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.
Waiting For The Axe To Fall
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doin' time in a county jail,
Now you might think his life is hell,
But he told me, first room he ever had to himself
He's just, waitin' for the axe to fall,
Sometimes lord I think that's all,
When you're head is on a block
ain't no way for it to stop
Brother served in Viet Nam,
and found out no one gives a damn.
Agent Orange fell on his camp (but everybody went deaf)
Brother turned around on Uncle Sam.
Waiting for the axe to fall;
Sometimes, Lord I think that's all.
When your head is in the noose
and won't nobody turn you loose
you're waiting for the axe to fall.
Sister on the welfare line,
Examining the threads of her life,
She never thought she'd be cheatin' and lyin'
Just makin' sure her and her kids survive
It's gettin' tougher just, waitin' for the axe to fall
Sometimes lord I think that's all
When you're head is on the block
and ain't nobody trying to stop
You're just waitin' for the axe to fall
Last night grandma should got shook
'cause someone took her pocketbook
She ain't safe in the neighborhood
'cause too many youngin's up to no good
They're just, waitin' for the axe to fall
Sometimes lord I think that's all
When your head is in the noose
and won't nobody turn you loose
You're waitin' for the axe to fall
Gil Scott-Heron’s “Waiting for the Axe to Fall” is a melancholic song that represents the existential anxiety of people living under marginalization, powerlessness, and victimization. The song follows four characters, starting with a person in jail, who appears to accept his fate with equanimity. One would expect jail to be a horrible experience, but the first room this person ever had for themselves was in jail, so they have a profound sense of gratitude. However, even in jail, he senses the imminent danger of his execution or punishment, and his life is now a never-ending waiting game for something dreadful to happen. Second in the song is a Vietnam veteran, who faced repression and neglect from his home country despite serving in their army. He’s been exposed to Agent Orange, which has caused long-term disabilities, and he's left to wait around for the consequences of the chemicals' toxicity. Third is a single mother on welfare who cheats and lies to survive and make ends meet, to feed and support her children. She acknowledges that she cannot trust the system and is fearful of her inevitable downfall. The fourth character is an elderly woman whose pocketbook is stolen, leaving her to question her safety and isolation in her neighborhood.
Despite the different backgrounds of Scott-Heron's subjects, they are all bound by the same sense of impending doom and existential dread, getting ready to receive the ax/punishment for something they did or did not do, as if it is predestined for them. The song highlights the struggles of those people, the difficulties they face in their daily lives, and the uncertainty they grapple with regarding their future. In essence, "Waiting for the Axe to Fall" is about living without control, living under oppressed circumstances, and surviving each day as it comes while waiting for the axe to inevitably fall on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Brother livin' in a cell,
A man is imprisoned, but surprisingly, he is content because he now has a room to himself.
Doin' time in a county jail,
The man is serving a sentence in a local jail.
Now you might think his life is hell,
Although one might assume that being in jail is miserable, the man is actually satisfied with his living conditions.
But he told me, first room he ever had to himself
The man has never had the privacy of his own room until he was incarcerated.
He's just, waitin' for the axe to fall,
The man is anxious and fearful that something dreadful is going to happen.
Sometimes lord I think that's all,
The man feels like he is constantly waiting for something terrible to occur and it is weighing on his mind.
When you're head is on a block
When one is in a vulnerable position and at risk.
ain't no way for it to stop
There is no way to avoid or escape the danger.
You're just waitin' for the axe to fall.
The person is anticipating some sort of tragedy or misfortune that is out of their control.
Brother served in Viet Nam,
A man has fought for his country in the Vietnam War.
and found out no one gives a damn.
Nobody cares about the man's service or the difficult experiences he has had.
Agent Orange fell on his camp (but everybody went deaf)
The man was exposed to Agent Orange, a harmful chemical used in the war, yet nobody acknowledged or took responsibility for the danger he was put in.
Brother turned around on Uncle Sam.
The man feels betrayed by his own country and government.
Sister on the welfare line,
A woman is in financial need and is receiving public assistance.
Examining the threads of her life,
The woman is reevaluating and critiquing the course of her life.
She never thought she'd be cheatin' and lyin'
The woman is resorting to dishonest behavior to ensure her and her children's survival, which is a situation she never imagined she would be in.
Just makin' sure her and her kids survive
The woman is doing whatever she can to provide for her family and avoid destitution.
It's gettin' tougher just, waitin' for the axe to fall
The woman is constantly worried about something terrible happening and that she won't be able to maintain her livelihood.
When you're head is on the block
When one is in a dangerous and vulnerable situation.
and ain't nobody trying to stop
Nobody is looking out for the person's safety or taking action to prevent harm.
You're just waitin' for the axe to fall
The person feels like they are waiting for something tragic or disastrous to happen.
Last night grandma should got shook
An elderly woman recently experienced something unsettling.
'cause someone took her pocketbook
Her purse or wallet was stolen.
She ain't safe in the neighborhood
The woman does not feel secure in her own community anymore.
'cause too many youngin's up to no good
The woman is concerned because there are too many young people engaging in risky or criminal behavior in her area.
They're just, waitin' for the axe to fall
The woman feels like she is surrounded by danger and that something terrible will happen at any moment.
When your head is in the noose
When one is at risk and facing dire consequences.
and won't nobody turn you loose
Nobody is coming to the person's aid to help relieve them from their danger.
You're waitin' for the axe to fall
The person is waiting for a negative or disastrous event to occur that they cannot control or prevent.
Contributed by Jackson E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.