Al Green has released a cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts.””Recording ‘Everybody Hurts,’ I could really feel the heaviness of the song and I wanted to inject a little touch of hope and light into it,” Green said in statement. “There’s always a presence of light that can break through those times of darkness.”You can hear the track below.Accompanying Green is the Hi Rhythm Section, featuring Reverend Charles Hodges on organ, Leroy Hodges on bass, Archie “Hubbie” Turner on piano, Will Sexton on guitar and Steve Potts from Booker T & the M.G.’s on drums. The string section was arranged by Lester Snell.READ MORE: How Al Green Found Himself With ‘Let’s Stay Together'”Speaking on behalf of the entire band — we could not be more honored, more flattered, more humbled,” Michael Stipe of R.E.M. added. “This is an epic moment for us.”Al Green’s Recent Musical OutputGreen’s most recent album, Lay It Down, was released in 2008, which was produced by Questlove and featured guests like Anthony Hamilton, John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae. In the subsequent 16 years, Green has only released two singles: “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” in 2018 and a cover of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” in 2023.”I loved Lou’s original ‘Perfect Day,’ the singer said then (via Vibe magazine). “The song immediately puts you in a good mood. We wanted to preserve that spirit, while adding our own sauce and style.”Top 25 Soul Albums of the ’70sThere’s more to the decade than Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, but those legends are well represented.Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci