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.
Rock Of Ages
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
The lyrics of "Rock of Ages" by Al Green represent an evangelical hymn that was written by Augustus M. Toplady, a British clergyman, in the late 18th century. The hymn is an expression of the singer's desire for salvation and his acknowledgement of his inability to achieve it on his own. The singer seeks refuge in "the rock" of faith, symbolized by the wounded side of Jesus Christ, which is the "cleft" in the rock from which the song takes its title.
The song is an explicit admission of human vulnerability and dependence on divine grace for redemption. The singer acknowledges that his own efforts to attain salvation are futile, and only Christ can provide the "double cure" that saves him from sin and death. The act of clinging to the cross is a metaphor for accepting Christ as savior and recognizing his sacrifice on the cross as the means of redemption.
The hymn also evokes the idea of baptism, which is represented by the "water and the blood" that flowed from Christ's side. The water symbolizes purity and cleansing, while the blood represents salvation and sacrifice. The image of "foul" and "helpless" individuals finding refuge in the "fountain" of Christ's grace is a powerful expression of the transformative nature of faith.
Line by Line Meaning
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Oh mighty mountain that stands tall and steady, provide me with your protection and shelter me in your embrace.
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Allow me to find solace in your shadow and escape the trials and tribulations of the world.
Let the water and the blood,
May the sacrificial blood and cleansing water that flowed from Your side be my double salvation from the punishment of sin.
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
From the pain and sacrifice that was endured to save me, let me find grace and forgiveness.
Be of sin the double cure,
Let the blood and water be the cure of both the penalty and the power of sin in my life.
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Deliver me from the judgment to come that I deserve and transform me into the pure and holy person You created me to be.
Not the labor of my hands
No amount of self-effort or good works on my part could ever satisfy the holiness and righteousness of God.
Can fulfill Thy law's demands;
Only God's perfect standard of righteousness can meet the demands of His own law.
Could my zeal no respite know,
Even if I were to put all my passion and energy into serving God, it would never be enough to save me from my sin and separation from Him.
Could my tears forever flow,
Even if I were to cry and repent for all eternity, it would not be enough to make myself worthy of God's forgiveness and salvation.
All for sin could not atone;
Only the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross could atone for the sin of humanity and reconcile us with God.
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Salvation is not in my power, it is only possible through God's grace and His saving work.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
I have nothing to offer or contribute to my own salvation, it is solely a gift from God.
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
My only hope and trust is in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the ultimate expression of God's love and grace.
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
I come to God stripped of all my own righteousness, asking Him to clothe me with His own righteousness.
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
I come to God as a helpless sinner, relying completely on His mercy and grace for my salvation.
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
I come to God in my filth and contamination, seeking to be washed clean by the cleansing waters of His grace.
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Only God's cleansing and purifying power can save me from eternal death, and I humbly ask for His mercy and forgiveness.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
As long as I am alive in this temporal world,
When my eyes shall close in death,
When I take my final breath and pass from this life
When I rise to worlds unknown,
When I awaken to the new and unfamiliar existence beyond the limitations of this world
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
And stand in the awesome and glorious presence of God Almighty on His throne
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
In that moment, O great mountain of strength and protection, be my refuge and shelter once again.
Let me hide myself in Thee.
As I approach the throne of the Holy One, may I find safety and comfort in His steadfast love and grace.
Writer(s): AL GREEN
Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tajmabruno
My favorite gospel song from Al Green 💚
@blossomgifts3247
Al green gospel songs are some of my favourite brought me through hard times
@tammyjordan8379
Al Green is one of my favorite singers may God keep blessing him and his family
@ms.marynailz748
this is what momma raised me on. I thank you Lord for my beautiful mother. amen
@sharonbutler702
Pastor Al Green thank you well God in you for this anointed rendtion of Rock of Ages. I love everything musical you but more fasitated about your gospel. I feel JESUS when you praise sing of Him. Remarkable. God continue to use you mighty is my prayer.
@shordyj
Who is still listening to this in 2020? 🙌🏾
@wesleyprovidence4067
I love this song, 2019 and still listening
@summersetend2010
Still listening October 2019!!!
@southernbelle5078
My favorite gospel song by Al Green I want to visit his church in Memphis Tenn. I 💘 him still in 2022
@brendacharity3024
I love All of Al Green's music, I don't believe I have ever not enjoyed the Great Al Green. He is Forever!!