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.
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Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's just no way
I could leave your love behind
If I could live my life all over, I'd do everything the same
The film in my camera would reveal everything the same
Like kissin' you every mornin', lovin' you day by day
Dreaming dreams of you and every old way will
When the sun peeps through my window
I'll have you on my mind
There's no way, there's no way
To leave your love behind
When you hair turns to silver and I'm old and gray
I'll keep on lovin' you, yeah, the same old way
When you come to the end of your journey
If I'm lucky enough to be around
I'll hold your picture to my chest
But tears will be still falling down, yeah
I'll keep you in my memory for the rest of my days
There's no way, there's no way to leave your love behind
Oh, behind, yeah
If I could walk through the garden again, you'd be the flower I pick
The episode of our love would give my heart a kick, yeah
If I could take the song from the top, one more time
I would sing the same old lines, yeah
I'll tell you there's just no way, no, no
There's no way to leave your love behind, behind
Oh, no, I can't leave it behind, oh
I can leave behind
Behind
Can't leave love, no
Behind
There's just no way
Behind
There's no way, no
Behind
It's still no
The song "There's No Way" by Al Green is a heartfelt declaration of everlasting love. The lyrics beautifully capture the intensity and depth of the singer's feelings towards his beloved. The song speaks of how, no matter what happens in life, he cannot imagine leaving behind the love he shares with his partner. The first verse of the song acknowledges the singer's unwavering love and the impossibility of ever being able to let it go. He states that, even if he could live his life all over again, he would not change a single thing because the love he shares with his partner is too precious to lose.
The second verse of the song is almost a promise of eternal love. The singer speaks of how, even if his partner's hair turns silver and they grow old together, he will continue to love them with the same intensity and passion as before. He paints a vivid picture of how, when his partner eventually passes away, he will hold their picture to his chest and cry tears of sorrow. The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the strength and power of the love between the singer and his partner, with the refrain "There's no way to leave your love behind" repeating like a mantra throughout the song.
Overall, the song "There's No Way" by Al Green is a beautiful expression of eternal love. Despite the challenges and difficulties that life may throw their way, the singer is steadfast in his commitment to his partner and their love. The lyrics are touching and poignant, and the song is a perfect example of Al Green's soulful and emotive style.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no way
No matter what happens, I can't abandon your love.
There's just no way
It's impossible to forget your love.
I could leave your love behind
I can't move on from your love.
If I could live my life all over, I'd do everything the same
I wouldn't change anything from my past if it means losing your love.
The film in my camera would reveal everything the same
My memories of being with you will always stay the same.
Like kissin' you every mornin', lovin' you day by day
I cherish every moment of being with you.
Dreaming dreams of you and every old way will
My dreams always involve you and our past together.
When the sun peeps through my window
When I wake up in the morning,
I'll have you on my mind
You'll be the first thing on my mind.
When you hair turns to silver and I'm old and gray
Even when we're both old and gray,
I'll keep on lovin' you, yeah, the same old way
My love for you never fades.
When you come to the end of your journey
When your life comes to a close,
If I'm lucky enough to be around
If I'm fortunate to still be alive,
I'll hold your picture to my chest
I'll keep a picture of you close to my heart.
But tears will be still falling down, yeah
I'll still cry for you.
I'll keep you in my memory for the rest of my days
I'll never forget you and our love for each other.
Behind
Can't leave love behind.
I can leave behind
I can leave everything else behind, but not your love.
Oh, no, I can't leave it behind, oh
I can't forget about your love, no matter how hard I try.
It's still no
Nothing changes, my love for you remains the same.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN JARRARD, LISA PALAS, WILL ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gemilla Griffith
No matter what you're through in life, put on some Al Green. His music lifts your Soul.
MJ & Macaria's Mama0618
Amen to that ❤️🙏🏿
Phyllis Jones
I'm truly in LOVE with this song THERE IS LOVE BY AM GREEN. I'M OLD SCHOOL AND HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTIST. THANKS FOR THE PLEASURE OF HEARING HIS MUSIC.
Wonie Blue16
My Mother introduced me to AL Green whom she actually met I've been a fan of his ever since Thank you Mom Rest in Love 😍🥰💘
Mitchell Woods Jr.
WHOLE ALBUM IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!
Dominique Jones
Al was in a groove 4real
Mike Horgan
LOVE THIS SONG !!! Beautiful lyrics !!
Joy Roberts
Mr. Green has the capability of capturing any mood you may be in. LOVE YOU Mr. Green!!!
Debbie Daniels
This man "Al Green"
has got it ... And the Band and the back up Singers are great as well... (Beautiful) ...
Mayra Fuenmayor
Beautiful song!💜