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.
The Needle
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And getting larger all the time
A whirlpool spelled disaster
For all the people who don't rhyme
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
Understand, understand, understand
A brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone now
And leave the hate and fear behind
All the millions spent for killing
Seems the whole world must be dying
All the children who go hungry
How much food we could be buying
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
Understand, understand, understand
A brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone now
And the leave the hate and fear behind
People wake up every morning
And simply push their lives aside
They seem to carry all their feelings
Crushed and crumbled up inside
Inside, inside, inside
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
So I went to see my father
Many questions on my mind
But he didn't want to answer me
God, the whole world must be blind
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him may someday go insane
Insane, insane, insane
Without a brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone now
And leave the hate and fear behind, yeah, behind
The song's title, "The Needle," is a reference to the metaphorical concept of trying to fit through the eye of a needle. This line is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the idea of struggling to belong and understand in a world that seems to demand conformity. The spinning circle and whirlpool imagery represent the chaos and destruction that can occur when people are unable to find their place and express themselves freely.
The lyrics speak to themes of social injustice, political corruption, and the feeling of being lost or marginalized in a society that places value on conformity and obedience. Scott-Heron highlights the senseless violence and waste that occurs when resources are poured into war and destruction, rather than into addressing poverty, hunger, and other pressing issues. The song urges listeners to wake up to the reality of their lives and resist the forces that seek to oppress and control them.
"The Needle" was released in 1971 as part of Gil Scott-Heron's album "Pieces of a Man." The album received critical acclaim for its innovative blend of poetry, jazz, and soul music, with Scott-Heron's spoken-word delivery and politically charged lyrics drawing comparisons to the work of Bob Dylan and The Last Poets. The album is considered a classic of the spoken-word genre and helped establish Scott-Heron as a significant influence on subsequent generations of musicians and activists.
Line by Line Meaning
A circle spinning faster
The world is moving and changing at an increasing pace
And getting larger all the time
The world is also expanding and growing
A whirlpool spelled disaster
This speed and size can be problematic and lead to chaos
For all the people who don't rhyme
For those who don't fit in or conform to societal norms
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Individuals who are excluded or marginalized due to their differences
Him who just don't understand
Those who lack comprehension of what's happening around them and why
A brand new sense of freedom
A feeling of liberation that can lead to positive changes
A brand new sense of time
A new way of looking at and valuing time
Him may go and stand alone now
Individuals may choose to embrace their differences and stand alone
And leave the hate and fear behind
Letting go of negative emotions and thriving
All the millions spent for killing
The immense amount of money being used for war and destruction
Seems the whole world must be dying
It appears as if the world is in decline
All the children who go hungry
The unfortunate reality of poverty and lack of access to food
How much food we could be buying
The resources being used for war could be redirected to help those in need
People wake up every morning
Everyday people, plagued by internal struggles, struggle to face the new day
And simply push their lives aside
Ignoring their own lives, goals, and aspirations
They seem to carry all their feelings
People bottle up their emotions and continue to suffer
Crushed and crumbled up inside
Internal struggles taking a toll, leading to loss of hope and despair
So I went to see my father
Seeking guidance or answers from those one looks up to
Many questions on my mind
Uncertainty and confusion about the state of the world and one's place in it
But he didn't want to answer me
A lack of guidance and understanding from those who came before us
God, the whole world must be blind
Commentary on how the world as a whole seems to be unaware and unresponsive to these issues
Him may someday go insane
A warning that being excluded from society can have detrimental effects
Without a brand new sense of freedom
Without hope or a fresh perspective on the world
Him may go and stand alone now
Encouragement to embrace one's individuality and stand up for oneself
And leave the hate and fear behind, yeah, behind
Letting go of negative emotions and moving forward towards a brighter future
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRIAN JACKSON, GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind