Gil Scott-Heron Album

See that black boy over there, runnin' scared
his ol' man's in a bottle.
He done quit his 9 to 5 to drink full time
so now he's livin' in the bottle.
See that Black boy over there, runnin' scared
his ol' man got a problem
Pawned off damn near everything, his ol'
woman's weddin' ring for a bottle.
And don't you think it's a crime
when time after time, people in the bottle.

See that sista, sho wuz fine before she
started drinkin' wine
from the bottle.
Said her ol' man committed a crime
and he's doin' time,
so now she's in the bottle.
She's out there on the avenue, all by herself
sho' needs help from the bottle.
Preacherman tried to help her out,
she cussed him out and hit him in the head with a bottle.
And don't you think it's a crime
when time after time, people in the bottle.

See that gent in the wrinkled suit
he done damn near blown his cool
to the bottle
He wuz a doctor helpin' young girls along
if they wuzn't too far gone to have problems.
But defenders of the dollar eagle
Said "What you doin', Doc, it ain't legal,"
and now he's in the bottle.
Now we watch him everyday tryin' to
chase the pigeons away
from the bottle.
And don't you think it's a crime
when time after time, people in the bottle.

What's the word?
Tell me brother, have you heard
From Johannesburg?
What's the word?
Sister/woman have you heard
From Johannesburg?
They tell me that our brothers over there
Are defyin' the Man.
We don't know for sure because the news we get
Is unreliable, man.
Well I hate it when the blood starts flowin',
But I'm glad to see resistance growin'.
Somebody tell me what's the word?
Tell me brother, have you heard
From Johannesburg?
They tell me that our brothers over there
Refuse to work in the mines.
They may not get the news but they need to know
We're on their side.
Now sometimes distance brings misunderstanding,
But deep in my heart I'm demanding:
Somebody tell me what's the word?
Sister/woman have you heard
'Bout Johannesburg?
I know that their strugglin' over there
Ain't gonna free me,
But we all need to be strugglin'
If we're gonna be free.
Don't you wanna be free?

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 cities staggered on the coastline
Living in a nation that just can't stand much more
Like the forest buried beneath the highway
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
Winter in America
Yes and all of the healers have been killed
Or sent away, yeah
But the people know, the people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul, Lord knows
From Winter in America

The Constitution
A noble piece of paper
With free society
Struggled but it died in vain
And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
Looks like it's hoping
Hoping for some rain

And I see the robins
Perched in barren treetops
Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor
But just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
It's winter in America
And all of the healers have been killed
Or been betrayed
Yeah, but the people know, people know
It's winter, Lord knows
It's winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your souls
From Winter in America

And now it's winter
Winter in America
And all of the healers done been killed or sent away
Yeah, and the people know, people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows, nobody knows
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save

[No lyrics]

the ground beneath my feet
i know was made for me
there is no any one place where I belong.
my spirit's meant to be free
and soon now everyone will see
life was made for us to be what we wanna be!

IT'S YOUR WORLD
it's yours and yours and yours
and what you see
was not meant for me.
IT'S YOUR WORLD
but you don't have to be lonely
'cause in your world
you are truly free!

the thoughts that fill my mind
are a very special kind
because they're home to me and me alone.
and then i realize
that we all have a home inside
that was meant for us to be what we wanna be

it's your world
it's yours and yours and yours
and what you see
was not meant for me
it's your world
but you don't have to be lonely
'cause in your world --- you are truly free!

music of life fills my soul
music of love makes me feel whole
as human history unfolds before my eyes.
my spirit's meant to be free
and soon now everyone's will be.
it's your right to be whatever you wanna be!

IT'S YOUR WORLD
it's yours and yours and yours
and what you see
was not necessarily meant for me
IT'S YOUR WORLD
but you don't have to be lonely
'cause in your world
you are truly free!

IT'S YOUR WORLD
it's yours and yours and yours
and what you see
it was not meant for me
IT'S YOUR WORLD
but you don't have to be lonely
'cause in your world
you are truly free!

(refrain)
you are truly free
to be what you wanna be
you are truly free
to be what you wanna be
you are truly free
to be what you wanna be
you are truly free
to be what you wanna be

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 bad idea if i never, never went home again

stand as far away from me as you can and ask me why
hang on to your rosary beads
close your eyes to watch me die
you keep saying, kick it, quit it, kick it, quit it
God, but did you ever try
to turn your sick soul inside out
so that the world, so that the world
can watch you die

home is where I live inside my white powder dreams
home was once an empty vacuum that's filled now with my silent screams
home is where the needle marks
try to heal my broken heart
and it might not be such a bad idea if I never, if I never went home again
home again
home again
home again
kick it, quit it
kick it, quit it
kick it, quit it
kick it, can't go home again

I heard I needed to travel.
"Go out and spread the word" people say.
So I'm kickin' up dust and gravel
on a racetrack near Marseilles.

If it all sounds like a mystery
things that you just don't understand
let me give you a little bit of history
about me and the Midnight Band:

On a racetrack in France
everybody started clapping their hands.
It seemed like a long way fron Union Station.

On a racetrack in France
everybody started to dance.
I was a long way from home but those were good vibrations.

