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.
Give Her a Call
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My life is one of movement
I been running as fast as I can
I've inherited trial and error directly from my old man
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 get myself together
And it touches something deep inside
When she said she'd wait forever
Because forever's right up on me now
That is, if it ever comes at all
And when I'm back to my life
I think I'll give her a call.
The song Give Her a Call by Gil Scott-Heron is a melancholic reflection on the singer's life and the possibility of reaching out to an important person that has been waiting for him. The first verse establishes the idea of constant movement, as the singer is always running, inheriting the trial and error from his father. Despite this, he is willing to accept the consequences of his actions, good or bad, and upon his return to his life, he considers contacting a woman who has been patient with him.
The second verse reveals that this woman has been waiting for the singer to get himself together, which suggests that he has been struggling with something in his life. Her willingness to wait forever for him to do so touches him deeply, especially since he recognizes that forever might be right around the corner. This implies that the singer has a sense of urgency about his life and perhaps the realization that he needs to make some changes before it's too late.
The chorus repeats the idea of giving her a call when he is back to his life. It seems as if he is waiting for the moment when he has resolved his issues and can finally reach out to this woman who has been waiting patiently for him. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on life, time, and the importance of reaching out to those who matter to us.
Line by Line Meaning
My life is one of movement
My life is busy and constantly changing
I been running as fast as I can
I have been working very hard and moving quickly to accomplish my goals
I've inherited trial and error directly from my old man
I have learned from my father's mistakes and experiences
But I'm committed to the consequences
I am willing to accept the outcomes of my actions
Whether I stand or fall
No matter what happens, I will persevere and keep going
And when I get back to my life
After all my hard work, when I have some downtime
I think I'm gonna give her a call
I am going to call the woman I care about and have been thinking about
She's been waiting patiently
The woman I care about has been waiting for me for a long time
For me to get myself together
She has been waiting for me to sort out my life and get on the right track
And it touches something deep inside
Her patience and loyalty makes me emotional and grateful
When she said she'd wait forever
She promised that she would wait for me indefinitely
Because forever's right up on me now
It feels like 'forever' is quickly approaching, and I need to make a decision soon
That is, if it ever comes at all
I need to act quickly before it's too late and I lose her forever
And when I'm back to my life
After I have sorted out my priorities and personal matters
I think I'll give her a call.
I am going to call the woman I care about and express my feelings for her.
Contributed by Grayson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.