The collaboration started in 1970 when Jackson began writing songs with a then 20 year old Gil Scott- Heron.
Jackson remembers his first encounter with Gil, "He had this way with words and I thought to myself, 'People have to hear this stuff.' What I had to offer was the music and I figured if we can take his words and make this tribal knowledge rhythmic and musical, we can draw people to hear it."
Their partnership produced some of the most fiercely poignant, politically charged, and significantly soulful albums of the seventies. Pieces of a Man, Free Will, Winter in America, First Minute of a New Day, From South Africa to South Carolina, Bridges, Secrets and 1980 are coveted by collectors and conscious-minded music fans alike. Tracks like The Bottle, Johannesburg, It's Your World, Angel Dust, Willing, and 95 South (All the Places We've Been), while highly relevant back-in-the-day, have taken on heightened new relevance today by serving as an inspirational and musical Rosetta stone for the neo-soul movement.
Madison Avenue
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Span the distance between you and Mr clean
You can take part in the all-American dream
Just fill your house up with a
Million products you don't need
And you don't ever have to use them
Buying is all that's asked of you
And if it's so goddamn incredible that
It's Madison Avenue
Make it all commercial
There ain't nothing folks won't buy
New fuel to fire up the
Monsters of free enterprise
Gizmos and gadgets and batteries
To make them run and give your check up at
The first of every month
And, and don't wake up to the uselessness
‘Til your whole life is overdue
If it's so goddamn incredible that
You can't believe it's true
It's Madison Avenue
They can sell sand to a
Man living on a desert
They sell tuna to the Chicken of the Sea
You are surrounded and confounded and
Dumbfounded by the happenings yes, it's true
It's Madison Avenue gotcha
And don't wake up to the uselessness
‘Til your whole life is overdue
‘Cause if it's so goddamn incredible that
You can't believe it's true
It's Madison Avenue
It's Madison Avenue (yeah, y yeah, y yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
(Madison Avenue, yeah i really wanna say)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh
Huh, uh, uh huh, uh)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh, uh huh, uh
Woah)
(Madison Avenue, oh yeah say what, what?)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh
Huh, uh huh, uh, uh huh)
(Ha ha ha ha ha)
"Madison Avenue" by Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson is a critical commentary on consumerism and the power of advertising in shaping our desires and behaviors. The song highlights the deceptive nature of advertising, portraying it as a force that creates an illusion of happiness and fulfillment through material possessions. The lyrics emphasize the influence of media, particularly magazines and commercials, in perpetuating the American dream of accumulating wealth and products.
The opening lines, "Pretty pictures in your favorite magazines, Span the distance between you and Mr clean," allude to the images and advertisements that portray a perfect, idealized version of life, represented by the character of Mr. Clean. This image is designed to create a sense of inadequacy and make the consumer feel the need to buy more and more products to achieve that ideal. The song suggests that consumerism has become a way of life, with people filling their houses with unnecessary products they never even use. It criticizes the notion that buying is all that is asked of consumers and implies that the true purpose of advertising is to manipulate individuals into spending their money.
The chorus of the song, "Make it all commercial, There ain't nothing folks won't buy," highlights the pervasive reach of advertising and the power it holds over individuals. The lyrics suggest that people are easily swayed by the promises and allure of the consumer culture, fueling the machinery of capitalism. The song also critiques the irony and absurdity of the situation, where individuals are surrounded by useless products and wake up to the reality of their lives being overdue in terms of finding true fulfillment and purpose.
Overall, "Madison Avenue" serves as a scathing critique of the consumerist culture perpetuated by advertising and the negative impact it has on individuals and society.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty pictures in your favorite magazines
Attractive images in the magazines you enjoy reading
Span the distance between you and Mr clean
Close the gap between you and a perfect, spotless lifestyle
You can take part in the all-American dream
You have the opportunity to be part of the idealized American life
Just fill your house up with a
Simply fill your home with a plethora of
Million products you don't need
Countless unnecessary items
And you don't ever have to use them
You don't have to actually utilize them
Buying is all that's asked of you
The only expectation is to consume
And if it's so goddamn incredible that
And if it is unbelievably astonishing such that
You can't believe it's true
You find it difficult to accept its validity
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
Make it all commercial
Convert everything into a profit-driven enterprise
There ain't nothing folks won't buy
There is nothing that people won't purchase
New fuel to fire up the
Fresh ammunition to energize the
Monsters of free enterprise
Monstrous entities of capitalist businesses
Gizmos and gadgets and batteries
Various devices, contraptions, and power sources
To make them run and give your check up at
To make them function and hand over your payment
The first of every month
On the initial day of each month
And, and don't wake up to the uselessness
And, do not realize the worthlessness
‘Til your whole life is overdue
Until your entire existence becomes overdue and futile
If it's so goddamn incredible that
If it is so unbelievably astonishing such that
You can't believe it's true
You cannot fathom its authenticity
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
They can sell sand to a
They have the ability to convince someone to buy sand
Man living on a desert
Even if that person resides in a desert
They sell tuna to the Chicken of the Sea
They persuade the Chicken of the Sea to purchase tuna
You are surrounded and confounded and
You are encircled, perplexed, and
Dumbfounded by the happenings yes, it's true
Astounded by the occurrences, indeed it's accurate
It's Madison Avenue gotcha
It's the deceptive tactics of Madison Avenue, caught you
And don't wake up to the uselessness
And don't realize the worthlessness
‘Til your whole life is overdue
Until your entire existence becomes overdue and futile
‘Cause if it's so goddamn incredible that
Because if it is so unbelievably astonishing such that
You can't believe it's true
You cannot fathom its authenticity
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
It's Madison Avenue (yeah, y yeah, y yeah)
It's the pervasive influence of Madison Avenue
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah)
(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah)
(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
(yeah, y yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
(yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
It's Madison Avenue
It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue
(Madison Avenue, yeah i really wanna say)
(Madison Avenue, yes, I truly want to express)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh
Huh, uh, uh huh, uh)
(It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh huh, uh, uh huh, uh)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh, uh huh, uh
Woah)
(It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh, uh huh, uh, woah)
(Madison Avenue, oh yeah say what, what?)
(Madison Avenue, oh yes, say what, what?)
(It's Madison Avenue, uh huh
Huh, uh huh, uh, uh huh)
(It's the world of manipulative advertising on Madison Avenue, uh huh, uh huh, uh, uh huh)
(Ha ha ha ha ha)
(Laughter)
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealTommyRock
poet, musician, teacher, activist, they don't make'em like Gil no more
@TheRealTommyRock
the teacher, LEARN!!!!
@bo777ford
Still real talk 12/12/19!!!
@hassanabdullah5023
Word no doubt
@stacyjames9711
@@bo777ford still real talk 6/25/2022
@treyvorclyburn7167
Madison Avenue! This song is at least 40 years old, and it's still banging every time I hear it, it gets me. Bouncin'
@treyvorclyburn7167
One of Gil's best songs ever. Seriously Grooving with the best on this one.
@diddypopdiddy
this song is so good. I love Gil & Brian during this period... funky and truthful.
@julbrinerr8866
Great ringtone
@boulevard251
great memories!