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.
There Is Love
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wouldn't put a penny in a wishing well
I know what Santa Claus is all about
Glad I never seen him
You stepped out of a dream, captured my heart
Opened my arms and gave me a new start
I've been sayings there's love (there is love love love)
Oh there's love (there is love)
I've been saying there's love (there is love love love)
Stranger my heart
I never been a paid above
But the beauty of your old love
Has made the song of heart
Count all my lessons, from being brand new
I needed someone to love and I was blessed from you
There's love (there is love)
I've been feeling there's love (there is love love love)
Oh there's love (there is love)
I can feel it there's love (there is love love love)
I'm counting all my blessings from being brand new
I needed someone to love and I was blessed from you
There's love (there is love)
I know love (there is love love love)
So glad that love (there is love)
Oh there's love (there is love love love)
In the lyrics of Al Green's song "There Is Love," he expresses his disbelief in fortune tellers and wishing wells, suggesting that he doesn't put his faith in such things. He goes on to explain how he sees through the myth of Santa Claus, stating that he's "glad [he's] never seen him." Despite his cynicism, Green seems to have found something that has captured his heart and given him a new start. This seems to be referring to a person he met, the "stranger" mentioned in the lyrics. This stranger has had a profound impact on Green's life, teaching him important lessons about love and providing him with the affection and companionship he's been looking for.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that there is indeed love present in Green's life. He repeats the phrase "there is love" throughout, almost as if to convince himself of this fact. He seems to be overwhelmed by the depth and intensity of the feelings he has for this person, and is grateful for the love that they share.
Overall, the song seems to be about the transformative power of love in someone's life. Despite the singer's skepticism and cynicism, he has found someone who has opened his heart and shown him the value of love. The song is a celebration of this person and the love that they share.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't believe in fortune tellers
I don't put my trust in those who claim to predict the future
I wouldn't put a penny in a wishing well
I don't believe in relying on luck or chance to make things happen
I know what Santa Claus is all about
I understand the mythos behind the character of Santa Claus
Glad I never seen him
It's better that I never meet him since he's just a fictional character
You stepped out of a dream, captured my heart
You came into my life in a way that seemed unreal and yet left a profound impact on me
Opened my arms and gave me a new start
You accepted me with open arms and gave me a fresh beginning in life
There's love (there is love)
Love exists in this world
I've been saying there's love (there is love love love)
I've been expressing my belief in the existence of love, repeatedly
Stranger my heart
My heart was a stranger to love
I never been a paid above
I've never experienced a higher level of joy or fulfillment
But the beauty of your old love
The beauty of your timeless love
Has made the song of heart
Has given me the melody of life
Count all my lessons, from being brand new
Counting all the things I've learned since starting anew
I needed someone to love and I was blessed from you
I was fortunate to find someone to love in you
I've been feeling there's love (there is love love love)
I've been sensing the presence of love around me
I can feel it there's love (there is love love love)
I can sense the existence of love
I know love (there is love love love)
I'm aware of the power of love
So glad that love (there is love)
And I'm truly grateful that love exists
Oh there's love (there is love love love)
Yes, indeed, there is love in this world
Writer(s): Willie Mitchell, Lawrence Seymour, Yvonne Mitchell
Contributed by John L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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!💜