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 Wanna Hold You
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd like to hold you, yeah
Good God, could I hold you in my arms?
And feel your lucky charms
I could call you on the phone
Tell you a ride home
(Hold you)
Hold you
(Hold you)
I don't mind if I hold you, ooh yeah
(Hold you)
Hold you
I wouldn't do nothing at all
I'd like to talk to you, explain
You know my name
I'd like to say that I, I love you
Because you know that I do
I would like to hold you, baby
Hold you, hold you, hold you
(Hold you)
I wouldn't even say anything
Just stop, write this down, will you?
I love you, oh, yeah
You don't have to shout for a ride
I'll love you through the night
Would you chauffeur me till noon
But our love was not so
Hey, you staying with me till my mind
I would be crazy in no time
I would like to hold you
(Hold you)
Call somebody, and ask them that
(Hold you)
Hold you
(Hold you)
I wanna hold, I wanna, I wanna
Hey, hey, hey yeah
(Hold you)
Hold you in like a lady
(Hold you)
Take you take you
Take you in my arms, baby
(Hold you)
Take you, take you, take you
(Hold you)
Take you, take you, take
(Hold you)
Take you in my arms
The lyrics to Al Greenโs โI Wanna Hold Youโ express the intense desire that the singer has to hold and be with their loved one. The song opens with a repetition of โHold you, I wanna hold youโ which sets the tone for the entire song. The singer is desperate to feel their loved one's โlucky charmsโ and experience their intimacy. They desire to tell their loved one that they don't mind holding them, and to express their love for them. The singer's romantic advances are straightforward and honest, expressing their love and admiration.
The second verse of the song suggests that the singer wants to โtalk to you, explainโ. They want to spend quality time with their loved one and bask in their affection. The singer confirms their love for their partner and insists that they would even chauffeur them. The song concludes with the singer expressing their desire to hold their loved one like a lady and take them in their arms.
Overall, the lyrics to โI Wanna Hold Youโ communicate the deep longing of the singer to hold and be with their loved one. The love expressed in the song is pure and honest, and the lyrics serve as a testament to the strength of the singer's passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold you, I wanna hold you
The singer desires to hold the person close to him.
I'd like to hold you, yeah
The singer expresses his yearning to hold the person.
Good God, could I hold you in my arms?
The singer expresses how badly he wants to hold the person and is asking for an opportunity to do so.
And feel your lucky charms
The singer wants to experience the special qualities the person has.
I could call you on the phone
The singer expresses a desire to reach out to the person.
Tell you a ride home
The singer wants to offer the person a ride home as a means to see them.
I don't mind if I hold you, ooh yeah
The singer is willing to hold the person regardless of any potential consequences.
I wouldn't do nothing at all
The singer doesn't want to do any harm or make any inappropriate advances while holding the person.
I'd like to talk to you, explain
The singer wants to communicate with the person and be honest about his feelings.
You know my name
The singer assumes the person knows who he is.
I'd like to say that I, I love you
The singer wants to declare his love for the person and express his emotions.
Because you know that I do
The singer believes the person is aware of his love for them.
I wouldn't even say anything
While holding the person, the singer doesn't feel the need to say anything.
Just stop, write this down, will you?
The singer wants the person to remember these intimate moments and is asking them to record it.
I love you, oh, yeah
The singer declares his love for the person again.
You don't have to shout for a ride
The singer wants to be the person's ride whenever they need one.
I'll love you through the night
The singer expresses a willingness to love and be with the person all night.
Would you chauffeur me till noon
The singer wants the person to spend more time with him, as if he's their personal driver.
But our love was not so
The singer acknowledges that their love is not yet reciprocated.
Hey, you staying with me till my mind
The singer wants the person to stay with him until he's at peace with his thoughts.
I would be crazy in no time
The singer knows he would lose his mind without the person in his life.
Take you, take you, take you
The singer wants to take the person with him wherever he goes.
Hold you in like a lady
The singer wants to hold the person delicately and respectfully.
Take you take you
The singer repeats his desire to take the person with him.
Take you in my arms, baby
The singer wants to hold the person lovingly.
Hold you, I wanna hold you
The singer repeats his deep longing to hold the person.
I wanna hold, I wanna, I wanna
The singer emphasizes his strong desire to hold the person.
Hey, hey, hey yeah
The singer's exclamation of enthusiasm and love for the person.
Take you, take you, take
The singer repeats his desire to take the person with him.
Hold you in my arms
The singer expresses his desire to hold the person close to him.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL L. GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hector Reyes
This man awesome on his prime days love itโฅ๏ธ
NyโRa
๐บ๐๐น๐๐ผ Now THIS, THIS IS MUSIC!!! Yup, still listening in 2023!!!
luvva128 luvva128
I am in love with this songโค
Nezreen Dent
I would like to hold you too,but we are too far away,great song.
Jean-Luc Frรฉret
It's 2023, i am 62 and have never stopped listening to him. I loved that Prรฉsident Obama honored him at the Kennedy center.he is forever a genius
Sonya Morant little
Oh yesss love it thts what it is ! ๐๐
Rain
It's wonderful!!! Great song!!! I love It!!!
Nadia Poshtakova
๐โคโค๐ฎ๐ฎโค๐ข๐๐๐๐๐
Ruby Jones
Fantastic ๐๐๐๐
Ruby Jones
Fantastic ๐ ๐๐