Grandma's Hands Gil Scott-Heron

Grandma's hands clapped to church on Sunday mornings Grandma's hands played the tambourine so well Grandma's hands used to issue out a warning She say, Scotty why you run so fast, Might fall on

Pieces Of A Man Gil Scott-Heron

Jagged jigsaw pieces Tossed about the room I saw my grandma sweeping With her old straw broom She didn't know what she was doing She could hardly understand That she was really sweeping up Pieces of a

On Coming from a Broken Home (Pt. 1) Gil Scott-Heron

a family that contradicts the concepts Heard the rules but wouldn't accept In addition, women folk raised me In addition, I was full grown before I knew I came from a broken home Sent to live with my grandma

No Knock Gil Scott-Heron

Your tomato face deadpan Your dead hands ending another freedom fan No knockin', head rockin', inter-shockin' Shootin', cussin', killin', cryin', lyin' And bein' white But if you're wise, no knocker You'll

The New Deal Gil Scott-Heron

off of the streets and took us to the cleaners In other words, we let up the pressure And that was all part of their plan And every day we allow to slip through our fingers Is playing right into their hands

Message To The Messengers Gil Scott-Heron

your 9-millimeter brothas...give them somthin' to think about Tell them you heard that this is the new word, they got to work that stuff out But somehow they feel in the wrong way with a gun in their hands

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Gil Scott-Heron

there will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news and no pictures of hairy armed women liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott

Get Out of the Ghetto Blues Gil Scott-Heron

It's a sign of the ages Markings on my mind Men at the crossroads At odds with an angry scab There can be no salvation There can be no rest Until all old customs Are put to the test The gods are al...

When You Are Who You Are Gil Scott-Heron

You always go out of your way to impress me Don't you know by now, ain't no need to impress me I'm impressed every time you smile When I feel like you mean to smile You can be so very beautiful Whe...

Sign of the Ages Gil Scott-Heron

I know you think you're cool Lord if they bus your kids to school I know you think you're cool Just cause they bus your kids to school But you ain't got a thing to lose You just got the get out of ...

Or Down You Fall Gil Scott-Heron

I sail alone in my paper ship The seat is made of fire I ride my horse of nuts and bolts We're made to never tire The world is just a simple circle I've got to keep on turning Yea, I've got to keep...

Is That Jazz? Gil Scott-Heron

Basie was never really commonplace He was always measures ahead. Ellington was more than number one For the music and things that he said. Bird was the word back when tenors were heard From Ka...

Lady Day And John Coltrane Gil Scott-Heron

Ever feel kinda down and out, you don't know just what to do-- Livin' all of your days in darkness let the sun shine through-- Ever feel that somehow, somewhere, you've lost your way-- And if you d...

Free Will Gil Scott-Heron

Find a shadow cast by rainbows There you'll meet the sage. Feeding rabbits bits of lettuce or cleaning out the cage He can give you more direction than you've ever known. Show you your bronzed baby...

The Vulture Gil Scott-Heron

Standing in the ruins Of another Black man's life, Or flying through the valley He's separating day and night. I am death, cried the Vulture. For the people of the light. Charon brought his raft Fr...

A Sign Of The Ages Gil Scott-Heron

It's a sign of the ages Markings on my mind Men at the crossroads At odds with an angry scab There can be no salvation There can be no rest Until all old customs Are put to the test The gods are al...

Save The Children Gil Scott-Heron

If you're driving through the country on a lazy afternoon Or you're watching your children playin' after school They seem to be so unaware of I know I know The things that they soon have to take ca...

Gun Gil Scott-Heron

Brother man nowadays livin' in the ghettoWhere the dangers sure enough real.Well when he's out late at night,and if he's got his head on right,Well, I lay you 9 to 5 he's walking with steel.Brother...

Omen Gil Scott-Heron

A giant eye zapped across the screen,With tentacle type feeler type thin roots,Reaching for someone maybe me,With large black block letters,Chiseled into the white around the pupils screaming,R e v...

Brother Gil Scott-Heron

We deal in too many externals, brotherAlways afro's, handshakes and dashikisNever can a man build a working structure for black capitalismAlways does the man read Mao or FanonI think I know you wou...

Comment #1 Gil Scott-Heron

Poem here says, Comment #1 uh Comment #2 is dynamite but Comment #1 is the one we decided to use here this evening because it makes a comment if you listen closely on what is now being advertised i...

Small Talk At 125th And Lenox Gil Scott-Heron

This is just like listeningto a conversation being held by the many people who congregate on one of the most popular blocksin the largest area of black AmericaDid you ever eat cornbread and black e...

The Subject Was Faggots Gil Scott-Heron

The subject was faggotsand the quote was "ain't nothin' happenin' but faggots and dope"Faggots and dope, faggots and faggots and faggots who line dot dot dot dot dotLike that, 34th street and 8th a...

Plastic Pattern People Gil Scott-Heron

Glad to get high and see the slow motion world.Just to reach, and touch, the half notes floating.Worlds spinning orbit quicker than 9/8ths Dave Brubeck.We come now, frantically searching for Thomas...

Whitey On The Moon Gil Scott-Heron

A rat done bit my sister Nell. (with Whitey on the moon) Her face and arms began to swell. (and Whitey's on the moon) I can't pay no doctor bill. (but Whitey's on the moon) Ten years from now I'll ...

