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 Prisoner
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hounded by hatred and trapped by fear
I'm in a box, I've got no place to go
If I follow my mind, I know I'll slaughter my own.
Help me I'm the prisoner, won't you hear my plea
I need somebody, yeah, to listen to me
I beg you, brothers and sisters, I'm counting on you (yeah).
Black babies in the womb are shackled and bound
Chained by the caveman who keeps beauty down
Smacked on the ass when they're squalling and wet
Heir to a spineless man who never forgets
Never forgets that he's a prisoner, can't you hear my plea
Cause I need somebody, Lord knows, to listen to me
I'm a stranger to my son who wonders why his daddy runs.
On my way to work in the morning when I don't give a damn
Can't nobody (x4) see just who in hell I am
Hemmed in by a suit, yes all choked up in a tie
Ain't no wonder some times near morning I hear my woman cry
She knows her man is a prisoner, won't you hear my plea
Yeah, cause I need somebody, wooo, to listen to me
My woman she don't say but she hates to see her man chained this way
Yeah, help me, I'm the prisoner
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm the prisoner
Gil Scott-Heron's song "The Prisoner" is a poignant account of a man's struggle to break free from the chains of social and psychological suppression. The song speaks about the feeling of repression and suffocation that the singer is experiencing due to his identity and circumstance. The words "Here I am, after so many years hounded by hatred and trapped by fear," express his deep despair and sense of entrapment.
The song is a plea to be heard and understood by society, "Help me I'm the prisoner, won't you hear my plea, I need somebody, yeah, to listen to me." The lyrics touch upon issues of racism and oppression, with lines such as "Black babies in the womb are shackled and bound, Chained by the caveman who keeps beauty down." The singer feels trapped by societal expectations and suffocated by his own identity, "If I follow my mind, I know I'll slaughter my own."
Overall, "The Prisoner" is a moving commentary on the complexities of identity and society's expectations. It conveys the urgency of being heard and understood, and the devastating consequences that can arise when people feel isolated and trapped.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I am, after so many years
I am still here, after many years of struggling in a system that oppresses me.
Hounded by hatred and trapped by fear
I am constantly pursued by hatred from those who seek to maintain their power and trapped by fear of what they might do to me.
I'm in a box, I've got no place to go
I am trapped in a system that limits my mobility and options for change.
If I follow my mind, I know I'll slaughter my own
I fear that if I take up violent action in response to my oppression, I will only harm my own community.
Help me I'm the prisoner, won't you hear my plea
I am in desperate need of help as a prisoner of this oppressive system.
I need somebody, yeah, to listen to me
I need someone to hear me and give me a voice.
I beg you, brothers and sisters, I'm counting on you (yeah)
I appeal to my community to support me in my fight against oppression.
Black babies in the womb are shackled and bound
The system of oppression begins before birth for black children.
Chained by the caveman who keeps beauty down
They are kept down by those who cling to outdated and harmful ideas of beauty and worth.
Smacked on the ass when they're squalling and wet
The violence and trauma inflicted on black children begins at birth.
Heir to a spineless man who never forgets
They inherit a legacy of oppression from men who have never forgotten their own place in the hierarchy.
Never forgets that he's a prisoner, can't you hear my plea
They too are prisoners of this oppressive system.
Cause I need somebody, Lord knows, to listen to me
They too need someone to hear them and give them a voice.
I'm a stranger to my son who wonders why his daddy runs
The consequences of this oppression are felt in families, where black fathers struggle to explain their fear and need to flee from the system.
On my way to work in the morning when I don't give a damn
I feel numb and hopeless on my daily commute to a job that I don't care about.
Can't nobody (x4) see just who in hell I am
In this system, I feel invisible and unknown to those around me.
Hemmed in by a suit, yes all choked up in a tie
Even the clothes I wear feel like a burden and symbol of my confinement.
Ain't no wonder some times near morning I hear my woman cry
My partner too feels the weight of oppression and sees the pain it causes me.
She knows her man is a prisoner, won't you hear my plea
She too recognizes my situation and calls out for help on my behalf.
My woman she don't say but she hates to see her man chained this way
My partner hates to see me suffer in this oppressive system.
Yeah, help me, I'm the prisoner
I am still in need of help as a prisoner of this oppressive system.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN JACKSON, GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@obediahstrong
one of the few songs that can bring me to tears #2023
@Burt472
Understandably so.....Impossible for one to remain indifferent......
@herbdean6451
2024*
@nathanielhaynes555
There will never be another Gil Scott Heron or Curtis Mayfield
@robertharris7366
I’m 18 years old I’m glad my dad showed me real music when I was growing up much love to Gil❤️
@Burt472
Great Dad....A greeting from Italy
@richardmbowman
THIS is my guy. Singer, musician, "bluesologist" (as he called himself), songwriter (extraordinaire), poet, philosopher...teacher. My guy...a giant. We miss you Gil...so much. Rest In Paradise. Peace out.....
@richardmbowman
A giant among pygmies.....
@Burt472
@@richardmbowman True dat
@Burt472
I'd humbly suggest to pass this Artist on to younger generations....Please