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.
Schooldays
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
her
How we used to run and play
On those school days
In the song Schooldays by Al Green, the lyrics describe the singer reminiscing on his past experiences and fond memories of his school days. He expresses his desire to relive those times and be reunited with his past love. The lyrics reflect how simple and carefree life was during his adolescence and how much he misses those times. The song also touches on the fact that life has moved on and how the singer is making the most out of his current situation.
One of the most interesting facts about Schooldays is that the song wasn't originally released as a single by Al Green. It wasn't until it was featured in the soundtrack of the movie "Cooley High" in 1975 that it gained widespread popularity. The song subsequently went on to peak at number 36 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Another interesting fact about the song is that it was written by Tyrone Davis, a fellow R&B singer who was known for his hit songs "Can I Change My Mind" and "Turn Back The Hands Of Time". Schooldays was one of the few songs that Davis wrote for Al Green.
The song also features a unique arrangement, with the use of a flute solo in the instrumental break, which is not commonly found in R&B songs. The choice of instrumentation adds to the nostalgic and wistful tone of the song.
Furthermore, the lyrics of the song have a double meaning, with the words "school days" referring to both the singer's past experiences and his current experience of learning about love and relationships.
In terms of musical style, Schooldays is an example of Green's signature Memphis Soul sound. It features a blend of gospel and rhythm and blues, with a steady backbeat and soulful vocals.
Finally, the lyrics "Oh, my life is just your, your ? anything" are actually ad-libs by Al Green, as he admitted to forgetting the words during the recording of the song.
Chords:
Verse:
G C G C
G C G C
Chorus:
G D G D
G D G D
Bridge:
Em A Em A
Em A Em A
Key: G major
Line by Line Meaning
School days
I miss the days when I was in school
How I wish for school days
I wish I could go back to the carefree days of school
How we used to run and play, oh baby
I remember when we were kids and we would have fun running and playing together
Now those days are gone
Those days are over and we can't go back
But we keep on going on
We keep living our lives
Wondering where they're gone
I often wonder where those carefree days have disappeared to
I remember my love
I remember the love of my life
Man, good times were easy all the time
Those were good times when life was easy
How she really blew my mind
She was amazing and left a huge impact on my life
Oh, won't you come back to me
I want her to come back and be with me again
Oh darling, can't you see
My love for her is so strong
I need you here with me always
I need her by my side forever
Oh baby, let me say that it's Easy together
Our love is easy and comes naturally to us when we're together
Loving you whether Whether you're near or far, oh
I will love her no matter where she is
Now that we are We might as well have some fun
Since we're together, we should enjoy ourselves and have fun
Now that you know Where I'm coming from
Now that she understands me better
Oh, my life is just your, your ? anything
My life belongs to her and her alone
Oh just come back to me
I want her to return to me
I need you desperately
I can't live without her
Honey, won't you stay with me always
I want her to be with me forever
Oh, I, I want to, I want to remind her
I want to remind her
School days, oh
About the good old days when we were in school
I want to remind her Of the days back then
To remind her of the days when we were young and carefree
When we were just kids running around
When we were young and had no worries or responsibilities
Having fun and not a care in the world
We were carefree and enjoyed life without any worries
And let's stay together always.
I want us to be together forever
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
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.