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.
Lets Get Married
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wasting my time for you
And I'm not too crazy
About the idea
Of having nothing to do
I'm tired of playing around
A girl in every town, oh
And stop fooling around
(Let's get married)
I've got to stop fooling around
(Let's get married)
Stop fooling around
(Let's get married)
You don't believe me
But I want to stop fooling around
(Let's get married)
Let me say
I didn't mean to say
All the things I said
Oh no
The way I felt in my heart
It came out that way
Let me tell you one thing
Don't wanna say anything
To drive you away
Let's get married today
(Let's get married)
Hey, hey, hey
(Let's get married)
(Let's get married)
All right, gonna get married
(Let's get married)
Let's get married today
Might as well
Might as well
'Cause take you
In my arms and hold you
Take you in my arms
And squeeze you
And take you in my arms
And love you every night
Just make everything
All right, all right
I wanna soothe you, baby
Let me soothe you, baby
I can soothe you, baby
I can, I can wipe all your tears away
Uh huh, wipe all your tears away
Wipe all your tears away
Wipe all your tears away
Hey, hey, hey, hey
You can't know me
You don't believe me
Ow, ow, ow
Ow, ow, ow, ow
Get married today
I found out, I, I don't love nobody anyway
The lyrics to Al Green's song "Let's Get Married" are about a man who is tired of playing around with different women and wants to settle down with the person he loves. He is sitting around waiting for his partner, and the idea of having nothing to do is not appealing to him. He wants to stop "fooling around" and commit to one person. Despite his partner's initial disbelief, he asserts that he is serious about marriage and wants to get married today.
Throughout the song, Green emphasizes his desire to hold, soothe, and love his partner every night. He declares that he wants to wipe away her tears and make everything alright. He admits that he didn't mean to say all the things he said that may have caused a rift between them, and he doesn't want to say anything that will drive her away. Instead, he wants to take her in his arms and love her every night.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting here
I am wasting my time waiting for you
Wasting my time for you
I am spending my time waiting for you, which is pointless
And I'm not too crazy
I am not thrilled or enthusiastic about
About the idea
The concept of
Of having nothing to do
Not being occupied with anything meaningful
I'm tired of playing around
I am done with casual relationships
A girl in every town, oh
Having multiple partners in various locations
I wanna settle down
I want a committed relationship
And stop fooling around
And end my promiscuous behavior
(Let's get married)
I want to get married
I've got to stop fooling around
I must end my casual relationships
You don't believe me
You are skeptical of my intentions
But I want to stop fooling around
However, I genuinely want a committed relationship
Let me say
Allow me to clarify
I didn't mean to say
I did not intend on expressing
All the things I said
The words that came out of my mouth
Oh no
Unfortunately
The way I felt in my heart
My true emotions
It came out that way
Were expressed in a way that I did not intend to
Let me tell you one thing
Allow me to make one point clear
Don't wanna say anything
I do not want to say anything that may affect our relationship negatively
To drive you away
To cause you to want to end our relationship
Let's get married today
We should get married as soon as possible
(Let's get married)
I am still eager to get married
All right, gonna get married
Ok, let's move forward with getting married
Might as well
Why not
Cause take you
Because I want to hold you
In my arms and hold you
To embrace you and be close to you
Take you in my arms
To hold you gently
And squeeze you
To hug you tightly
And take you in my arms
To embrace you again
And love you every night
To show you love and affection every night
Just make everything
To make everything in our lives better and happier
All right, all right
Ok, ok
I wanna soothe you, baby
I want to comfort you
Let me soothe you, baby
Allow me to comfort you
I can soothe you, baby
I am capable of bringing you comfort
I can, I can wipe all your tears away
I am able to diminish your sadness
Uh huh, wipe all your tears away
Yes, I can make you feel better
You can't know me
You don't fully understand me or my intentions
Ow, ow, ow
An expression of excitement, anticipation or happiness
Get married today
Let's get married quickly
I found out, I, I don't love nobody anyway
I discovered that I don't love anyone else but you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MzBettyK
I’m on an Al Green marathon tonight. There aren’t any bad songs. Each has a message. Love this. ❤️
@Swoop2565
Me too 😂😂…I go on one about every 90 days …OMG!! ❤👍🏿
@stephanienunez4398
There all bad ass songs nobody like
Al Green he’s bad!!!
Everybody who Knoz watz Up Knoz he’s tha Man!!
@nicolejohnson806
Yasss me too 🥰🥰🥰🥰
@dejournelson
Y'all don't no real music real game 🎯
@lovelyleshayokay7862
When Al break it down and say “Let me say, I didn’t mean to say all the things I said, the way I felt in my heart it came out that way”, I sing so loud and soft at the same time,! ❤️ His music is in my DNA 🧬
@georgebeamon368
That's what I'm Talking about
@lovelyleshayokay7862
@@georgebeamon368 yes this is real music 🎶!
@jjsky3003
Wow! My favorite part, I repeat it continuously. Super sensual, and sincere vocals on that part.❤
@lovelyleshayokay7862
@@jjsky3003 So sensual like my heart is in it♥️🥰