Me and the bothers no parlez-vous.
French was way down on my list.
(But) the Africans said "Merci beaucoup!"
'cause the rhythm's what they missed.

The people got the message
from the music that we play.
It really shouldn't a been no surprise
that we all got down that day:

On a racetrack in France
everybody got to clapping their hands.
It seemed like a long way from Union Station.

On a racetrack in France
Everybody started to dance.
I was a long way from home but those were good vibrations.

Agent told me where I'm going
Tom and Keg Leg got the map
The Steelers on my color tv
Henry riding in my lap
Say Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Lord what would my grandma say
To see me out here loving music
So much that I live this way
But then again she's right here with me
Watching every place I go
Oh did you tell me it was my move
I guess it is
Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Hello Sunday, Hello Road

Manager we had just couldn't manage
So Midnight managed right alone
And it's got me out here with my brothers
And that's the thing that keeps me strong
Say Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Seems like we're coming up on a town
Children on their way to Sunday school
And I'm tippin' my hat to Miss Chocolate Brown
And it was on a Sunday that I met my old man
I was twenty-six years old
Naw but it was much too late to speculate
Say Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Hello Sunday, Hello Road

And I've been digging life through my window
And that's the way it's always been
Snow in Nashville, rain in Philly
No matter, get back on the bus again
Say Hello Sunday, Hello Road
Let me try the optimistic side
'Cause me and Stick done seen a lot of babies
Dancing to "The Bottle" while we ride
It's sure nuff good being with the brothers
Carrying good news wherever we go
Hey let me get myself together man
Say Hello Sunday, Hello Road

It stands out on a highway
like a Creature from another time.
It inspires the babies' questions,
"What's that?"
For their mothers as they ride.
But no one stopped to think about the babies
or how they would survive,
and we almost lost Detroit
this time.
How would we ever get over
losing our minds?
Just thirty miles from Detroit
stands a giant power station.
It ticks each night as the city sleeps
seconds from anniahlation.
But no one stopped to think about the people
or how they would survive,
and we almost lost Detroit
this time.
How would we ever get over
over losing our minds?
The sherrif of Monroe county had,
sure enough disasters on his mind,
and what would karen Silkwood say
if she was still alive?

That when it comes to people's safety
money wins out every time.
and we almost lost Detroit
this time, this time.
How would we ever get over
over losing our minds?
You see, we almost lost Detroit
that time.
Almost lost Detroit
that time.
And how would we ever get over...
Cause odds are,
we gonna lose somewhere, one time.
Odds are
we gonna lose somewhere sometime.
And how would we ever get over
losing our minds?
And how would we ever get over
losing our minds?
Didn't they, didn't they decide?
Almost lost Detroit
that time.
Damn near totally destroyed,
one time.
Didn't all of the world know?
Say didn't you know?
Didn't all of the world know?
Say didn't you know?
We almost lost detroit...

[No lyrics]

He was groovin'
and that was when he coulda sworn
the room was movin'
But that was only in his mind
He was sailin'
he never really seemed to notice
vision failin'
'cause that was all part of the high
Sweat was pourin'
he couldn't take it
The room was exploding
he might not make it.
Angel Dust Please, children would you listen.
Angel Dust Just ain't where it's at.
Angel Dust You won't remember what you're
missin', but down some dead end streets
there ain't no turnin' back.

They were standin'
everybody in a circle
the whole family
listening to the preacher's words
Sis was cryin'
She alone held all the secrets
'bout his dyin'
tears fallin' to earth
Maybe her fault
He was so trusting
God only knew why
they was dustin'!
Angel Dust Please children would you listen.
Angel Dust Just ain't where it's at.
Angel Dust You won't remember what you're
missin', but down some dead end streets
there ain't no turnin' back.

[No lyrics]

Pretty pictures in your favorite magazines
span the distance between you and Mr Clean(?)
You can take part in the All-American dream
just fill your house up with a million
products you don't need.

You don't ever have to use them.
Buying is all that's asked of you.
But if it's so Goddamn incredible
you can't believe it's true
it's Madison Avenue

Make it all commercial
there ain't nothin' folks won't buy
New fuel to fire up the monsters of Free Enterprise
Gizmos and gadgets, batteries to make them run
Just give your check up at the first of every month

And don't wake up to the uselessness
'till your whole life is overdue.
'Cause if it's so Goddamn incredible
you can't believe it's true
it's Madison Avenue

They can sell sand to a man livin' in the desert.
They can sell tuna to the chicken of the sea...
You are surrounded and confounded and
dumbfounded by the happenings yes it's true
it's Madison Avenue

Did you hear that rumble? Did you hear that sound?
Well it wasn't no eartquake, but it shook the ground.
It made me think about power, like it or not:
I got to work for earth for what it's worth,
'Cause it's the only earth we've got.

Shut 'um Down!
If that's the only way to keep them from melting down!
Shut 'um Down!
If that's the only way to keep them from melting down!

I've heard a lot about safety and human error.
A few dials and gauges is just a wing and a prayer.
If you need perfection, and that's what it takes,
Then you don't need people, can't use people,
You know people make mistakes...

Shut 'um Down!
If that's the only way to keep them from melting down!
Shut 'um Down!
If that's the only way to keep them from melting down!

[No lyrics]