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.
Love Is Reality
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the street
He can make the pain go away
He can make the mood change
That's happening every day
People on people crime
Will never slightly change a thing
It's all a state of mind
Chorus:
Oh, I know that Your love is real
I can feel the light shining bright
If you want a better deal
Let the people sleep at night
Love is reality
Love is
Love is reality
What about the time
When you were living out on the street
The homeless people everywhere
With not enough food to eat
People on people crime
People all hurt the same
There's peace and deliverance
If you call on Jesus' name
This is something
That I should know
I've been down here before
You can try and try another way
But you're standing right at the door
Repeat Chorus
In Al Green's song Love Is Reality, the singer calls for an end to the violence on the streets and the crimes that people inflict on each other. He believes that only love can bring peace and deliverance to the world. The verse talks about the pain and mood changes that happen every day due to people on people crime. Green suggests that this will never bring about any positive change and that it's all a state of mind. He urges the people to change their mindset and work towards a better tomorrow.
The chorus emphasizes the belief that love is real and that it can make a difference in the world. Green conveys that he can feel the light shining bright, emanating from the love that people have for each other. He calls on the people to let everyone sleep at night, suggesting that peace is the only way forward. The second verse talks about the homeless people on the streets who do not have enough food to eat. Green believes that everyone hurts the same, and the situation can change if people call on Jesus' name. He reiterates that he has been there before, and trying another way won't help. The song ends on the same positive note, repeating the chorus, emphasizing the power of love and the need for peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you stop the violence
Please put an end to the fighting and aggression
In the street
Happening openly in the public space
He can make the pain go away
Referring to God as a source of comfort
He can make the mood change
God has the power to positively influence one's attitude
That's happening every day
These issues are persistent and frequent
People on people crime
Violence and crime committed by individuals against one another
Will never slightly change a thing
This type of behavior will not lead to any real improvement
It's all a state of mind
The root of the issue lies in people's mentality and attitude
The situation's got to change
There needs to be a shift in the way things are currently being handled
Oh, I know that Your love is real
Acknowledging God's love as genuine and true
I can feel the light shining bright
Experiencing the warmth and positivity of God's love
If you want a better deal
If you desire an improved situation
Let the people sleep at night
Ensure that people are able to have peace and security
Love is reality
Love is genuine and authentic
What about the time
Reflecting on a past experience
When you were living out on the street
Being homeless and living in poverty
The homeless people everywhere
Observing the widespread issue of homelessness
With not enough food to eat
Experiencing hunger and scarcity
People all hurt the same
No matter one's situation, everyone experiences pain and suffering
There's peace and deliverance
Finding inner peace and salvation
If you call on Jesus' name
Turning to faith and seeking help from God
This is something
Recognizing a lesson or truth
That I should know
Realizing that this information is important or relevant to me
You can try and try another way
Attempting different methods and approaches
But you're standing right at the door
Having a chance to achieve success or opportunity
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.