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.
Morning Thoughts
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
The opening lines of Gil Scott-Heron's "Morning Thoughts" paint a vivid picture of the singer's life as a constant movement, and his longing to escape from something that he is not able to escape. He is 'just as fast as he can' but hasn't succeeded in getting away from whatever it is that he's trying to leave behind, much like his father before him. The next line is critical to the meaning of the song - "But I'm committed to the consequences, whether I stand or fall." It's as if the singer acknowledges the futility of his attempts at escape but is also resolute about seeing things through, no matter what the outcome.
The chorus of the song is where the singer reveals the primary motivation behind his perpetual motion, "I think I'm gonna give her a call." He's been away from his loved one for a long time, and she's been patiently waiting for him to put his life in order. Her commitment to him inspires something deep inside him, as it's evident from these lines - "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." There is a sense of urgency in these lines; he feels like time is running out; however, he is unsure if it's even possible for him to put things right.
"Morning Thoughts" is a song about longing and desperation, about the inevitability of consequences, and the need for human connection. It's a song about the things we try to escape and those that we can't leave behind. Through its lyrics, Gil Scott-Heron beautifully captures the complexities of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
My life's been one of movement, i've been travelling
I have always been on the move, constantly travelling.
Just as fast as i can
As quickly as possible.
But i've been no more successful at getting away
I have not been successful in escaping my problems.
Than was my old man
Neither was my father able to escape his problems.
But i'm committed to the consequences
I am willing to face the consequences of my actions.
Whether i stand or fall
Regardless of whether I succeed or fail.
And when i get back to my life,
When I return to my normal life.
I think i'm gonna give her a call
I plan on calling her.
She's been waiting patiently
She has been waiting for me without complaint.
For me to put my trip together
For me to organize my life.
And it touches something deep inside
It deeply moves me.
When she says she'd wait forever
When she tells me she would wait for me indefinitely.
But forever's right upon me now
However, forever seems to be approaching quickly.
That is, if it ever comes at all
Although, forever may never actually come.
And when i get back to my life
Once I have returned to my normal routine.
I think i'm gonna give her a call.
I intend to make a phone call to her.
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.