Can't get next to you)
I don't know what to do
(Let me say)
I.. (my my my my my)
I can fly like the bird in the sky
I can buy anything that money can buy
I can turn a river into a raging fire
I can live forever if I so desire
Unhappy am I with all the powers that I possess
Girl, you're the key, 'cause
(Can't get next to you, babe)
Baby
(Can't get next to you)
I've been trying a long time
(Can't get next to you, babe)
(Can't get next to you)
(Let me tell you that)
I can turn back the hands of time
(You better believe I can... you see)
I can make the seasons change
Just by waving my hand (let me say)
I can change anything from old to new (girl)
All the things I want to do the most (you see)
I'm unable to do
Unimportant are all these things
That I'm trying to do here today day
Girl, you see, I...
(Can't get next to you, babe)
I've been trying a long time
(Can't get next to you)
Somebody oughta help me
(Can't get next to you, babe)
Let me, let me go
(Can't get next to you)
Let me!
Lord, I've been working on it, baby
I've been thinking about it
You see, I've been trying to call you all day long
But, you see, I don't have your phone number, honey
I've been thinking about you baby, something awful
Sometime I feel like I want to moan about it
And I just don't know what to say
And I say..
@cangdynamightydozatv3962
Mi Padre turnt Me onto
Mr. Al Green...
Back in 1994.
I was 10 Anoz.
Flippin in The 92 Cavalier,
My Poppz Drunk-
Fallin Asleep.
As I'm J.A.M.ing,
Juz Goin Straight Down tha HighWay-
I'm wondering, When PapaRoo Gon Wake Up...
Well, I'd wake Him Up, after 10-15 Minutes of Trying...
He'd Wake Up.
He'd Say...
Where We At!?!?
Boi, Boi, Boi...
My Dad taught Me How to Drive/Cruise at 9 Years Old.
I Luv You, Dad.
J.A.M.on!
@djmeekyoutube
I wonder how the Tempations felt when they heard how Al Green took this track, breaded it in cornmeal, and dropped it down in some hot grease? 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@marcustrice3246
They ate it up and asked for seconds and thirds. Lol
@john111257
@@marcustrice3246 you bloody usa, dont understand
@marcustrice3246
@@john111257 Whatever homie! 😒😒
@robertaunblack4887
They said he got next to us.
@sereneamani1713
@@john111257What?????
@Craig-tv6se
MUCH LOVE KING AL GREEN. DRAC .THIS IS TO ALL MY WIVES.JUNE8TH🤘😈
@autumnsmom1117
AL put the stank🦨 on this cut. 💞🎶🎼🎵
@shornawashington2550
There is only one Al Green 💚🍏
@tyboogie2438
I've heard The Temptations and Al Green's versions of this song a million times and never put it together that its the same song. That's a testament to how great they both were. Same song both bangers that sound completely different.