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.
L. O. V. E
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I decided that I would write it all about love
And it appeared to me
That you wasn't happy
And that's for sure, positively
That's what the world is made of
So give me more L-O-V-E, love
Love is an apple that is so sweet (love)
Love is something that can't be beat (love)
L-O-V-E is strange to me, Oh
I can't explain this feeling
Can't you see that salvation is freeing
It's all in the heavens, can't you see
You can always depend on me
To give you love
Love is a flower in my soul (oh love)
Love is a story that just can't be told (love)
Can't you feel it burning more and more (love)
Stop and look at the big wheel roll
I can't explain this feeling
Can't you see that salvation is freeing
I would give my life for the glory
Just to be able to tell the story
About love
I didn't mean to make you mad
A sweet story, I thought I had
But maybe time will bring us together
And I can be such a happy fella
About love
Love is something that is so divine (oh love)
Love is a feeling that's a friend of mine (love)
It can't be measured by no sign (love)
In your heart or even in your mind
About love, Love is as bright as the morning sun
In "L.O.V.E.", Al Green starts by singing about how he had intended to write the song about the person he loves, but instead decided to make it about love itself. He notes that he’s noticed the person he loves isn’t happy. Throughout the song, Green extols the virtues of love, singing about how it's "strange" to him and how he can't explain the feeling, yet it's something that can't be beat. Love, according to Green, is a walk down Main street, an apple that is so sweet, and a flower in his soul. He sings about the feeling of love that just keeps growing inside of him till it’s like the morning sun shining bright, and it’s freeing salvation one can experience.
The narrative in the song seems to be about Green assuring the person he loves that he will always be there to lift them up with love. By the end of the song, Green hopes that time will bring them together and he can make them happy with his love. The song is a beautiful ode to the power of love that makes everything else seem insignificant. It’s a reminder that love should be the driving force in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I started to write this song about you
I initially thought of writing this song for you
And then I decided that I would write it all about love
But then I changed my mind and thought of writing it about love instead
And it appeared to me
I realized
That you wasn't happy
That you were not happy
And that's for sure, positively
I am certain of that
That's what the world is made of
Love is what the world is all about
So give me more L-O-V-E, love
So, I want more love
Love is a walk down Main street (oh love)
Love is like taking a stroll on Main street
Love is an apple that is so sweet (love)
Love is like a sweet apple
Love is something that can't be beat (love)
Love is invincible
L-O-V-E is strange to me, Oh
Love is an unfamiliar feeling to me
I can't explain this feeling
I cannot put this feeling into words
Can't you see that salvation is freeing
Love can bring salvation and freedom
It's all in the heavens, can't you see
Love is celestial, can't you see that?
You can always depend on me
You can always count on me
To give you love
To give you my love
Love is a flower in my soul (oh love)
Love is like a flower in my heart
Love is a story that just can't be told (love)
Love is an untellable story
Can't you feel it burning more and more (love)
Can't you feel love growing stronger?
Stop and look at the big wheel roll
Take a moment to appreciate the world in motion
I would give my life for the glory
I am willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of love
Just to be able to tell the story
Just to share the story of love
About love
All about love
I didn't mean to make you mad
I did not intend to upset you
A sweet story, I thought I had
I thought I had a nice story
But maybe time will bring us together
Perhaps time will unite us
And I can be such a happy fella
And then I will be a very happy man
Love is something that is so divine (oh love)
Love is like a divine force
Love is a feeling that's a friend of mine (love)
Love is a dear friend of mine
It can't be measured by no sign (love)
Love is immeasurable
In your heart or even in your mind
Love lives in your heart and mind
Love is as bright as the morning sun
Love is as radiant as the morning sun
Lyrics © Roba Music, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: AUSTIN N GREEN, RODNEY PRICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
s w
Still a JAM. This is my "feel good song."
Not Me But You
One of my favorite songs by Mr. Green. My only complaint is that it is too short!!
I was looking for an extended version of it on YouTube, but no luck finding one.. ☹☹☹
I swear, this song needs to be an hour long!!! I love Al Green!!
Susan Mathews
I love Al Greens music always will...keep sharing the love😘💯
Marigold Carter
This song makes me feel sooo good ~ it's all in the Heavens! 🌹
Tyrone Ratliff
I'm with my Mom's and my family when I hear All Green
PATRICIA Tabron
Just love this song. Al Green at his best. Well executed never to duplicate. Well done Al
Mike Horgan
Great Album !!! has many great songs on it !!!!
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1975 {April 5th} Al Green performed "L-O-V-E (Love)" on the Saturday-afternoon syndicated television program, 'Soul Train'...
At the time the song was at #2 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, the following week it would peak at #1 {for 2 weeks} and it spent fourteen weeks on the chart...
And it reached #13 on Billboard's Top 100 chart...
Between 1967 and 2008 the Arkansas native had thirty-six records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, sixteen made the Top 10 with six reaching #1*...
Besides the above "L-O-V-E (Love)", his five other #1 records were, "Let's Stay Together" {for 9 weeks 1972}, "I'm Still In Love With You" {for 2 weeks in 1972}, "You Ought To Be With Me" {for 1 week in 1972}, "Livin' For You" {for 1 week in 1973}, and "Full of Fire" {for 1 week in 1975}...
The Reverend Albert Leornes Greene will celebrate his 73rd birthday in eight days on April 13th, 2019...
R.I.P Don Cornelius {1936 - 2012}...
*Mr. Green just missed having four more #1 records when his "Love What You Done For Me" {1972}, "Call Me (Come Back Home)" {1973}, "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" {1973}, and "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" {1974} all peaked at #2 on the Hot R&B Singles chart...
Marty Daymude
It is always a mighty fine and good thing to read an artists stats. Al Green is in constant rotation in my home and car as his tunes are on my favorites playlist. My favorite Al Green tune is Sha La La (Make Me Happy). I play and share the tune often. L O V E and Sha La La are classic Al Green in my ears. .......and once I see you I can't leave your love alone,.......
fell fox
I could listen to this all day 👍🏻👏🏻