Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (but it will be blogged about)
Gil Scott-Heron was a Renaissance man. He's one of the early Black spoken word poets, singer, author and possibly the father of Rap. I dare you to listen and not be electrified.
"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was written in the early 70s as a poem/song. You can watch many versions on Youtube but it's helpful to have the lyrics and I think this clip has a strong visual aspect that illuminates the song. The original conga bongo drum version is more spoken word than the full band version below.
You can see Gil Scott-Heron talk about the song below (he begins "you have to change your mind first" which reminds me of my blog post on Bob Marley's Redemption song "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds"). In one interview he says he meant it as satire rather than social commentary.
I liked his memoir which was partially autobiographical and partially a story of his concert tour with Stevie Wonder. There is also a biography of him "Gil Scott-Heron: pieces of a man".
Gil Scott-Heron was a published writer and poet with two early 1970s novels and two books of poetry.
I also like this BBC documentary including interviews with Scott-Heron and commentary.
And, of course, there are his CDs of spoken word and song:
"I'm New Here" was his first, and very different, album in 15 years and post prison.
But the song I find most moving is the more personal "Home is Where the Hatred Is" which may have foreshadowed his own addiction issues.
Gil Scott-Heron – Home is Where the Hatred is
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
Gil Scott-Heron died in 2011.
One thought on “Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (but it will be blogged about)”
Great blog! Malik Al Nasir, who was mentored by Gil Scott-heron for 26 years will be in Toronto at Harbourfront Centre’s Kuumba festival:
Screening: https://www.facebook.com/events/200974863585654/
Hustlers’ Convention FILM Screening + Q&A – FREE!
Saturday, February 6 at 6:30pm
Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario
Concert: https://www.facebook.com/events/1058086817589145/
Kuumba – Dispatches from Tomorrow – Jalal Nuriddin
Saturday, February 6 at 9:00pm
Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Ontario