Take Me to the River
Al Green
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I don't know why I love you like I do After all these changes that you put me through You stole my money and my cigarettes And I haven't seen hide nor hair of you yet I wanna know Won't you tell me Am I in love to stay? Hey hey Take me to the river And wash me down Won't you cleanse my soul Put my feet on the ground I don't know why she treated me so bad After all the things that we could have had Love is a notion that I can't forget My sweet sixteen I will never regret I wanna know Won't you tell me Am I in love to stay? Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah Hold me, love me, please me, tease me Till I can't, till I can't take no more Take me to the river I don't know why I love you like I do After all the things that you put me through The sixteen candles burning on my wall Turning me into the biggest fool of them all I wanna know Oh won't you tell me Am I in love to stay? I wanna know Take me to the river I wanna know I want you to dip me in the water I wanna know Won't you wash me in the water Wash me in the water Wash me in the water Won't you wash me in the water Feeling good
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Written by: Al Green, Mabon Lewis Hodges
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
6 facts about this song
Origin"Take Me to the River" is a song written by singer Al Green and his guitarist Mabon "Teenie" Hodges. Both of them are also the original performers of the song.
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Al Green's VersionAl Green's version of "Take Me to the River" was recorded in 1974.
- It was released on his eighth studio album "Al Green Explores Your Mind."
- Despite being one of Green's most popular tracks, it surprisingly never graced the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
- The song is acknowledged for its Southern Soul innovations and contributed to the "Memphis sound" movement.
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Talking Heads' VersionThe new wave band, Talking Heads, covered "Take Me to the River" in 1978.
- Their version adopted a more funky and upbeat style, compared to Al Green's soulful original.
- Their version of the song was a hit and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it the band's first top 30 hit.
- The song featured on their second studio album "More Songs About Buildings and Food."
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Impact and RecognitionOver the years, the song has been covered by various artists from different genres, highlighting its widespread appeal and influence.
- This track was rated number 117 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- In 1999, BMI named the song as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Century.
- In 2004, "Take Me to the River" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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In Popular CultureThe song was referenced in the title of a 2008 documentary about soul music, called "Take Me to the River: The Soul of Memphis."
- Annie Lennox and Steven Tyler have also performed covers of "Take Me to the River."
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Lyrics InterpretationWhile Green's version is considered a plea to God, the Talking Heads' reinterpretation gives off an intricate sense of romanticism and secularism.
- The lyrics can be interpreted as expressing a longing for spiritual redemption and salvation.
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Citation
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"Take Me to the River Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/2289351/Al+Green/Take+Me+to+the+River>.
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