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.
One Woman
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As daylight, slowly leaves the sky.
I open the door, to that little room,
That we call home.
Loving arms, are there, to greet me,
Tender lips are there, to meet me.
At the end of the day,
Then I find my way, through the early morning traffic,
But someone else, is heavy, heavy, on my mind.
Open the door to our favorite little coffee shop,
(Oh, y'all) the girl is right on time. (Now, come one.)
Loving arms, are there, to greet me,
Tender lips are there, always there to meet me.
And that's how I start my day,
It's just too bad it doesn't end that way.
(One woman's making my home)
One woman's making my home,
(But the other woman's making me wrong)
The other girl, is making me do wrong.
I didn't mean, let it get that strong, no baby.
I got to decide, where I belong.
(One woman's making my home)
Sometimes I get so mixed up inside,
(But the other woman's making me wrong)
I wish I could find a place, to hide.
I didn't mean, I didn't mean,
I didn't mean to let it get that strong, nah girl.
I got to decide, where I belong.
The lyrics of Al Green's song One Woman reveal the conflict of a man who is torn between two women. The song begins with the singer returning home at the end of a long day, finding solace in his home where he is greeted by loving arms and tender lips. The lyrics convey a sense of comfort and familiarity that the singer finds in a relationship with one woman.
However, in the next verse, the song takes a turn as the singer confesses to thinking about another woman during his commute. He goes to his favorite coffee shop where the other girl is "right on time." This sets the tone for the underlying conflict of the song - the man is stuck between two women, and he finds himself torn between them. The chorus beautifully ties together the essence of the song as the singer sings about how one woman is making his home while the other woman is making him do wrong. He is confused and wishes to hide from the conflict that he finds himself in.
The song's lyrics offer a poignant portrayal of a relationship in crisis. The singer is torn between two women, and the song's lyrics portray his internal dilemma and the struggle to resolve his conflict. Beneath the song's catchy melody lies a deeper message about relationship choices and the consequences of those choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Find my way, in the five o'clock rush hour,
Navigating the busy rush hour traffic to reach home.
As daylight, slowly leaves the sky.
The end of day approaching and the sky getting darker.
I open the door, to that little room,
Finally arriving home and entering the small space.
That we call home.
Referring to the place where he lives with his partner.
Loving arms, are there, to greet me,
Feeling loved and welcomed as soon as he enters the home.
Tender lips are there, to meet me.
Being physically embraced and kissed by his partner.
At the end of the day,
After a long day of work and travel.
You know it's, always been that way.
This ritual of coming home to his partner has remained the same.
Then I find my way, through the early morning traffic,
Starting the day with another commute through traffic.
But someone else, is heavy, heavy, on my mind.
Thinking about another woman while on his way to work.
Open the door to our favorite little coffee shop,
Arriving at their usual coffee spot.
(Oh, y'all) the girl is right on time. (Now, come one.)
The other woman is at the coffee shop waiting for him as planned.
And that's how I start my day,
Meeting the other woman has become part of his morning routine.
It's just too bad it doesn't end that way.
Unfortunately, the situation is not ideal and has consequences.
(One woman's making my home)
His partner is the one who makes his house feel like a home.
One woman's making my home,
Stating that one woman is responsible for creating a loving home environment.
(But the other woman's making me wrong)
The other woman is tempting him and making him feel guilty.
The other girl, is making me do wrong.
Admitting that he is doing something he should not be doing.
I didn't mean, let it get that strong, no baby.
Acknowledging that his relationship with the other woman has gotten out of control.
I got to decide, where I belong.
Realizing that he has to choose between the two women and make a decision.
(One woman's making my home)
Reiterating that his partner is the one who creates a happy home.
Sometimes I get so mixed up inside,
Expressing confusion and emotional turmoil.
(But the other woman's making me wrong)
Feeling guilty and aware that he is doing something he should not be doing.
I wish I could find a place, to hide.
Wishing he could escape the situation and the stress it is causing him.
I didn't mean, I didn't mean,
Repeating that his actions were not intentional.
I didn't mean to let it get that strong, nah girl.
Admitting that things have escalated beyond his control.
I got to decide, where I belong.
Reiterating that he has to make a decision and commit to one woman.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
scott wood
One of my favorite songs off all time.
Dirceu Silva Andrade
Que voz esplêndida 👏👏👏🇧🇷
Three Six Nine
This is spine tingling good. The first song of Al's breakthrough album, telling the world that a true great had arrived.
Warp75
One of Al’s finest moments & there’s a lot.
Suh Synched
The appearance of Royal Studios in Memphis is unassuming at best, not in a great part of the town, but the magic which transpired there under the guidance of Willie Mitchell is something of wonder and unbound joy. Al found his vocal identity there.
Corea Kixx
Good Heaven's this is Epic!!
Andre Ahyah
Found it 💪😊
Giorno'sMusic 🎧
⚘...✍
Dawn McGhee
Lenny Kravitz borrowed from this song...
Jawarholol
Makeout music