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.
It Ain't No Fun to Me
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just waiting in the rain
Standing by the highway
Just waiting in the rain
October sun is shining
These tears they cause the pain
It simply make up
And that ain't no fun to me
I said it ain't no fun to me
Leaving you, it sure ain't no fun to me, babe
I said leaving you, sure ain't no fun to me, baby
I believe in you
And I would like what you do to me
Baby, you make me feel like a brand new man
Oh, baby, another time I could say
I'll take the love and affection
Wherever I can, baby
Now that's no fun to me, let me see it
That's no fun to me, baby
You got me standing here waiting
You got me standing here waiting
I really, really, I don't mind waiting
If I told you it ain't no fun to me
I want you know, it ain't no fun to me, baby
Cause sometimes I have to sit down
I think about it
Just sit down, think about it
It ain't no fun to me, baby
Sometimes I feel like leaving you, baby
I don't mind leaving you, baby
But it ain't no fun to me, no, no, no
But it ain't no fun to me
The song "It Ain't No Fun to Me" by Al Green is a lamentation of a man waiting by the highway in the rain, torn between his desire to leave his lover and his love and belief in her. The opening lines, "Standing by the highway / Just waiting in the rain," set the mood for the rest of the song, which explores the pain of a turbulent relationship.
Throughout the song, Green struggles with his emotions, stating that leaving his lover "ain't no fun to me" but also acknowledging that the love and affection he receives is not fulfilling him either. The line "I believe in you / And I would like what you do to me" reveals the conflicted nature of his feelings. He is torn between his loyalty and affection for his lover and his need for something more fulfilling.
The chorus of the song repeats the sentiment that leaving his lover is not fun for him, indicating that he may be staying in the relationship out of a fear of being alone or a belief that things will eventually get better. The song ends with Green admitting that sometimes he thinks about leaving, but ultimately it is not fun for him.
Overall, "It Ain't No Fun to Me" portrays a complicated and emotional relationship, conveying the pain and frustration of a man who is torn between his love and his desire for more.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing by the highway
I am waiting for you by the side of the road
Just waiting in the rain
Enduring the pain of loneliness while waiting for you in the rain
October sun is shining
Although the sun is shining, I am still feeling sad inside
These tears they cause the pain
The tears I shed only bring me more pain and sadness
It simply make up
Our love is only temporary
Only just to break up, oh baby
We are bound to break up, and it hurts me deeply
And that ain't no fun to me
This situation is not enjoyable for me
I said it ain't no fun to me
I want to emphasize that it's not fun for me
Leaving you, it sure ain't no fun to me, babe
Saying goodbye to you is not something I enjoy
I believe in you
I have faith in you
And I would like what you do to me
I enjoy the way you treat me
Baby, you make me feel like a brand new man
Your love makes me feel rejuvenated and refreshed
Oh, baby, another time I could say
In another moment, I would say
I'll take the love and affection
I will accept any love and affection you give me
Wherever I can, baby
Anytime and any place is fine for me
Now that's no fun to me, let me see it
However, this is not fun for me anymore
That's no fun to me, baby
I want to reiterate that this situation is no longer enjoyable for me
You got me standing here waiting
I am still patiently waiting for you
I really, really, I don't mind waiting
I will happily wait for you
If I told you it ain't no fun to me
If I told you how much this hurts me
I want you know, it ain't no fun to me, baby
I want you to understand that this isn't fun for me
Cause sometimes I have to sit down
Sometimes, I have to take a break
I think about it
And reflect on our situation
It ain't no fun to me, baby
This situation is still painful for me
Sometimes I feel like leaving you, baby
Sometimes, I contemplate leaving you
I don't mind leaving you, baby
I am not opposed to the idea of leaving you
But it ain't no fun to me, no, no, no
However, leaving you still hurts me and isn't enjoyable
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@michelmullaney3641
Standing by the highway
Just waiting in the rain
Standing by the highway
Just waiting in the rain
October sun is shining
These tears they cause the pain
It simply make up
Only just to break up, oh baby
And that ain't no fun to me
I said it ain't no fun to me
Leaving you, it sure ain't no fun to me, babe
I said leaving you, sure ain't no fun to me, baby
I believe in you
And I would like what you do to me
Baby, you make me feel like a brand new man
Oh, baby, another time I could say
I'll take the love and affection
Wherever I can, baby
Now that's no fun to me, let me see it
That's no fun to me, baby
You got me standing here waiting
You got me standing here waiting
I really, really, I don't mind waiting
If I told you it ain't no fun to me
I want you know, it ain't no fun to me, baby
Cause sometimes I have to sit down
I think about it
Just sit down, think about it
It ain't no fun to me, baby
Sometimes I feel like leaving you, baby
I don't mind leaving you, baby
But it ain't no fun to me, no, no, no
But it ain't no fun to me
@dexcreativeliving7
Al sings with such heart, soul, and passion in his voice. He makes such amazing music. You can feel what he is singing.
@weldonharper4036
This song by Al Green is my jam!!
@robertfinch6220
ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES I GREW UP ON AN I STILL LISTEN TO, TODAY SIMPLY THE BEST 😃💯🔥❤️.
@Wonka275
Al opened with this when I saw him this year. Badass!
@nanaanderson7315
Hi
@danilodiscotecariorocha7220
Maravilha
@weldonharper4901
I've always liked the Al Green sound.
@michelmullaney3641
Standing by the highway
Just waiting in the rain
Standing by the highway
Just waiting in the rain
October sun is shining
These tears they cause the pain
It simply make up
Only just to break up, oh baby
And that ain't no fun to me
I said it ain't no fun to me
Leaving you, it sure ain't no fun to me, babe
I said leaving you, sure ain't no fun to me, baby
I believe in you
And I would like what you do to me
Baby, you make me feel like a brand new man
Oh, baby, another time I could say
I'll take the love and affection
Wherever I can, baby
Now that's no fun to me, let me see it
That's no fun to me, baby
You got me standing here waiting
You got me standing here waiting
I really, really, I don't mind waiting
If I told you it ain't no fun to me
I want you know, it ain't no fun to me, baby
Cause sometimes I have to sit down
I think about it
Just sit down, think about it
It ain't no fun to me, baby
Sometimes I feel like leaving you, baby
I don't mind leaving you, baby
But it ain't no fun to me, no, no, no
But it ain't no fun to me
@raygun1932
This is song actually good for working and for sport.
@sartainja
The Big A laying the funk down to us. He always has the best way to end a song.