Gil Scott-Heron Album

[No lyrics]

Looking for a way
Out of this confusion
I'm looking for a sign
Carry me home
Let me lay down by a stream
And let me be miles from everything
Rivers of my Fathers
Can you carry me home
Carry me home

Rub your soul against the concrete
And the concrete is my smile
Got to change my way of living
Got to change my style
Let me lay down by a stream
Miles from everything
Rivers of my fathers
Could you carry me home
Carry me home

Looking for a way
Got to find a way out of this confusion
Looking for a sign
Point my way home
Let me lay down by a stream
Miles from everything
Rivers of my fathers, rivers of my fathers
Carry me home, please carry me home
Carry me home, carry me home
Carry me home, carry me home

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.

Now sweet lil ol' brown eyed girl, hey, now
Now 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 minds
But lately, girl, we've been thinkin' that we were wastin' time
Nearly all the time, and

Your daddy loves you
Your daddy loves his girl
Your daddy loves you
Your daddy loves his girl, hey now

Now sweet lil ol' chocolate girl
Now that you're sleepin' I feel braver
I've got a confession to make
I'll sneak it in while you're dreamin'
Me and your mama had some troubles
There's been a whole lotta things on our minds
But lately when we look at you, we know that we've been wastin' time
Damn near all the time, and

Your daddy loves you
Your daddy loves his girl, hey, now
Said your daddy loves you
Said your daddy loves his girl, hey, now
Your daddy loves you, and your mama, too
Your daddy loves his girl
Loves his girl
Loves his girl

I've seen the red sun in the autumn
And I've seen the leaves turn to golden brown
I've seen the red sun in the autumn
And I've seen the leaves returning to golden brown
I've seen the red blood of my people
Heard them calling for freedom everywhere
If you've seen the red blood of your people
All you've got to do it
Reach out your hand and we'll take you there
Red stands for liberation
Red

I see the blackness of winter
I see death lurking in the trees
Yeah, I see the blackness of winter
And I see death lurking in the trees
I see the blackness of my people
You know they're calling for freedom everywhere
I've seen the blackness of my people
And all you got to do,
Brothers and sisters, reach out your hands,
We're gonna take you there
Black stands for liberation, yeah, aah

I've seen the green buds in the springtime
And somebody told me that means new life
I've seen the green buds in the springtime
Comin' up through the concrete
Somebody told me they symbolize new life
I've seen the green fields of my homeland
And I've heard people calling for freedom everywhere
It seems to me like if you've seen the green fields of your homeland
Even when you dream it, you can reach out your mind
And someone will take you there, cause
Green stands for liberation
Green

There are three colors on our flag now, brother
One red, one black, and there's one green
There are three colors on our flag now, sister
Can you tell your babies what they mean?
I'm talking ‘bout red and the black and green
Want you to keep on thinking ‘bout red and the black and green
I'm gonna keep on singin' ‘bout red and the black and green
And sooner than you think the whole world's gonna know just what we mean
When we say they stand for liberation
They stand for liberation

Talkin' bout red
Yes, and black
We're talkin' bout green
It's more than a dream if you dig what we mean

It stands for liberation
It stands for a brand new nation
It stands for liberation
It stands for a brand new nation
Yeah

[No lyrics]

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

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?

[No lyrics]

[No lyrics]

[No lyrics]

Smile

It's on a clear spring mornin'
There's not a cloud in the sky
And it's got me out here walkin' and wavin' to the ladies
As they stroll by
And I ain't forgot for a moment all the things I need to do
But when I see that old sun shinin', it make me feel like I can make it, too

Yes, and all I really wanna say
Is that the problems come and go,
But the sunshine seems to stay

And just look around
I think we've found
A lovely day

The flowers woke up bloomin'
And put on a color show just for me
The shadows dark and gloomy
I told them all to keep the hell away from me
Because I don't feel like believin' everything I do gon' turn out wrong
When vibrations I'm receiving say
“Hold on, brother, just you be strong”

Yes and all I really wanna say
Is that the problems come and go,
But the sunshine seems to stay
Hey

Just look around
I think we've found
A lovely day

Sometimes it rains
And I feel kinda strange
Because it seems like my problems begin
Without the sunshine on which I depend
And all that make me feel like I need to hear the sun say

Hey, just look around
I think we've found
A lovely day
I think we've found a lovely day
I think we've found a lovely, lovely
Don't it feel like a lovely day