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 Stand Accused
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stand accused
Of loving you just a little too much
And I hope (oh Lord)
Sure enough hope it's not a crime
Guilty of loving you
(Oh baby)
That I never never never have to testify
If I do, if I do, everyone's gonna cry, baby
That boy is guilty (lord lord) of loving you
Although you belong to another boy, baby
And I may not stand the ghost of a chance
But I'll tell the world (y'all)
I love her, I need her, baby
And I'm a victim of circumstance
And been proven guilty
Oh, yes, I am, yes I am
Did you know?
One touch (lord lord lord)
And I find myself
Right back, right back on the witness stand
Shouting out, shouting out, shouting out
All over the land
I'm guilty
I'm guilty
Baby!
Please, mama, please ...
The lyrics of "I Stand Accused" by Al Green express the intensity of the love that he has for a woman, and the guilt and shame that he feels because of it. He admits to loving her too much, even though she belongs to someone else. Green sings that he hopes his love is not a crime, but he feels guilty for wanting her so much. He fears testifying about his feelings because he does not want to be judged, but he is willing to shout his love from the rooftop.
Green's lyrics also express his sense of powerlessness. He refers to himself as a victim of circumstances and suggests that his feelings for the woman are beyond his control. Regardless of the risks, he cannot help but express his love for her, and he is willing to suffer the consequences. The love he feels for her is so strong that he cannot resist returning to the "witness stand" every time he is drawn to her. He knows he is guilty but cannot help the way he feels.
Overall, "I Stand Accused" is a poignant song about the power of love and the guilt and shame that often come with it. Despite the risks, Green stands up for his love and expresses his feelings for the woman he desires, even though he knows the outcome may not be in his favor.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl
Addressing the woman he loves
I stand accused
Admitting that he is being accused of a wrongdoing
Of loving you just a little too much
Being accused of being overly affectionate
And I hope (oh Lord)
Expressing a sense of uncertainty and fear
Sure enough hope it's not a crime
Expressing a hope that he hasn't actually committed a crime
Guilty of loving you
Admitting to loving the woman
(Oh baby)
Affectionate term for the woman he loves
I hope that I
Expressing a sense of uncertainty and fear
That I never never never have to testify
Hoping he won't have to provide evidence against himself
If I do, if I do, everyone's gonna cry, baby
Anticipating that his testimony will upset everyone
That boy is guilty (lord lord) of loving you
Reiterating that he is guilty of loving the woman
Although you belong to another boy, baby
Acknowledging that the woman is in a relationship with someone else
And I may not stand the ghost of a chance
Being aware that his chances with the woman are slim
But I'll tell the world (y'all)
Committing to expressing his love regardless
I love her, I need her, baby
Affirming his love and desire for the woman
And I'm a victim of circumstance
Believing that the circumstances have conspired against him
And been proven guilty
Feeling as though he has already been judged and found guilty
Oh, yes, I am, yes I am
Affirming his guilt once again
Did you know?
Asking a rhetorical question to emphasize his point
One touch (lord lord lord)
Being easily swayed by the woman's touch
And I find myself
Losing control when he is near the woman
Right back, right back on the witness stand
Feels as though he is constantly having to defend himself
Shouting out, shouting out, shouting out
Being emotional and expressive in his testimony
All over the land
Making his feelings known to everyone
I'm guilty
Affirming his guilt once again
I'm guilty
Repeating his guilt again for emphasis
Baby!
Affectionate term for the woman he loves
Please, mama, please ...
Begging for her forgiveness and affection
Contributed by Jasmine K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Terry Reilly
The Reverend Al truly knows how to make each word and each syllable dance. He plays the words while the musicians play the instruments and he is supreme at doing this.
mike-dog1
This CD is one of my favorites of all time. Green is blues great CD. It's so true his lyrics. Reminds of Good times with family or a love one...🙏🏽
Sam Eubanks
Great music!
corcovits van de veer
god bles .deze mooie muziek 2021/22. tanks al green. top music.xxx.
grammyj1
Luv the song but NEVER heard it by Al !
Carl DeShazior
WHEN MUSIC WAS MUSIC ITS COMMING BACK N 2019 ON THEDROP WITH HOST DR BELLE THE ONLY JOCK ON THE RADIO,
June McGee
ALyouisthegreatestICanfeelyourmusicinmyHeartthankGodforyou♥️🖤❤️
Veronica Ezquiaga
🇺🇾❤️
Glenda Williams
I can't get next to you