Song of the Day 3/7: Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”

The U.S. House of Representatives censured Al Green yesterday. No, not Al Green the soul-singing preacher from Memphis. Al Green, the Democratic representative from Texas, who distinguished himself by heckling Donald Trump during his State of the Union speech the other night. Rep. Al Green’s full first name is Alexander. The Rev. Al Green’s is Albert, and he’s more likely to care about the state of Union Avenue.

Being censured by the House carries no actual consequences, though it will turn up on your Official Record, the one your junior-high assistant principal always threatened you with. Yet it still set off a firestorm among Democrats, who demonstrated their propensity for disarray by arguing over their 10 House members who voted to censure Alexander Green. I know what Albert Green would tell them: Let’s stay together, whether times are good or bad, happy or sad.

Green’s signature song, released in 1971, was his only No. 1 on the Hot 100, and the first of six No. 1s on the R&B chart. You can tell by a few of his vocal interjections that he’s not lip-synching in this video.

There are more than 200 recorded covers of “Let’s Stay Together,” by almost every soul singer and quite a few rockers, too. Never mind. This one belongs to Al Green.