Gil Scott-Heron

[fox69]

"King Alfred Plan"

"King Alfred Plan"


Brothers and sisters there is a place for you in America
Places are being prepared and readied night and day, night and day
The white boy's plan is being readied night and day, night and day
Listen close to what rap say bout traps like Allenwood P.A.
Already in D.C. to preventatively detain you and me
How long you think it's going to be before even our dreams ain't free
You think I exaggerate check out Allenwood P.A.
And night and day, night and day - the white boy's plotting night and day, night and day
The Jews and Hitler come to mind
The thought of slavery far behind
But white paranoia is here to stay
The white boy's scheming night and day, night and day
What you think bout the King Alfred Plan
You ain't heard; where you been man
If I may paraphrase the government notice reads:
"Should there at anytime become a clear and present danger initiated by any radical element threatening the operation of the government of the United States of America, members of this radical element shall be tranported to dentention centers until such time as their threat has been eliminated - code KING ALFRED"
Bullshit I bet you say there ain't no Allenwood P.A.
And people ain't waiting night and day, night and day, night and day
There will be without the Motown sound and thunderbird
Wollowing in the echoes of Mlcolm's words
There must be black unity, there must be black unity
For in the end unity will be thrust upon us and we upon it and each other
Lock in cages penned, hemmed in shoulder to shoulder - arms out-stretched
For just a crust of bread,watermelon, mirages and oasis that does not exist
Cuntured up by the bubbling stinch of unwash bodies and unsanitary quarters
Concrete and bobbed-wire, babies screaming
Stumbling around in a mental circle because you never cared enough to be black
In the end unity will be thrust upon us - lanketed, stipled
A salty taste in your mouth from blood oozing from cracks and wooly heads
Red pools becoming thicker than syrup slow down your face
Spurs matte from the life force sprung loose from wells
Welled deep by the enforcers of mock justice of the red, white and blue
In the end unity will be thrust upon us
Let us unite because of love and not hate
Let us unite on our own and not because of bobbed-wired death
You dare not ignore the things I say
Whitey's waiting night and day, night and day, night and day, night and day

 

[fox69]

"Lady Day And John Coltrane"

"Lady Day And John Coltrane"


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 don't get help quick you won't make it through the day--
Could you call on Lady Day,
Could you call on John Coltrane
Now ‘cause they'll
They'll wash your troubles
Your troubles your troubles
Your troubles away!

Plastic people with plastic minds are on their way to plastic homes--
No beginning there ain't no ending just on and on and on and on and on, it's
All because they're so afraid to say that they're alone--
Until our hero rides in, rides in on his saxophone.
Could you call on Lady Day,
Could you call on John Coltrane
Now ‘cause they'll,
They'll wash your troubles,
Your troubles, your troubles
Your troubles away!

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 don't get help quick you won't make it through the day--
Could you call on Lady Day,
Could you call on John Coltrane
Now ‘cause they'll,
They'll wash your troubles,
Your troubles, your troubles
Your troubles away!

Your troubles, your troubles
Your troubles away...

Your troubles, your troubles
Your troubles...

 

[fox69]

"Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)"

"Liberation Song (Red, Black And Green)"


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

 

[fox69]

"Lovely Day"

"Lovely Day"


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

 

[fox69]

"Madison Avenue"

"Madison Avenue"


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

 

[fox69]

"Me And The Devil"

"Me And The Devil"


Early this morning
when you knocked
upon my door [2x]
An I say
Hello Satan
I believe its time to go
Me and the Devil
Walking side by side [2x]
And I'm gonna see my woman
'til I get satisfied
See See
You don't see why
Like you'a dog me 'round
Now babe you know I ain't do it like that
Say I
Don't see why
people dawging me around
It must be that old old evil spirit
that spirit drop me down in your ground
you may
bury my body
down by the highway side
I don't really care where you bury me when I'm gone
I'm gone
you may bury my body
down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
can greyhound
bus that ride

 

[fox69]

"Message To The Messengers"

"Message To The Messengers"


