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.
Tomorrow's Dream
Al Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Distant things are happening, not as bad as they seem
Don't put off tomorrow for what today might bring
I'd be satisfied now to gain one single thing
Don't look away now, girl, things are looking bright
Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby
I want my baby, tonight baby, I can't wait no longer
I give my heart and feeling of distress
Trying to ignore her pain, all the happiness
Anything you want girl, I will give complete
I'd do anything, baby, to overcome defeat
And don't say tomorrow come, it don't belong to anyone
Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby
C'mon now baby, hey, tonight baby, oh baby, hey c'mon
I look back now, girl, on tomorrow's dreams
Distant things are happening, not as bad as they seem
Don't put of tomorrow for what today might bring
I'll be satisfied to gain one single thing
Don't look away now, girl, things are looking bright
Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby
C'mon now baby, hey, tonight baby, baby
I can't wait no longer, coming over baby
In the song Tomorrow's Dream by Al Green, the lyrics express the idea of not waiting for tomorrow and living in the present moment. The lyrics suggest that tomorrow may not be promised, and it is important to appreciate what one has now. The first verse, "I look back now, girl, no tomorrow's dreams, Distant things are happening, not as bad as they seem, Don't put off tomorrow for what today might bring, I'd be satisfied now to gain one single thing," suggests that the future may not be as bleak as one might think, and it is important to appreciate the present moment. The following verse, "Don't look away now, girl, things are looking bright, Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby, I want my baby, tonight baby, I can't wait no longer, Here now baby," speaks of the urgency of living in the moment and embracing love.
The chorus, "And don't say tomorrow come, it don't belong to anyone, Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby, C'mon now baby, hey, tonight baby, oh baby, hey c'mon," emphasizes the importance of not waiting for tomorrow as it does not belong to anyone. The lyrics suggest that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and one should not wait for it to pursue happiness. The final verse reiterates the idea of not delaying happiness, "I'll be satisfied now to gain one single thing, Don't look away now, girl, things are looking bright, Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby, C'mon now baby, hey, tonight baby, baby, I can't wait no longer, coming over baby."
Line by Line Meaning
I look back now, girl, no tomorrow's dreams
Reflecting on the past, I see that some of the things I once dreamed of never became reality
Distant things are happening, not as bad as they seem
Although some things seem far away, they aren't as negative as they may appear
Don't put off tomorrow for what today might bring
It's important to not avoid tasks today and risk missing out on opportunities tomorrow
I'd be satisfied now to gain one single thing
Achieving just one thing would bring me contentment right now
Don't look away now, girl, things are looking bright
It's good to keep a positive outlook and not shy away from opportunities
Don't put off tomorrow, girl, for what's in store tonight, baby
Don't delay enjoying the present because of what might happen or be available in the future
I want my baby, tonight baby, I can't wait no longer
I am eagerly anticipating being with my significant other tonight
Here now baby
I'm ready to be with my significant other right now
I give my heart and feeling of distress
I am sharing my emotions, both positive and negative, with my significant other
Trying to ignore her pain, all the happiness
I am attempting to push aside any negativity in our relationship in order to focus on the good parts
Anything you want girl, I will give complete
I am willing to fulfill any desire my significant other may have
I'd do anything, baby, to overcome defeat
I am committed to doing whatever it takes to keep our relationship together and overcome any obstacles
And don't say tomorrow come, it don't belong to anyone
The future is not guaranteed and shouldn't be taken for granted
C'mon now baby, hey, tonight baby, oh baby, hey c'mon
Encouraging my significant other to join me in enjoying the present moment and being together
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Green, Willie Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Letts Limo
Raw Talent.
Snagman67
Al Green was so damn good! Anyone can love this!
bremyz
That’s the most important thing, we’ll sad
Huck Barry
Jam!! No singer like him he was so soulful!!
Tom Ivers
I remember! Nice song
Terence Buie
Use play when I was yrs old and the song was long old. It was my parents record
bremyz
Thank you Coolio “I Remember” for bringing me here!
bremyz
When the kids call something “fire” I think this is what they mean
Falon Alford
Tonight baby
Jason Elias
Me too.