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.
I
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I did not want to be
But I'm new here
Will you show me around?
No matter how far gone you've gone
You can always turn around
No matter how far gone you've gone
Met a woman in a bar
Told her I was hard to get to know
And near impossible to forget
She said I had an ego on me
The size of Texas
Well I'm new here and I forget
Does that mean big or small?
No matter how far gone you've gone
You can always turn around
No matter how far gone you've gone
You can always turn around
And I'm shedding plates like a snake
it may be crazy
but I'm the closest thing I have
To a voice of reason
Turn around, turn around, turn around
And you may come full circle
And be new here again
Turn around, turn around, turn around
And you may come full circle
And be new here again
New here again
No matter how far gone you've gone
(New here again)
You can always turn around
(New here again)
No matter how far gone you've gone
(New here again)
You can always turn around
(New here again)
No matter how far gone you've gone
(New here again)
You can always turn around
(New here again)
No matter how far gone you've gone
(New here again)
You can always turn around
(New here again)
The first verse of Gil Scott-Heron's "I'm New Here" presents a paradox. He asserts that he didn't become someone new, but rather arrived in a new place. He didn't change who he was intrinsically, but he is searching for guidance and acceptance in a new environment. The repetition of "but I'm new here" highlights the contrast between who he is and the unfamiliar space he occupies. He is not oblivious to his identity, but he knows that he needs to find his bearings in this new place. This vulnerability is reflected in his request, "will you show me around?" He is reaching out for help, for someone to show him the way.
The second verse conveys a conversation between himself and a woman he meets in a bar. He tells her that he is difficult to get to know and impossible to forget, and she responds by calling him egotistical, stating that he has an ego the size of Texas. The repetition of "I forget" in the following line suggests that he is wondering if having a big ego is a good thing or not. This exchange illustrates how someone's perception of themselves can differ from how others perceive them. The chorus highlights the theme of redemption, indicating that no matter how far gone someone may feel, they can always turn their life around.
The final verse describes the process of "shedding plates like a snake," shedding his old self and becoming someone new, even if it seems irrational. He acknowledges that he may not have all the answers, but he is the closest thing he has to a "voice of reason." The repetition of "turn around" in the final lines reinforces the message that it's never too late to start again, to return to the beginning and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
I did not become someone different
I did not change who I was
That I did not want to be
I did not become someone who I did not want to be
But I'm new here
I am in a new environment
Will you show me around?
Can you guide me through this new place?
No matter how far gone you've gone
No matter how much you have strayed away from who you are
You can always turn around
You can always come back to who you are
Met a woman in a bar
I met a woman in a place where people drink
Told her I was hard to get to know
I informed her that I am not easy to understand
And near impossible to forget
And very difficult to be forgotten
She said I had an ego on me
She remarked that I had a large ego
The size of Texas
As big as the state of Texas
Well I'm new here and I forget
Since I am new here, I have a question
Does that mean big or small?
Can you clarify whether it means a large or small ego?
And I'm shedding plates like a snake
I am getting rid of old, outdated parts of myself
it may be crazy
It may seem absurd
but I'm the closest thing I have
But I am the only thing I have
To a voice of reason
To someone who can sound logical
Turn around, turn around, turn around
Look back at where you came from
And you may come full circle
You may return to where you started
And be new here again
And feel like a newcomer once more
No matter how far gone you've gone
No matter how much you have strayed away from who you are
(New here again)
When you return to where you started
You can always turn around
You can always come back to who you are
(New here again)
When you return to where you started
No matter how far gone you've gone
No matter how much you have strayed away from who you are
(New here again)
When you return to where you started
You can always turn around
You can always come back to who you are
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Bill Callahan, Jimmy Roach
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gata Barbieri
Oh my goodness....
EVERYTHING IS SEXY ABOUT THIS MAN ! ! !
His voice.! uno, dos...uno dos tres quatro 😍🥰
His face, front / profile 😍🥰
The way he sings🤩😍
Even the vein on his neck ....
But we:ll never know his moves while he would dance 😔😔
I'm sure God is so happy to hear you singing the bottle out there., Bill
Thank you for such an AMAZING SONG.,, one of the best songs ever he, here down on earth..
Simone Benny Palumbo
I'm an Italian 20 year old fella. After months of knowing about this song I've just decided to comment under one of its videos on YouTube. I had to leave my mark too on this masterpiece. Gil Scott-Heron you will never be forgotten and your legacy won't be either. It will forever enlighten new generations of people without ceasing, just like it's happened to me. People who have great music taste will always be here. Salute from the most beautiful country in the world, Italy. (2:22 a.m. of the 31st October, 2021). Peace.
Angela Stoutmire
Love this song music to the soul❤❤❤
Kitty Kat
❤🙏❤ theGhost Willis 💜 HELLO TO YOU 🥰 MY DEAR FAMILY AND YOUR COMMENT ABOUT """GIL SCOTT HERON""" IS 💯% TRUE AND JUST 💯% EXCELLENT ❤🙏🏽❤ PEACE AND LOVE AND BLESSING's TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALWAYS AND 💜🙏💜 TO ALL OF THIS WORLD's TRULY HONEST AND RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE FROM 🌞🥰 KATHERINE IN CHICAGO ILLINOIS ON TUESDAY MAY 23 , 2023 AT 9:57pm 💙 💙 💙 💙 AND THE MARATHON CONTINUE'S 💙 💙 💙 💙
Andres
Saludos desde país más genial, Argentina! 5/7/23
High Treestess
I love Gil Scott-Heron. He's one of a kind!!! Still in 2023 he's unique & his topics are still very relevant! ❤
Cynthia M. Russell
YES!
Joseph Tammaro
In my opinion Gil Scott Heron is without out a doubt one of the greatest of all time. RIP Gil ❤️
Angela Santiago
He's a legend always will be
Sinisa Sumina
Immortal.
barbermitz
The Red poet when america said to speak against the govt made you a red!