Hey, yeah, we the same brothas from a long time ago
We was talkin' about television and doin' it on the radio
What we did was to help our generation realize
They had to get out there and get busy cause it wasn't gonna be televised
We got respect for you rappers and the way they be free-weighin'
But if you're gon' be teachin' folks things, make sure you know what you're sayin'
Older folks in our neighborhood got plenty of know-how
Remember if it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be out here now
And I ain't comin' at you with no disrespect
All I'm sayin' is that you damn well got to be correct
Because if you're gonna be speakin' for a whole generation
And you know enough to try and handle their education
Make sure you know the real deal about past situations
It ain't just repeatin' what you heard on the local TV stations
...Sometimes they tell lies and put 'em in a truthful disguise
But the truth is that's why we said it wouldn't be televised
They don't know what to say to our young folks, but they know that you do
And if they really knew the truth...why would they tell you?
The first sign is peace, tell all them gun totin' young brothas
That the man is glad to see us out there killin' one another
We raised too much hell when they was shootin' us down
So they started poisoning our minds tryin' to jerk us all around
And they tell us they got to come in and control our situation
They want half of us on dope and the other half in incarceration
If the ones they want dead ain't killed by what they instigated
They put some dope on a brotha's body and claim it was drug related
Tell them drug related means there don't need to be no investigation
Or at least that's the way they're gon' play it on the local TV stations
All 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
They feel real independent...but they just pullin' contracts for the man
Five and five will tell you it's hopeless out there on the avenue
But if they really knew the truth...why would they tell you?
And if they look at you like you're insane
And they start callin' you scarecrow and say you ain't got no brain
Or start tellin' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks had finally co-opted your game
Or worse yet implying that you don't really know...
That's the same thing they said about us...a long time ago
Young rappers, one more suggestion before I get out of your way
But I appreciate the respect you give me and what you got to say
I'm sayin' protect your community and spread that respect around
Tell brothas and sistas they gotta calm that bullshit down
Cause we're terrorizin' our old folks and brought fear into our homes
And they ain't got to hang out with the senior citizens
Just tell them, “Dammit...leave the old folks alone”
And we know who rippin' off the neighborhood, tell them, “That BS has got to stop!”
Tell them you're sorry they can't handle it out there
But they got to take the crime off the block
And if they look at you like you're insane
And they start callin' you scarecrow and say you ain't got no brain
Or start tellin' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks had finally co-opted your game
Or worse yet saying that you really don't know...
That's the same thing they said about me a long time ago
And if they tell folks that you finally lost your nerve
That's the same thing they said about us, when we said, “Johannesburg”
But I think the young folks need to know, that things don't go both ways
You can't talk respect of every other song or just every other day
What I'm speakin' on now is the raps about the women folks
On one song she's your African Queen on the next one she's a joke
And you ain't said no words that I haven't heard, but that ain't no compliment
It only insults eight people out of ten and questions your intelligence
Four letter words or four syllable words won't make you important
It'll only magnify how shallow you are and let everybody know it
And if they look at you like they think you insane
Or they call you scarecrow thinkin' you ain't got no brain
Or start tellin' folks that you suddenly gone lame
Or that white folks have finally co-opted your game
Or you really don't know...They said that about me a long time ago
If they finally start to tell people that you lost your nerve
That's what they said about Johannesburg
You ain't insane...you have got a brain
You haven't gone lame; you have got your game
Remember...keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
Keep the nerve
...I'm talkin' about peace

 

[fox69]

"Morning Thoughts"

"Morning Thoughts"


My life's been one of movement, I've been traveling
Just as fast as I can
But I've been no more successful at getting away
Than was my old man
But I'm committed to the consequences
Whether I stand or fall
And when I get back to my life,
I think I'm gonna give her a call

She's been waiting patiently
For me to put my trip together
And it touches something deep inside
When she says she'd wait forever
But forever's right upon me now
That is, if it ever comes at all
And when i get back to my life
I think I'm gonna give her a call.

 

[fox69]

"Must Be Something"

"Must Be Something"


Must be somethin'
Must be somethin' we can do
Must be somethin'
Must be somethin' we can do
We didn't come all this way just to give up
We didn't struggle all this time to say we've had enough
Had enough

Must be somethin'
Must be somethin' we can do
Must be somethin'
Must be somethin' we can do
We didn't come all this way in the dead of night
To give up now that we can see the light
See the light

Just like music
Just like music that we make
Fills the spirit
And helps to see a clearer day

I'll tell you somethin'
I'll tell you somethin' you can do
Keep on movin'
Keep on movin' for what's true

I'll tell you somethin'
I'll tell you somethin' you can do
Keep on movin'
Keep on movin' for what's true

 

[fox69]

"My Cloud"

"My Cloud"


And when the morning comes if there’s been no rest for you...
We’ve been friends long enough you should know what to do...
If that’s how you start your day...
Why keep running away...
When you could, come and join me on my cloud…

And in the afternoon if things are still the same...
You’ve always held a key to affect a change...
But what more need I say when you’re running away from me…
When you could come and join me on my cloud…

How you must wonder in the evening...
How everything got so turned around…
Please don't let it get you down...
All you got to do...
Is just come and join me...
On my cloud...

And I’ve saved a special place right here next to me...
And it’s always been you’re space I’m sure that you will see...
You could always count on me...
To love you and let you be Free…
So why not come and...
Join me...
You could come and...
Join me...
You can come and join me on my cloud…