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 Want To Hold Your Hand
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We got the feelin' now
Shut up, Al Green
Oh boy, that ol', all right, babe"
Ooh yeah, I, I'll tell you something, girl
I think I, I think you'll understand
And when I, girl, I say that little something to ya
I gotta hold you every day, yeah
I gotta hold you, oh
Oh please, girl, say to me, baby
Honey say you'll let me be your man
And oh please, please say to me
Walk up and tell me
"I wanna hold your hand"
I wanna hold your hand, baby
Gotta, gotta hold your hand
Ooh yeah
And when I touched you I sure felt, feel so happy inside, baby
It's such a feeling that, my love
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide
Oh you, baby, got that something, girl
I know that you'll understand
And when I, girl, I say that little something to ya
I wanna hold your hand
I gotta hold you every day, yeah
I wanna hold ya in the evening now
I gotta hold ya every day now
Come on and honey, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me (aah!)
The song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by Al Green is a classic love song that conveys a strong desire to be close to the object of one's affection. The opening lines of the song, "Yeah, we got the feelin' now, we got the feelin' now, Shut up, Al Green, Oh boy, that ol', all right, babe" are playful and fun and give the impression that the singer and his love interest are enjoying each other's company. The lyrics then transition into the chorus, where the singer expresses his desire to hold the hand of the person he loves. He talks about wanting to hold her every day and how touching her makes him feel happy inside. The repetition of the phrase "I gotta hold ya, oh" emphasizes the singer's passion and determination to be close to his love interest.
Throughout the song, the language is simple and straightforward, reflecting the earnestness of the singer's emotions. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and longing, as if the singer cannot wait another moment to hold the hand of the person he loves. The repetition of the phrase "I wanna hold your hand" reinforces this sense of urgency and also adds to the catchiness of the song. Overall, the lyrics to "I Want to Hold Your Hand" capture the joy and excitement of falling in love and the desire to be close to the person who makes your heart sing.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, we got the feelin' now
We have a strong emotion inside us
We got the feelin' now
We are feeling it strongly now
Shut up, Al Green
The singer is telling Al Green to stop speaking
Oh boy, that ol', all right, babe
The artist is expressing his contentment and excitement towards the situation at hand
Ooh yeah, I, I'll tell you something, girl
The artist is about to say something important to the girl
I think I, I think you'll understand
The singer feels confident that the girl will comprehend his words
And when I, girl, I say that little something to ya
The singer is referring to the important statement he just mentioned
I wanna hold your hand
The artist wants to physically hold the girl's hand
I gotta hold you every day, yeah
The artist wants to hold the girl daily
I gotta hold you, oh
The artist yearns to embrace the girl
Oh please, girl, say to me, baby
The singer is pleading for the girl to respond to him
Honey say you'll let me be your man
The artist is hopeful that the girl will allow him to be her partner
And oh please, please say to me
The singer is desperately waiting for the girl's response
Walk up and tell me
The singer wants to hear the girl's response in person
"I wanna hold your hand"
The singer wants the girl to admit they want to hold hands
I wanna hold your hand, baby
The artist repeats his desire to hold the girl's hand
Gotta, gotta hold your hand
The artist cannot wait to hold the girl's hand
Ooh yeah
The singer is excited and enthusiastic
And when I touched you I sure felt, feel so happy inside, baby
The singer is describing how he felt when he touched the girl
It's such a feeling that, my love
The artist is referring to the loving emotions he is feeling
I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide
The artist cannot contain how he feels about the girl
Oh you, baby, got that something, girl
The artist is complimenting the girl
I know that you'll understand
The singer is confident that the girl will comprehend his feelings
I wanna hold your hand
The artist wants to hold the girl's hand
I gotta hold you every day, yeah
The singer wants to hold and be with the girl every day
I wanna hold ya in the evening now
The singer is describing when he wants to hold the girl
I gotta hold ya every day now
The singer repeats his desire to hold the girl every day
Come on and honey, let me, let me, let me, let me, let me (aah!)
The artist is encouraging the girl to let him hold her hand and be with her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Winston Lennon, Paul James McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elarrio Guajardo
Al Green rendition of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' is just fantastic! Can't stop listening to it.
Cena John
21 yrs old right now;discovered The Beatles about 2yrs ago and theyve been my favorite band ever since! they're all i listen to because of their music variety. I want to hold your hand was one of the first songs my taste immediately was drawn to and never felt anyone could cover it quite as well....until now! Al Green absolutely kills it and I love the soul he adds to it!!
James Dunn
Al Green. Such a great singer and so recognizable. He has his own style.
Jane Coles
Amazing I love this song .all songs are better when Al sings them God bless Al Green 🙏❤️
KB 15
I love this version
Jason's Adventures
I was today years old last Friday when I heard this on SiriusXM Beatles Radio. They were doing a special show for Black History Month and this was one of the songs they played. Mind=Blown.
Bob Phillips
An awesome arrangement, too!
Herman Laskey
The greatest!!!!!
MrCaucasianThunder
The man. The legend🙌🏻
U.N. Owen
Stunning.