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.
Song of the Wind
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Futher than a thousand wires.
Blow wind blow
Transporter of the clouds.
Blow wind blow
Fanner of a thousand fires.
Can't you see that every place you go
The people got a need to understand
Won't you blow wind, blow?
Fly breeze fly
Like a symbol of a change.
Fly breeze fly
Cuz only you can conquer time.
Fly breeze fly
Between the sunshine and the rain.
Can't you see movin' on from place to place
That there's a need for peace written on everybody's face
Won't you fly breeze fly?
You alone have been to Africa
To hear the rhythms of the drums
And at the same time in America
You greet the morning sun.
I wanted to get word to my brothers
But I really didn't know how
Not until now...until now.
Blow wind blow
Please tell them don't give up the fight.
Blow wind blow
Through the calm and through the storm.
Blow wind blow
Between the pages of my life.
Can't you see traveling on the wings of time
That only you can look ahead
And see what's happenin' as clearly as you see behind
Won't you blow wind blow?
In "Song of the Wind," Gil Scott-Heron is expressing how the wind is a universal force that carries both physical and symbolic significance. The wind is a powerful force that moves beyond physical boundaries; it moves beyond "a thousand wires" and "the calm and the storm." It is a "transporter of the clouds" that blows without borders; its power is the same in every place it touches. Scott-Heron sees the wind as a bearer of peace and understanding. He sees a need for answers and understanding, and he is calling on the wind to help bring these needed elements to the people: "Can't you see that every place you go the people got a need to understand / The people want to know."
Scott-Heron continues, urging the wind to break through barriers and create change. The wind is an agent of change, a force able to "fly...like a symbol of change," flying "between the sunshine and the rain." There is a constant need for movement and progress, and he believes the wind can help bring this to fruition. The wind has the unique ability to travel back and forth through time, seeing what has been and what is to come. Scott-Heron emphasizes the need for the wind to carry messages of hope and support, telling those struggling not to give up the fight: "Blow wind blow / Please tell them don't give up the fight."
Line by Line Meaning
Blow wind blow
Instructing the wind to blow
Futher than a thousand wires.
Blow so far and wide that it's beyond the capabilities of technology
Transporter of the clouds.
Wind can move clouds and change the weather
Fanner of a thousand fires.
Wind can make small flames grow and spread
Can't you see that every place you go
The wind is everywhere and affects everything
The people got a need to understand
People want to make sense of things
The people want to know
People want answers to their questions
Won't you blow wind, blow?
Asking the wind to blow and help people find answers
Fly breeze fly
Asking the breeze to fly
Like a symbol of a change.
The breeze can symbolize change, and can bring change about
Cuz only you can conquer time.
The breeze has the power to change things over time
Between the sunshine and the rain.
The breeze is present in all weather conditions
Can't you see movin' on from place to place
The breeze moves constantly and travels everywhere
That there's a need for peace written on everybody's face
Everyone wants peace in their lives
Won't you fly breeze fly?
Asking the breeze to bring peace and harmony
You alone have been to Africa
Wind has traveled the world and visited different places
To hear the rhythms of the drums
The wind can hear the music of different cultures
And at the same time in America
The wind is present everywhere, including America
You greet the morning sun.
The breeze is present in the morning and helps usher in a new day
I wanted to get word to my brothers
The artist wants to communicate with other people
But I really didn't know how
The artist is struggling to find a way to communicate
Not until now...until now.
The artist has found a way to communicate through this song
Please tell them don't give up the fight.
Asking the wind to encourage people to keep fighting for their beliefs
Through the calm and through the storm.
Asking the wind to be present and supportive in all situations
Between the pages of my life.
The wind is a constant presence throughout the artist's life
Can't you see traveling on the wings of time
Time is always moving and the wind is a part of that journey
That only you can look ahead
The wind can see what's coming in the future
And see what's happenin' as clearly as you see behind
The wind has a clear understanding of both the past and the future
Won't you blow wind blow?
Asking the wind to continue to be a guiding force in the journey of life
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@billybond50
[Verse 3: Gil Scott-Heron]
You alone have been to Africa
To hear the rhythms of the drums
And, at the same time, in America
You greet the morning sun
I wanted to get word to my brothers
But I really didn't know how
And not until now
Until now
[Verse 4: Gil Scott-Heron]
Blow, wind, blow
Please tell ‘em, “Don't give up the fight”
And blow, wind, blow
Through the calm and through the storm
Blow, wind, blow
Between the pages of my life
Can't you see?
I’m traveling on the wings of time
That only you can look ahead
And see what's happening as clearly as you see behind
Won't you blow, wind, blow
Please blow, wind, blow
Please blow, wind, blow
Blow, wind, blow
@billybond50
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron]
Blow, wind, blow
Further than a thousand wires
Blow, wind, blow
Transporter of the clouds
Blow, wind, blow
Fanner of a thousand fires, yeah
Can't you see?
That every place you go
Well, the people got a need to understand
Yes, some people want to know
Won't you blow, wind, blow?
[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron]
Fly, breeze, fly
Like a symbol of the change
And fly, breeze, fly
‘Cause only you can conquer time
Fly, breeze, fly
Between the sunshine and the rain
Can't you see?
Moving on from place to place
That there's a need for peace
Written on everybody's face
Won't you fly, breeze, fly?
[Verse 3: Gil Scott-Heron]
You alone have been to Africa
To hear the rhythms of the drums
And, at the same time, in America
You greet the morning sun
I wanted to get word to my brothers
But I really didn't know how
And not until now
Until now
[Verse 4: Gil Scott-Heron]
Blow, wind, blow
Please tell ‘em, “Don't give up the fight”
And blow, wind, blow
Through the calm and through the storm
Blow, wind, blow
Between the pages of my life
Can't you see?
I’m traveling on the wings of time
That only you can look ahead
And see what's happening as clearly as you see behind
Won't you blow, wind, blow
Please blow, wind, blow
Please blow, wind, blow
Blow, wind, blow
@UniversalLove4Life
My father had this record in the basement and this was the first song that really let me know the depth of Brother Gil's soul and intelligence. Beautiful Brother rip.
@ulfisaksson4584
Hi...... This is music for ears who can bring tears!
@pugobio9871
Never been too hip to my man til i was almost 30. Good to know that people think the same way. Like readin a holy book. A reminder to the soul
@giovannicagni7311
Same here
@jayfatzthedude
One of the few musicians that embodied the search for truth and freedom within his music, R.I.P. now you have the ease and tranquility you yearned for on earth the you are truly missed Gil.
@JazzSoulGirl
Loved Gil and this song makes me want to cry. RIP
@busythinker1
His words still touch me the same like they did when I first heard them over 30 years ago......"Every closed Eye is not Sleep" RIP Brother Gil.
@matthewmoore1543
I really like that quote. Is that from Gil?? or where from? I'm curious...
@publicradiojunkie
I agree. ❤️
@kerwinstevenson775
Right On