Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949 in Chicago, died May 27, 2011 in New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴Gil Scott-Heron (born April 1, 1949 in Chicago, died May 27, 2011 in New York City) was an American poet and musician, known primarily for his late 1960s and early 1970s work as a spoken word performer, associated with African American militant activists. Heron is perhaps most well known for his poems/songs "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and "What's the Word - Johannesburg" a movement hit during the 1980's South Africa college and national divestment movement in the United States of America.

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.

winter in america.mpg
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics

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From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains
Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds
Looking for the rain
Looking for the rain

Just like the cities staggered on the coastline
Living in a nation that just can't stand much more

Like the forest buried beneath the highway
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
Winter in America
Yes and all of the healers have been killed
Or sent away, yeah
But the people know, the people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul, Lord knows
From Winter in America

The Constitution
A noble piece of paper
With free society
Struggled but it died in vain
And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
Looks like it's hoping
Hoping for some rain

And I see the robins
Perched in barren treetops
Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor
But just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
It's winter in America
And all of the healers have been killed
Or been betrayed
Yeah, but the people know, people know
It's winter, Lord knows
It's winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your souls
From Winter in America

And now it's winter
Winter in America
And all of the healers done been killed or sent away
Yeah, and the people know, people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows, nobody knows

And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save

Overall Meaning

Gil Scott-Heron's song "Winter in America" is a social commentary on the state of America during the 1970s, when the disillusionment with the government was at an all-time high. The song starts by referencing the Native Americans who once welcomed the Pilgrims and the buffalos that once roamed the plains. However, now we see vultures circling, looking for rain - a metaphor for the country trying to come out of a prolonged drought.

The following lyrics paint a picture of cities staggering on the coastline, living in a nation that can't stand much more, and forests buried beneath highways. This imagery represents the rapid industrialization and urbanization in America, which has destroyed the country's natural resources. The words "never had a chance to grow" highlight how nature has been neglected in the face of progress.

The second half of the song dives into political themes, lamenting the death of a noble piece of paper, the Constitution, which struggled for a free society but died in vain. Democracy is ragtime on the corner, hoping for some rain. But just like the last-ditch racism and the peace sign that vanished in our dreams, democracy never had a chance to grow. The song ends on this poignant note, no one is fighting because nobody knows what to save.

Line by Line Meaning

From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds Looking for the rain Looking for the rain
The Native Americans and buffalo, who were once prominent figures in America, are now reduced to insignificance as the country strives to flourish; the idea of the vultures looking for rain symbolizes the desperation for something, anything to change the status quo.

Just like the cities staggered on the coastline Living in a nation that just can't stand much more Like the forest buried beneath the highway Never had a chance to grow Never had a chance to grow
American cities are struggling, having reached their limit due to the inherent deficiencies of the nation, much like how forests are covered by highways which do not give the trees room to develop.

And now it's winter Winter in America Yes and all of the healers have been killed Or sent away, yeah But the people know, the people know It's winter Winter in America And ain't nobody fighting 'Cause nobody knows what to save Save your soul, Lord knows From Winter in America
The nation is in a time of hardship, with its most valuable people - the healers (who could cure societal issues) - no longer present. However, the general public is aware of the situation and its dire nature, though no one is taking action to rectify it as they feel powerless against the scale of the problem.

The Constitution A noble piece of paper With free society Struggled but it died in vain And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner Hoping for some rain Looks like it's hoping Hoping for some rain
The Constitution was a fantastic document, but while America was able to establish a free society, it failed to sustain it, and now democracy is a figure of mockery that has sunken to ragtime while it does nothing but wait and hope for change to come.

And I see the robins Perched in barren treetops Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor But just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams Never had a chance to grow Never had a chance to grow
The robins (or the optimists) are waiting for something to give because of the far-right extremists who are the nation's last hope to effect change, having been empowered by desperation, but people who fight for peace and equality never stand a chance in reality.

And now it's winter It's winter in America And all of the healers have been killed Or been betrayed Yeah, but the people know, people know It's winter, Lord knows It's winter in America And ain't nobody fighting 'Cause nobody knows what to save Save your souls From Winter in America
America has plunged into a cold, brutal winter, completely devoid of hope with the healers having been killed off or forced to leave, yet everyone is aware that it is difficult to make a difference, and nobody is attempting to fight the prevailing conditions.

And now it's winter Winter in America And all of the healers done been killed or sent away Yeah, and the people know, people know It's winter Winter in America And ain't nobody fighting 'Cause nobody knows what to save And ain't nobody fighting Cause nobody knows, nobody knows And ain't nobody fighting 'Cause nobody knows what to save
America's winter is upon us, and the healers have vanished, and everyone is conscious of their absence, yet nobody seems to be attempting to rise up against the current state of things, with no clear understanding of what it is they are attempting to save.

Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GIL SCOTT HERON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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