Enough Gil Scott-Heron

it was not enough that we were bought and brought to this home as the slave, locked in the bowels of a floating shithouse, watching those we love eaten away by plauge and insanity, flesh falling li...

Paint It Black Gil Scott-Heron

Picture a man of nearly thirtyWho seems twice as old with clothes torn and dirtyGive him a job shining shoesOr cleaning out toilets with bus station crewsGive him six children with nothing to eatEx...

Everyday Gil Scott-Heron

MmmmmI can't seem to find the words to say (to say)I don't have strength to play the gamesyou need to play (to play)Every day I seem to be running from the truthI ask myself questions but it just a...

Billy Green Is Dead Gil Scott-Heron

The economy is in an uproarThe whole damn countries is in the redTaxi fares are going upYou say, "Billy Green is dead"?The government can't decide on bussin'or at least thats what they saidYea I he...

Home Is Where The Hatred Is Gil Scott-Heron

A junkie walking through the twilightI'm on my way homeI left three days ago, but no one seems to know I'm goneHome is where the hatred isHome is filled with pain and it,Might not be such a bad ide...

H2O Gate Blues Gil Scott-Heron

Heh, don't wanna be involved in this one, huh?This here is gonna be a blues number.But first I wanna do a little bit of background on the BluesAnd say what it is.Like, there are 6 cardinal colorsAn...

Jose Campos Torres Gil Scott-Heron

I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like thisI had confessed to myself all along, tracer of life, poetry trendsThat awareness, consciousness, poems that screamed of pain and the origin...

Bicentennial Blues Gil Scott-Heron

Some people think that America invented the bluesAnd few people doubt that America is the home of the bluesAs the bluesicians have gone all over the world carrying the blues messageAnd the world ha...

Back Home (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

"There's been a whole lot said about your city living They told us that the streets were paved with gold And some of us believed 'em, left our home and came looking But that was just another story ...

Your Daddy Loves You Gil Scott-Heron

Now sweet lil ol' brown eyed girl, hey, nowNow that you're sleepin'I've got a confession to make Of secrets that I've been keepin'Me and your mama had some problems,A whole lotta things on our mind...

Winter In America (Live) (Bonus Track) Gil Scott-Heron

"From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds Looking for the rain Looking for the rain Just like the ...

Your Daddy Loves You (Live) (Bonus Track) Gil Scott-Heron

Now sweet lil ol' brown eyed girl, hey, nowNow that you're sleepin'I've got a confession to make Of secrets that I've been keepin'Me and your mama had some problems,A whole lotta things on our mind...

Give Her A Call Gil Scott-Heron

Give Her a Call on the Spirits album, 1994.My life is one of movementI been running as fast as I canI've inherited trial and error directly from my old manBut I'm committed to the consequencesWheth...

Spirits Past Gil Scott-Heron

It's getting to be the time of yearWhen people once spoke of love and good cheerPeace on Earth and good will to all menAnd we all believed that there'd come a dayWhen peace would be much more than ...

Work For Peace Gil Scott-Heron

Back when Eisenhower was the President,Golf courses was where most of his time was spent.So I never really listened to what the President said,Because in general I believed that the General was pol...

Don't Give Up Gil Scott-Heron

Ahh lovely day……I never really thought of myself as a complex man,Or as someone who was really that hard to understand.But it would hardly take a genius to realize That I’ve always been a lot too a...

Ain't No Such Thing As Superman (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

You have understoodThe riddles of the agesYes and you have understoodThe universal nineYou have placed your footprints onThe everlasting sands of timeYes so tell me whyCan't you understand that the...

Winter In America (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

"From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds Looking for the rain Looking for the rain Just like the ...

Winter In America (With Brian Jackson) (Solo Ver.) (Bonus Track) Gil Scott-Heron

"From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds Looking for the rain Looking for the rain Just like the ...

Home Is Where The Hatred Is (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

"A junkie walking through the twilight I'm on my way home I left three days ago, but no one seems to know I'm gone Home is where the hatred is Home is filled with pain and it, Might not be such a b...

Bicentennial Blues (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

Some people think that America invented the bluesAnd few people doubt that America is the home of the bluesAs the bluesicians have gone all over the world carrying the blues messageAnd the world ha...

The Bottle (With Brian Jackson) Gil Scott-Heron

See that black boy over there, runnin' scaredhis ol' man's in a bottle.He done quit his 9 to 5 he drink full timeso now he's livin' in the bottle.See that black boy over there, runnin' scaredhis ol...

Save The Children (With Brian Jackson) (Live) (Bonus Track) Gil Scott-Heron

"If you're driving through the country on a lazy afternoon Or you're watching your children playin' after school They seem to be so unaware of I know I know The things that they soon have to take c...

Washington D.C. Gil Scott-Heron

Symbols of democracy, pinned up against the coastOuthouse of bureaucracy, surrounded by a moatCitizens of poverty are barely out of sightOverlords escape in the evening with people of the nightMorn...

Winter In America Gil Scott-Heron

"From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrimsAnd to the buffalo who once ruled the plainsLike the vultures circling beneath the dark cloudsLooking for the rainLooking for the rainJust like the cities...