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.
Rivers of My Fathers
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm looking for a sign carry me home
Let me lay down by a stream
And let me be miles from everything
Rivers of my Fathers
Could you carry me home? Carry me home
Rubber soles against the concrete and
I got to change my way of living
Got to change my style
Let me lay down by a stream
Miles from everything rivers of my Fathers
Could you carry me home? Carry me home
Looking for a way
Got to find a way out of this confusion
Looking for the sign point my way home
Let me lay down by a stream somewhere
Miles from everything and
Rivers of my Fathers rivers of my Fathers
Carry me home please carry me home
Carry me home carry me home
Carry me home carry me home
Africa
These lyrics from Gil Scott-Heron's song "Rivers Of My Fathers" express a deep longing for clarity and solace in the midst of confusion. The singer is searching for a way out of the chaos, looking for a sign that will guide them back home. They yearn to find a peaceful stream where they can lay down their burdens and be distanced from the complexities of life. The repeated plea to the "rivers of my Fathers" suggests a desire for a connection to ancestral heritage and the hope that it will provide the guidance needed to find their way home.
The reference to "Rubber soles against the concrete" represents the singer's journey through urban life, potentially symbolizing the struggle and pressure they feel. They acknowledge the necessity to change their way of living and their style, indicating a desire for personal growth and transformation. The yearning to lay down by a stream and be miles away from everything reflects a longing for tranquility and escape from the overwhelming reality they face. The repetition of the plea to be carried home further emphasizes their need for guidance and support from their roots.
Overall, these lyrics depict a quest for clarity, peace, and a sense of belonging. They express the universal desire to find solace and direction amidst the chaos and confusion of life, while also acknowledging the importance of one's cultural heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking for a way out of this confusion
In search of a solution to the overwhelming state of disarray and uncertainty
I'm looking for a sign carry me home
Longing for a guiding indication that can lead me back to a place of comfort and familiarity
Let me lay down by a stream
Allow me to rest beside a flowing body of water
And let me be miles from everything
Grant me distance from all worldly concerns and distractions
Rivers of my Fathers
Symbolizing the heritage and lineage of the artist's ancestors
Could you carry me home? Carry me home
Requesting the ancestral rivers to transport the singer back to their place of belonging
Rubber soles against the concrete and
The sound of footsteps on the urban pavement
The concrete is my smile
The stoic facade projected onto the outside world, masking inner emotions
I got to change my way of living
Realizing the need for a fundamental alteration in one's lifestyle
Got to change my style
Recognizing the necessity to modify personal behavior and habits
Miles from everything rivers of my Fathers
Seeking solace far away from the chaos of modern living, invoking the ancestral rivers once again
Let me lay down by a stream
Reiterating the desire to find tranquility beside a flowing water body
Looking for a way
Continuing the quest for a solution
Got to find a way out of this confusion
Feeling a desperate need to escape the state of perplexity and disorder
Looking for the sign point my way home
Searching for a clear indication that can guide the singer back to a sense of belonging and security
Let me lay down by a stream somewhere
Yearning for a peaceful spot near a stream, regardless of its specific location
Miles from everything and
Seeking distance from all worldly matters, emphasizing the need for solitude
Rivers of my Fathers rivers of my Fathers
Once again calling upon the ancestral rivers as a source of support and familiarity
Carry me home please carry me home
Pleading for the ancestral rivers to transport the singer back to their place of origin and belonging
Carry me home carry me home
Repeating the plea to be guided back to the artist's true home
Carry me home carry me home
Continuing the desperate call for assistance in returning to a place of comfort and belonging
Carry me home carry me home
Reiterating the request to be transported back to a familiar and secure environment
Africa
Possibly serving as a reference to the singer's true ancestral homeland, a source of identity and connection
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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@nicolaslogothetis4735
When i first listened to this album, i was wondering what could come next after the first song, "Peace go with you brother", which is a masterpiece. And the second song of the album is this one, "Rivers of my fathers". My god, this album is just perfect.
@moniquecavard745
oh yes brother i agree!!
@BOWMANTUNES
I felt the same way when I first heard it, the first of many thousands of listens.
@mizpahboy7513
"Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten" The rivers of our fathers run deep. It's current is strong and it's depth is cold. The harder I try to swim to shore the deeper I sink. I struggle in vain and there is no one to reach out to. I surrender to it's force.....carry me home to Philadelphia.
@Shuffit
I hear you, and we are not alone my friend. Spirit and Gil say “don’t give up, you’ve been down long enough.”
@EMAHGERD
Nothing short of Love. Thank you Gil, Brian and everyone that appreciates this.
@Bronxlady1
How I love this man❤️❤️❤️What a voice. What a beautiful heart.RIP
@maryettashabazz8476
Bronxlady1 such a beautiful heart.
@johnjohnson3675
Bronxlady1 yesss 🙏🏾❤️🎈
@elysaortiz9257
My father used to play this record a lot when I was a kid...makes me tear everytime I hear it :-)