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.
Sure Feels Good
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People are waiting
On the wings of a prayer
Their hopes are fading
Well I know He can be
Everything for You
Gotta say what I feel
And you know it sure feels good
I know that He loves me
I know that He saved me
It sure feels good
I gotta peace of mind
That you can't deny
When He turned my life around
Oh I can promise
It ain't no lie
He sent me here just to testify
Oh how He saved me
It sure feels good
Another day, another way
People are dying
But I know there are those
That can stop this crying
You can say waht you will
I won't stop moving
Tell me this, tell me that
Don't plan on losing
'Cause this thing sure feels good
Tell you He loves me
Oh that He moves me
Sure feels good
I gotta love that's divine
That you can't find
Unless your hand is wrapped up in mine
Oh I got a feeling each and every day
This walk gets only sweeter
Day by day
Oh how He saved me
It sure feels mighty good
Haven't you heard
Don't you know, don't you know
Wait a minute, wait a minute
Wait a minute
Won't you stop a while
There may be something here
That can make you smile
If it feels good
The way it's supposed to feel
Then you should know
That this love is real
Oh how He loves me
It sure feels good
Got a peace of mind
That I can't deny
Turned my life around
I can promise, it ain't no lie
He sent me here
Just to testify
Oh how He loves me
It sure feels good
The lyrics of Al Green’s "Sure Feels Good" are an uplifting reminder of the power of faith and the joy that comes from feeling the presence of a higher power. The opening lines describe a world full of despair and fading hope, but the message of the song is that despite these challenges, there is a sense of peace and contentment that comes from knowing that one's faith in God is unwavering. The repeated refrain of "it sure feels good" emphasizes the positivity and happiness that the singer feels because of his faith.
The lyrics also describe the transformative power of faith, with the singer proclaiming that he knows that God loves him and has saved him. He finds comfort in the fact that his life has been turned around and that he has a peace of mind that is undeniable. The song also encourages others to embrace their faith and find the same sense of joy and comfort that it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
Over here, over there
No matter where you look, there are people in need.
People are waiting
These people are waiting for something - a change in their lives, perhaps.
On the wings of a prayer
They are hoping for a miracle, something to come and save them.
Their hopes are fading
However, as time goes on, their hope is starting to diminish.
Well I know He can be everything for You
The singer believes that God can be everything to these people who are in need. He can be their savior, their friend, their hope.
Gotta say what I feel
The singer feels a calling to speak up and share his experiences.
And you know it sure feels good
Speaking up about his faith and experiences makes the singer feel good.
To know that He is there for me
The singer finds comfort in knowing that God is there for him.
I know that He loves me
The singer is confident in God's love for him.
I know that He saved me
The singer believes that God saved him from something.
I gotta peace of mind
Because of his faith, the singer has a sense of inner peace.
That you can't deny
This peace and sense of comfort is clear and undeniable to the singer himself.
When He turned my life around
The singer's faith helped him turn his life around for the better.
Oh I can promise
The singer is so confident in his faith and its impact on his life that he is willing to make a promise about it.
It ain't no lie
The singer isn't lying - his faith has truly changed his life.
He sent me here just to testify
The singer feels that his purpose is to share his experiences and testify about the power of his faith.
Another day, another way
Every day, there are new problems and new ways that people need help.
People are dying
This time, the need is urgent and immediate - people are dying.
But I know there are those that can stop this crying
Still, the singer believes that there are people or solutions that can help these problems from happening.
You can say waht you will
Regardless of others' opinions, the singer is going to keep going and moving forward in his faith.
I won't stop moving
The singer won't give up on his faith, even in the face of opposition or challenges.
Tell me this, tell me that
People may try to tell the singer what to do or believe, but he won't let that stop him.
Don't plan on losing
The singer is determined and won't give up.
'Cause this thing sure feels good
Again, the singer finds comfort and happiness in his faith, and won't let go of that.
Got a love that's divine
The singer has a deep and powerful love for God, which he views as coming from a higher power.
That you can't find unless your hand is wrapped up in mine
The singer sees value in sharing his faith with others - without a connection to him or to God, this love wouldn't be as strong or real.
Oh I got a feeling each and every day
The singer feels the impact of his faith every single day.
This walk gets only sweeter
As he continues in his faith, the singer finds that the experience only gets better and better.
Haven't you heard
The singer is surprised that others haven't heard of or experienced this themselves.
Don't you know, don't you know
He wants to share his faith and experiences with others and wonders why they aren't more interested.
Wait a minute, wait a minute
The singer wants to pause and take a moment to share something important.
Won't you stop a while
He's asking others to take a break from their lives and listen to what he has to say.
There may be something here
The singer wants people to be open to hearing about his faith and experiences because he believes there is value in them.
That can make you smile
Ultimately, the singer believes that his message will be uplifting and positive.
If it feels good
If people feel happy or fulfilled by what the singer has to say, it might be worth exploring more.
The way it's supposed to feel
The singer believes that his faith and experiences should feel good and that listeners should recognize that.
Then you should know
If someone feels good or fulfilled by the singer's message, they should come to understand that there is value in it.
That this love is real
The singer believes in the reality of his faith and wants others to believe in it as well.
Got a peace of mind
Again, the singer has found inner peace through his faith.
Turned my life around
The singer has been able to improve his life thanks to his faith.
I can promise, it ain't no lie
Again, the singer is convinced that his faith has dramatically impacted his life in positive ways.
He sent me here
The singer feels that he has a divine purpose or plan for his life.
Just to testify
Part of that purpose is sharing his experiences and testifying about his faith to others.
Oh how He loves me
Once again, the singer emphasizes the deep love he feels from God.
It sure feels good
Ultimately, the singer is grateful for his experiences and the peace and joy they bring him.
Contributed by Aiden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.