He began recording in 1970 with the LP Small Talk at 125th and Lenox with the assistance of Bob Thiele Flying Dutchman Records, co-writer Brian Jackson, Hubert Laws, Bernard Purdie (who later recorded "Delights of the Garden" with The Last Poets), Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles, Ron Carter and Bert Jones, all jazz musicians (see 1970 in music). The album included the aggressive diatribe against white-owned corporate media and middle-class America's ignorance of the problems of inner cities in songs such as Whitey On The Moon.
The 1971 Pieces of a Man used more conventional song structures than the loose, spoken word feel of his first, though he didn't reach the charts until 1975 with "Johannesburg". His biggest hit was 1978's "The Bottle", produced by Heron and longtime partner Brian Jackson, which peaked at #15 on the R&B charts (see 1978 in music).
In 2001, Gil Scott-Heron was sentenced to one to three years' imprisonment in New York State for possession of cocaine. While out of jail in 2002, he appeared on the Blazing Arrow album by Blackalicious. He was released on parole in 2003. On July 5, 2006, Scott-Heron was sentenced to two to four years in a New York State prison for violating a plea deal on a drug-possession charge by leaving a drug rehabilitation center. Scott-Heron's sentence was to run until July 13, 2009. He was paroled on May 23, 2007. The reason given for the violation of his plea was that the clinic refused to supply Scott-Heron with HIV medication. This story led to the presumption that the artist is HIV positive.
After his release, Scott-Heron began performing live again, starting with a show at SOBs in New York on September 13, 2007. On stage, he stated that he and his musicians were working on a new album and that he had resumed writing a book titled The Last Holiday, previously on long-term hiatus, about Stevie Wonder and his successful attempt to have the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. declared a federally recognized holiday in the United States.
He was arrested October 10, 2007, the day before a scheduled (but ultimately cancelled) second SOBs performance, on felony possession of cocaine charges. However, he has continued to make live appearances at various US venues during the course of 2008 and 2009, including further appearances at SOBs in New York. He has also stated in interviews that work is continuing on his new album, which will consist mainly of new versions of some of his classic songs plus some cover versions of other artists' work.
Having originally planned to publish The Last Holiday in 2003, before it was put on hold, Canongate Books now tentatively intend to issue it in January, 2011. The book was due to be previewed via a website set to be launched on April 1, 2009, but this did not appear.
Mark T. Watson, a student of Scott-Heron's work, dedicated a collection of poetry to Gil titled Ordinary Guy that contained a foreword by Jalal Mansur Nuriddin of The Last Poets. The book was published in the UK in 2004 by Fore-Word Press Ltd. Scott-Heron recorded one of the poems in Watson's book Black & Blue due for release in 2008 as part of the album Rhythms of the Diaspora by Malik & the OG's on the record label CPR Recordings.
Gil Scott-Heron released his new album I'm New Here on independent label XL Recordings on February 9, 2010. Produced by XL label owner Richard Russell, 'I'm New Here' is Scott-Heron's first album in thirteen years.The pair started recording the album in 2007, with the majority of the record being recorded over the last twelve months with engineer Lawson White at Clinton Studios in New York. In 2009, a new Gil Scott-Heron website, www.gilscottheron.net , was launched with a brand new track 'Where Did The Night Go' made available as a free download from the site.
In 2011, Scott-Heron released "We're New Here" a remix album which was a collaboration with Jamie xx, a member of the British indie band The xx. Scott-Heron died in New York City on May 27, 2011.
Everyday
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't seem to find
The words to say (to say)
I don't have strength to play the games
You need to play (to play)
I ask myself questions but it just ain't no use
'Cause it seems no matter, no matter, what I try to do
I'm still loving and living, lying and losing
Every day (Yeah, every day)
I've got a job
And to say the least
It don't mean a thing (it don't mean a thing)
It don't begin to compare
With the hurt and pair that I've seen (I've seen)
Sometimes I know I can't tell wrong from right
I don't seem to know day from night
It's no wonder that the whole world uptight
They're just loving and living, lying and losing
Every day (Yeah, every day)
Stop on the way home
From work to have a drink
Just to give myself a little time to think
'Cause it seems that more and more I start to realize
That the truth that I wanted
The love that I needed
Has somehow disappeared before my eyes
I can't seem to find the words I need to say (to say)
I can't find strength enough to play the games you need, you need to play (to play)
'Cause every day you got me, got me running from the truth
And no matter, no matter what I try to do
It seems that somehow it just ain't no use
I'm still loving and living, lying and losing
Can't seem to remember
God it's so confusing
I'm still loving and living, lying and losing
Every day (Yeah, every day)
The song "Everyday" by Gil Scott-Heron explores the struggles of everyday life, love, and loss. The lyrics portray the frustration of not being able to express oneself, and the feeling of constantly running from the truth. Gil Scott-Heron sings about working a job that doesn't mean anything compared to the hurt and pain he has seen in life. He describes not being able to tell right from wrong and not knowing if it's day or night. These feelings are universal, and the song speaks to anyone who feels like they are stuck in a rut and can't find a way out.
The chorus highlights the main theme of the song, which is how people are "loving and living, lying and losing every day." People play games with each other and themselves, and this results in lying to oneself and others, leading to losing what is truly important in life. The repetition of "every day" emphasizes the idea that these struggles are ongoing and never-ending.
Overall, "Everyday" is a song that reflects on the struggles of life, love, and loss that we all experience. The lyrics capture the feeling of being stuck in a cycle of pain and difficulty and struggling to find a way out of it.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't seem to find
I struggle with expressing my feelings
The words to say (to say)
I lack the capability to articulate my emotions
I don't have strength to play the games
I don't possess the stamina required to sustain a relationship
You need to play (to play)
I am unable to meet your expectations in this regard
Every day I seem to be running from the truth
I dodge the reality of the situation on a daily basis
I ask myself questions but it just ain't no use
I engage in self-reflection to no avail
'Cause it seems no matter, no matter, what I try to do
Despite my efforts, I can never seem to make things right
I'm still loving and living, lying and losing
I am in a constant state of loving and living falsely, resulting in loss
Every day (Yeah, every day)
This is a recurring and perpetual cycle
I've got a job
I am employed
And to say the least
At least that much is true
It don't mean a thing (it don't mean a thing)
My job is meaningless and irrelevant to my personal issues
It don't begin to compare
It pales in comparison
With the hurt and pair that I've seen (I've seen)
To the pain and suffering I have witnessed
Sometimes I know I can't tell wrong from right
At times, I am unable to discern between good and bad decisions
I don't seem to know day from night
I have lost touch with the concept of time
It's no wonder that the whole world uptight
It's understandable why the world is so tense and anxious
They're just loving and living, lying and losing
People engage in similar patterns of behavior as myself
Stop on the way home
I take a break on my commute back
From work to have a drink
To have a drink as a coping mechanism
Just to give myself a little time to think
To have a moment of contemplation
'Cause it seems that more and more I start to realize
I am slowly becoming aware that
That the truth that I wanted
The reality I yearned for
The love that I needed
The affection I craved
Has somehow disappeared before my eyes
Has vanished from my life
Can't seem to remember
I can't recollect
God it's so confusing
It's all so perplexing and unclear
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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