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.
People Get Ready
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a train coming
Don't need no ticket
You can just step on board
All you need is a little faith
To hear diesels humming
We ain't got a handle baggage out
We can just thank the Lord
People get ready there's a train to Jordan
No need, no ticket, just step on board
All you need is faith to hear diesels humming
No need a ticket, just thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
You got to get ride in now
The train is coming
You don't need no ticket
You can just step on board
But all you need is a little faith
You can hear diesels humming
You ain't even got to have no bags
You can just get on board
People get ready there's a train to Jordan
There's a train coming, get on board
All you need is faith to hear diesels humming
You don't need no tickets, you just thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
The lyrics to Al Green and Heather Headley's song People Get Ready are a powerful call to action, urging listeners to prepare for a journey. The imagery of a train coming to take people to their destination is a metaphor for life's journey and the importance of faith in navigating it. The repetition of "People get ready" emphasizes the urgency of the message, while the line "All you need is a little faith" shows that faith is essential for the journey, not just a nice-to-have.
The lyrics also suggest that baggage is not necessary for the journey, both literally and metaphorically. This speaks to the idea that we should let go of our burdens and trust in a higher power to guide us. Lastly, the repeated phrase "Thank the Lord" reinforces the idea that faith and gratitude go hand in hand, and that we should be thankful for the blessings in our lives.
Overall, the lyrics to People Get Ready are a beautiful expression of the importance of faith, trust, and gratitude in life's journey, and they encourage listeners to embrace these values as they prepare for the next stage of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
People get ready
Prepare yourselves, people
There's a train coming
An opportunity is coming your way
Don't need no ticket
No payment is required to seize this opportunity
You can just step on board
You can easily take part in this opportunity
All you need is a little faith
To believe in yourself and your abilities
To hear diesels humming
To feel the excitement and energy of the opportunity
We ain't got a handle baggage out
We don't need to worry about bringing along our past mistakes or worries
We can just thank the Lord
We express gratitude for this chance
You got to get ride in now
We need to seize this moment
The train is coming
The opportunity is approaching
But all you need is a little faith
Again, to believe in oneself is key
You can hear diesels humming
You can feel the excitement and potential of this opportunity
You ain't even got to have no bags
Leave your past behind and travel light towards your future
People get ready there's a train to Jordan
Prepare yourselves, there's an important journey ahead
No need, no ticket, just step on board
No obstacles should prevent you from taking this journey
Thank the Lord, thank the Lord
Express gratitude for this opportunity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curtis Mayfield
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
1988remixx
Man! He sings better than I can just talk! It comes out so effortlessly! Love it!
Beth Bartlett
I know, it flows effortlessly.
Phil Hibberd
Linda Jones, what a voice!
Poetics
"People Get Ready" is one of the most beautiful songs I've eva heard. Especially when that gospel feel is embodied in it. Al Green = Legend.
Beth Bartlett
Agreed ✓
Delores Willis
❤🙏🏿❤️🙏🏿❤️🙏🏿
Gear Omad
Agree. Special song. Special singer.
General
One of the greatest singers to ever grace the stage..R&B, Gospel, Soul, Jazz
Mike Maiocco
Real singers, real musicians, real instruments, sounds great. God I miss those days
haggardly79
AL GREEN is the REAL DEAL. and a true hall-of-famer. He has blessed us with his brilliant music for over 35 years.