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.
Tired of Being Alone
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so tired of on my own
Won't you help me, girl
Just as soon as you can
People say that I've found a way
To make you say
That you love me
But babyYou didn't go for that
Me, it's a natural fact
That I want to come back
Show me where it's at, baby
I'm so tired of being alone
I'm so tired of on-my-own
Won't you help me, girl
Just as soon as you can
I guess you know that I, uh
Love you so
Even though
You don't want me no more
Hey, hey, hey, I'm cryin' tears
All through the years
I tell you like it is
Honey, love me if you can
Ya baby
Tired of being alone here by myself
I tell ya, I'm tired baby
I'm tired of being all wrapped up late at night
In my dreams, nobody but you, baby
Sometimes I wonder
If you love me like you say you do
You see baby, I've been thinking about youI've been wanting to get next to you, baby
Sometimes I hold my arms and I say
Mmmmm hmmmm hmmmm
Oh baby, needing you has proven to me
To be my greatest dream
I'm so tired of being alone
I'm so tired of on-my-own
Sometimes late at night I get to wonderin' about you baby
Baby, baby, ya
The song “Tired of Being Alone” by Al Green talks about the feeling of loneliness one may experience. The singer is tired of being alone and seeks company, but the person he wants to be with does not want him back. He wants the girl to help him come out of his loneliness as soon as possible. The singer has been trying to convince the girl that he loves her and even though people have said that he has succeeded in doing so, the girl did not believe them. The singer admits that he loves the girl even though she does not want him anymore. He goes on to say that he has been crying through the years and he wants her to love him if she can.
The song portrays the theme of unrequited love and loneliness in a simplistic yet impactful manner. Green’s voice and lyrics provide an emotional depth that makes the listener feel the same emotions that the singer is feeling. The words used in the lyrics are straightforward and the repetition of the phrase “I’m so tired of being alone” emphasizes the pain of loneliness. The lines “Sometimes late at night I get to wondering about you, baby” reveal the depth of the singer’s longing for love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so tired of being alone
I'm exhausted from being lonely and not having anyone to spend time with.
I'm so tired of on my own
I'm tired of being by myself and not having anyone to share my life with.
Won't you help me, girl
Please offer me companionship and love.
Just as soon as you can
I desire your attention and affection immediately.
People say that I've found a way
Others believe that I've discovered a technique to make you fall in love with me.
To make you say
To compel you to admit that you love me.
That you love me
To let me know that you have feelings for me.
But baby
However,
You didn't go for that
You didn't believe that I had a way to make you love me, nor did you reciprocate my feelings.
Ha, it's a natural fact
It's an undeniable truth.
That I want to come back
I want to reconcile with you.
Show me where it's at, baby
Guide me towards the place where we can rekindle our relationship.
I guess you know that I, uh
You're aware that I,
I love you so
I have strong feelings for you.
Even though
Despite the fact that
You don't want me no more
You're no longer interested in me.
Hey, hey, hey, hey I'm cryin' tears
I'm crying in sadness and desperation.
Through the years
Over the course of time.
I tell you like it is
I'm being honest with you.
Honey, love me if you can
If you're able to, please love me back.
Ya baby
Yes, my love
Tired of being alone here by myself, now
I'm fed up with being lonely and not having anyone to spend time with.
I tell ya, I'm tired baby
I'm extremely exhausted, my dear.
I'm tired of being all wrapped up late at night
I'm tired of being consumed by my thoughts of loneliness and want at night.
In my dreams, nobody but you, baby
Even in my dreams, you're the only person who occupies my thoughts.
Sometimes I wonder
I occasionally contemplate
If you love me like you say you do
I question whether you truly love me the way that you claim to.
You see baby, I, I, I, I've been thinking about you
My thoughts have been occupied by you, constantly.
I've been wanting to get next to you, baby
I've yearned to be close to you, my love.
Sometimes I hold my arms and I say
At times, I find myself holding my arms and wishing that you were there with me.
Oh baby, yeah, needing you has proven to me
Needing your love and companionship has demonstrated to me
To be my greatest dream, yeah
That it's my ultimate aspiration
Baby, baby, ya ya, baby you're my heart's desire
My darling, you're the person who my heart longs for the most.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amoleodanyjuliojaramillo4307
Lyrics
I'm so tired of being alone
I'm so tired of on-my-own
Won't you help me girl
Just as soon as you can
People say that I've found a way
To make you say that you love me
Hey baby, you didn't go for that
It's a natural fact
That I wanna come back
Show me where it's at, baby
I'm so tired of being alone
I'm so tired of on-my-own
Won't you help me girl
Soon as you can
I guess you know that I, uh, I love you so
Even though you don't want me no more
Hey, hey, hey, hey, I'm cryin' tears
All through the years
I'll tell ya like it is
Honey, please love me if you will
Yeah baby
Tired of being alone here by myself, now
I tell ya, I'm tired baby
I'm tired of being all wrapped up late at night
In my dreams, nobody but you, baby
Sometimes I wonder
If you love me like you say you do
You see baby, I, I, I been thinkin' about it, yeah
I been, I been wantin' to get next to you baby
You see, sometimes I fold my arms, I say, mmh-hmm-mmh
Oh yeah
Oh baby
Meeting you has proven to me
To be my greatest dream, yeah
I'm so tired of being alone (Tired, baby)
So tired of being alone (Yeah, you don't know what I'm talkin' about)
So tired of being alone
Sometimes late at night I get to wonderin' about you baby
I'm so tired of being alone (Oh baby, baby)
So tired of being alone
So tired of being alone
I'm so tired of being alone (Oh baby)
So tired of being alone (You're my heart's desire)
So tired of being alone
@jamescox2749
this is what real music sounds like
@ChrisM713
Yess real music with soul
@rosscrabtree1462
Nothing worse then feeling alone in a crowd full of people.
@blast5598
This post was a year ago but it’s facts
@Psyboy007
That's so damn true man
@bastardjokemen8518
All day every day
@cliffbrown2566
No kidding..watching couples interact is heartbreaking when you're alone.
@kelliewaring9158
I know how you feel. i feel like this every single day of my life since I got a divorce and was thrown out in the street without any money or my car or any family to help me. I wish that I never met his sorry self.
@sweetee3886
This song reminds me of my daddy singing it on a car ride. Hearing him sing this when I was young made me like this song. I miss Da. RIP 12-10-2018
@jovitodurce
🙏❤