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.
School Days
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How I wish for school days
How we used to run and play, oh baby
Now those days are gone
But we keep on going on
Wondering where they're gone
School days
I remember my love
Man, good times were easy all the time
How she really blew my mind
Oh, won't you come back to me
Oh darling, can't you see
I need you here with me always
Oh baby, let me say that it's
Easy together
Loving you whether
Whether you're near or far, oh
Now that we are
We might as well have some fun
Now that you know
Where I'm coming from
Oh, my life is just your, your
? anything
Oh just come back to me
I need you desperately
Honey, won't you stay with me always
Oh, I, I want to, I want to remind her
School days, oh
I want to remind
Al Green’s “School Days” is a nostalgic ode to childhood and first love. In the opening verse, Green longs for the days of playing and running around during his school days. He laments that those days are gone but continues to move forward. He then reminisces about his first love, who blew his mind and left an indelible mark on his life. He begs her to come back to him and stay with him always. In the chorus, Green pleads for his lover to return and reminds her of the good times they had together during their school days.
Green’s use of the phrase “school days” is a metaphor for a simpler time in life when everything was carefree and easy. As we grow older, we long for that time when our problems were small and our joys were simple. The song reminds us of the innocence of childhood and first love. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and Green’s soulful delivery adds to the emotional impact of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
School days
Reflecting on days spent at school
How I wish for school days
Longing to relive the carefree days of school
How we used to run and play, oh baby
Remembering the joys of playing with friends at school
Now those days are gone
Acknowledging that school days are in the past
But we keep on going on
Moving forward despite nostalgia for the past
Wondering where they're gone
Questioning the passage of time
I remember my love
Recalling a past romantic relationship
Man, good times were easy all the time
Reflecting on how good things were in the past
How she really blew my mind
Being amazed by the impact of the relationship
Oh, won't you come back to me
Desiring the return of the ex-partner
Oh darling, can't you see
Expressing a plea for understanding
I need you here with me always
Expressing a desire for a committed, lasting relationship
Oh baby, let me say that it's
Prefacing an affirmation of love
Easy together
Describing how natural the relationship feels
Loving you whether
Emphasizing that love is unconditional
Whether you're near or far, oh
Stating that distance doesn't affect the depth of love
Now that we are
Indicating that current circumstances have changed
We might as well have some fun
Suggesting enjoying the present rather than dwelling on the past
Now that you know
Implying that the ex-partner knows how the singer feels
Where I'm coming from
Describing the singer's perspective
Oh, my life is just your, your
Expressing the importance of the ex-partner in the singer's life
? anything
Unclear lyric, meaning unknown
Oh just come back to me
Reiterating the desire to reconcile
I need you desperately
Emphasizing the importance of the ex-partner's return
Honey, won't you stay with me always
Requesting a lifelong commitment
Oh, I, I want to, I want to remind her
Expressing a desire to jog the ex-partner's memory
School days, oh
Reiterating the theme of reminiscing about the past
I want to remind
Reiterating the desire to jog the ex-partner's memory
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cynthia Burris
Love love this song the orchestra is so on point beautiful song
Poppy CANTY
Good music knows no time limits. It speaks to your heart in 2020 just like it did in 1970. I heard school daze at the end of a story related to covid and the decisions parents are making. I knew that I knew the artist, but could not in my 77 year old head remember his name. Thank God for you tube.
David Kennebrew
b
Anthony Tilley
Man I loved this song since the first time I heard it when I was 9 years old so many memories.
Theresa Smith
Brings back memories of playing 5 stones in gutter with my best friend and her older sister playing this lovely days 🙏❤️
Sonya Barnwell
Yes for me I always have loved al green songs he has a beautiful voice
Edna Geralda da Costa
Amo essa música. trilha sonora da minha adolescência.
SHERIE BERRIE
Love me some Al Green❤❤❤
clamdraggin
Sure do make me miss her Al. This and How Do You Mend A Broken Heart are your finest works.
Billy Onions
Kicks the sides out of my heart.
It totally gob smacks me.