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.
Home Is Where the Hatred Is
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 whyHang 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's song Home Is Where the Hatred Is narrates the life of a drug addict who is gradually losing himself to drugs. The opening line of the song, "A junkie walking through the twilight," sets the tone for the entire song that is about the lamenting of the most painful aspects of the addiction. The singer, in this case, describes his struggle with drug addiction as he heads home after a three-day binge. However, he says that "no one seems to know I'm gone," perhaps indicating the alienation that comes with drug addiction.
The chorus of the song is a powerful reflection on the nature of home as an entity that is filled with bitterness and pain. For the singer, home is where the needle marks try to heal his broken heart. It is a place where he lives inside his white powder dreams, once an empty vacuum that is now filled with his silent screams. The lyrics, 'Might not be such a bad idea if I never, never went home again,' imply that the thought of never returning home seems like a better idea than dealing with the constant pain and hurt that comes with addiction.
The bridge of the song involves the singer urging people to keep their distance from him, to "stand as far away from me as you can" and watch him die. He describes his soul as sick and implies that the death of his sick soul might be worth the world's attention.
Line by Line Meaning
A junkie walking through the twilight
I am a drug addict walking outside during the evening
I'm on my way home
I am heading towards the place where I am supposed to be living
I left three days ago, but no one seems to know I'm gone
I have been away from home for three days, but it seems like no one has even noticed my absence
Home is where the hatred is
I associate home with feelings of anger and resentment
Home is filled with pain and it,
My home is full of suffering and it,
Might not be such a bad idea if I never, never went home again
Perhaps it would be best for me to never return to my place of residence
Stand as far away from me as you can and ask me why
Stay as far away from me as possible while you inquire why
Hang on to your rosary beads
Hold on tightly to your rosary
Close your eyes to watch me die
Shut your eyes while I pass away
You keep saying, kick it, quit it, kick it, quit it
You repeatedly suggest that I quit my addiction, only to change your mind
God, but did you ever try
Have you ever made an attempt
To turn your sick soul inside out
To reveal the innermost distress of your soul
So that the world, so that the world
So that everyone, so that everyone
Can watch you die
Can observe you passing away
Home is where I live inside my white powder dreams
I associate my drug addiction with my place of residence
Home was once an empty vacuum that's filled now with my silent screams
My home used to be an empty space, but now it is filled with my unspoken cries of agony
Home is where the needle marks
I associate my drug use with being at home
Try to heal my broken heart
I use drugs to try to mend my shattered emotions
And it might not be such a bad idea if I never, if I never went home again
Perhaps it would be best for me to never return to my place of residence
Home again
Back to the place where I live
Home again
Returning to the location where I reside
Home again
Going back to my place of residence
Kick it, quit it
Stop my addiction, start my addiction again, make up your mind
Kick it, quit it
Quit my drug use, resume my drug use, decide which one you want me to do
Kick it, quit it
Stop taking drugs, start taking drugs again, choose one
Kick it, can't go home again
Abstain from drug use, but I cannot return to my place of residence
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MsColetha
Lyrics
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
Home again
Home again
You know I can't go home again
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Gil Scott Heron
Home Is Where the Hatred Is lyrics © Cayman Music, Bienstock Publishing Company, Carlin Music Corp - MORAL: Protect your heart, tell yourself the truth and deal with it soberly. Make GOOD Choices.
@arthurhilliard3213
I'm on day 4 fentanyl detox this has always been my go to song. I keep hyperventilating crying in the shower with this on repeat. Pray for me
@siddhant717
Good luck bro, hope you are doing well and are able to stay clean. :)
@waynebutfoy3759
God bless you and protect you. 1 Love ,,,
@madaienaa
This makes me so happy, you can do this!! You are so strong!
@twpnetwork5132
God bless you
@Donkglo
God deliver you brother. Love you.
@ckdub1888
I was on meth and heroin basically since I was not even 18. Now I’m 28 and I’m nearly 2 years clean. I feel this song so much
@saadashraf2827
congratulations
@rentalsnake6542
They say kick it, quit it, god but did you ever try??
@MKwaalDiop
Keep up the good work bruh, stay strong!!!!