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.
Judy
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until one came true for me.
Since I met Judy,
Since I met Judy,
My life has been one sweet melody.
Yeah! Yeah!
I never thought I could welcome,
Oh, since I met Judy,
Since I met Judy,
Well it's been a real hip thing I'm telling you
Oh, saying that I want Judy.
Talking about beauty,
She's got it.
I know she's got it.
Her sweet little ways,
Mean so much to me.
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!
I'm making mine Judy.
To love her! Got her! Got her! Yeah! Yeah!
Gonna keep her right here with me.
Yeah! Oh yeah!
Now I find it hard to believe, that I'm happy.
All my pains and heartaches are all gone.
So glad I can tell the world:
Since I met Judy,
Since I met Judy,
Well my life has been one sweet song.
I won't be worried long.
If you think I'm gonna leave her,
Man, you're wrong.
It's only Judy.
I'm telling you you're wrong.
I love Judy.
I'm crazy about that Judy.
Judy, Judy, Judy!
The lyrics to Al Green’s song Judy express the singer’s gratitude for meeting the woman who has become the love of his life. He confesses that he never believed his dreams could come true until they did, through meeting and falling in love with Judy. Since their meeting, his life has become a sweet melody, filled with happiness and love.
Green acknowledges that he never thought he could welcome two other hearts into his life, but with Judy by his side, it has become a real “hip” thing that he is proud of. He is in awe of Judy’s beauty and sweet little ways, which mean so much to him. He claims ownership of his love for her, stating emphatically that he is making Judy his, and keeping her right there with him.
Green reflects on his past pains and heartaches that have all disappeared since meeting Judy, and how much he appreciates her. He asserts that he won’t be leaving her, as he loves her too much and is “crazy” about her. Overall, the song demonstrates how love can transform one’s life and bring happiness and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
I never thought dreams could happen,
I never believed that dreams could come true
Until one came true for me.
Until one actually did come true for me
Since I met Judy,
My life has been different ever since I met Judy
Since I met Judy,
I'm emphasizing the impact Judy has had on my life
My life has been one sweet melody.
Judy has made my life feel like a beautiful song
Yeah! Yeah!
Expressing excitement and approval
I never thought I could welcome,
I never thought I would be capable of loving
Two other hearts as I do.
Two other people who mean as much to me as Judy does
Oh, since I met Judy,
Emphasizing how Judy has changed my life
Since I met Judy,
Again, emphasizing Judy's significance in my life
Well it's been a real hip thing I'm telling you
It has been amazing - I'm telling you
Oh, saying that I want Judy.
Clarifying that I desire Judy
Talking about beauty,
Talking about how beautiful Judy is
She's got it.
She possesses this beauty
I know she's got it.
I am confident that Judy is beautiful
Her sweet little ways,
The things she does that make me happy
Mean so much to me.
Are incredibly valuable to me
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!
Expressing excitement and approval
I'm making mine Judy.
Emphasizing my desire to be with Judy
To love her! Got her! Got her! Yeah! Yeah!
I want to love and cherish Judy
Gonna keep her right here with me.
I want to keep Judy by my side
Yeah! Oh yeah!
Expressing excitement and approval
Now I find it hard to believe, that I'm happy.
I can hardly believe that I am experiencing happiness
All my pains and heartaches are all gone.
My struggles and emotional turmoil have disappeared
So glad I can tell the world:
I am thrilled to share with everyone
Since I met Judy,
Reiterating the cause of my happiness
Since I met Judy,
Again, highlighting how much Judy has impacted my life
Well my life has been one sweet song.
My life has felt like a beautiful tune ever since meeting Judy
I won't be worried long.
I won't experience worry or anxiety for long because of Judy's presence in my life
If you think I'm gonna leave her,
If you believe that I will abandon Judy
Man, you're wrong.
You are mistaken
It's only Judy.
Emphasizing that my heart only belongs to Judy
I'm telling you you're wrong.
Assuring the listener that they are incorrect
I love Judy.
Expressing my deep affection for Judy
I'm crazy about that Judy.
Stressing how intense my feelings are for Judy
Judy, Judy, Judy!
Repeating Judy's name to further emphasize my love for her
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAWRENCE LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@juliasauceda2331
This is one of my favorite Al Green songs I’ve loved this since I was 10-years old... Mom always had the good stuff playing on the record player...
@valentinavignoletti810
😊
@sandramotley9597
I still love this song to this day. My parents use to play Al Green and Sam Cooke.
@sharonj.9597
I had forgotten this song by Al Green. Then started listening to it again couple years ago when I was listening to Jay-Z's 4:44 song about 5:50 in... Good stuff! Both of em in this case!
@neptunesotherdaughter7119
I found this by luck I guess. I've been listening to it every since. I'VE been a fan of his from the start. I would play his albums all nite long. Love me some AL GREEN.
@pamelathompson5822
Man how lucky did you get. My mama played him and only him. I kept up the tradition. Company knew they had to hear Al mostly all night. I played his album and introduced him to new comers. Let me go play the live version for about an hr.😀
@keithcunningham5807
This song 🎵 is truly beautiful ❤
@leoasaka211
My favorite song from this album
@raheymomar2448
there's nothing better than the live version
@cynthiamungofa
The audience was so mesmerized in the live version , u cud feel the beautiful song seeping into their hearts and souls, heavenly performance by Mr Al Green