Pieces Of A Man
Scott-Heron Gil Lyrics
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Tossed about the room
I saw my grandma sweepin'
With her old straw broom
But she didn't what she was doin'
She could hardly understand
That she was really sweepin' up
Pieces of a man
I saw my daddy greet the mailman
And I heard the mailman say
"now don't you take this letter to heart now Jimmy
Cause they've laid off nine others today"
But he didn't know what he was saying
He could hardly understand
That he was only talkin' to
Pieces of a man
I saw the thunder and heard the lightnin'!
And felt the burden of his shame
And for some unknown reason
He never turned my way
Pieces of that letter
Were tossed about that room
And now I hear the sound of sirens
Come knifing through the gloom
But they don't know what they are doing
They could hardly understand
That they're only arrestin'
Pieces of a man
I saw him go to pieces
I saw him go to pieces
He was always such a good man
He was always such a strong strong man
Yeah, I saw him go to pieces
I saw him go to pieces"
The lyrics to Gil Scott-Heron's "Pieces of a Man" paint a haunting picture of a broken family and a man's descent into despair. The first verse shows the singer's grandmother sweeping up "pieces of a man," likely referring to the broken dreams and hopes of a man whose life has fallen apart. The singer's father is also shown to be struggling, having lost his job and receiving a letter that he can hardly understand. As the imagery of the song grows more intense, the singer witnesses thunder and lightning, and feels the weight of their father's shame.
The final verse shows the man collapsing under the weight of his troubles, with the repeated refrain "I saw him go to pieces." The song is a powerful commentary on the struggles and hardships of life, particularly for black Americans in a society that often fails to provide them with opportunities or support systems. The broken pieces of the man represent the shattered hopes and dreams of a community that has been torn apart by racism, inequality, and poverty. Despite its somber tone, "Pieces of a Man" offers a sobering reminder of the importance of resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
?Jacky? jigsaw pieces
A chaotic and fragmented situation, like puzzle pieces scattered all over the place
Tossed about the room
Thrown around without any order or sense of control
I saw my grandma sweepin'
A mundane and simple task being performed
With her old straw broom
Using a primitive tool to clean up
But she didn't know what she was doin'
An act being performed without understanding the significance of what is being cleaned up
She could hardly understand
Unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation
That she was really sweepin' up
Cleaning up the shattered remains of a person's life
I saw my daddy greet the mailman
A customary greeting for the postal worker
And I heard the mailman say
The mailman delivering news
"now don't you take this letter to heart now Jimmy
A warning message being relayed
Cause they've laid off nine others today"
Nine people losing their jobs
But he didn't know what he was saying
The severity of the situation not fully understood
He could hardly understand
The full implications of what he was saying
That he was only talkin' to
Speaking to a piece of a person's life that has been shattered
Pieces of a man
A man whose life has been broken down into fragments
I saw the thunder and heard the lightnin'!
A storm symbolic of chaos and destruction
And felt the burden of his shame
The weight of the consequences for one's actions
And for some unknown reason
An event that is unexplainable
He never turned my way
Unwilling or unable to confront their past actions
Pieces of that letter
A written document that has been destroyed and scattered
Were tossed about that room
The components of a man's life being thrown around carelessly
And now I hear the sound of sirens
The arrival of the police
Come knifing through the gloom
Puncturing the darkness with their presence
But they don't know what they are doing
The authorities ignorant to the depth of the situation
They could hardly understand
Unable to perceive the full scope of the tragedy
That they're only arrestin'
Apprehending the broken shards of a man's life
Pieces of a man
Reducing a once great man to fragments of his former self
I saw him go to pieces
A man breaking down under the weight of his struggle
He was always such a good man
A man's reputation preceding him
He was always such a strong strong man
A man with a great deal of fortitude and resilience
Yeah, I saw him go to pieces
A loved one witnessing a man's downfall
I saw him go to pieces"
A man reduced to fragments of his former self
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN JACKSON, GIL SCOTT-HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rick Reese
Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron]
Jagged jigsaw pieces
Tossed about the room
I saw my grandma sweeping
With her old straw broom
But she didn't know what she was doing
She could hardly understand
That she was really sweeping up
Pieces of a man
[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron]
I saw my daddy meet the mailman
And I heard the mailman say
"Now don't you take this letter to heart now, Jimmy
Cause they've laid off nine others today"
But he didn't know what he was saying
He could hardly understand
That he was only talking to
Pieces of a man
[Verse 3: Gil Scott-Heron]
I saw the thunder and heard the lightning
And felt the burden of his shame
And for some unknown reason
He never turned my way
[Verse 4: Gil Scott-Heron]
Pieces of that letter
Were tossed about that room
And now I hear the sound of sirens
Come knifing through the gloom
But they don't know what they are doing
They could hardly understand
That they're only arresting
Pieces of a man
[Verse 5: Gil Scott-Heron]
I saw him go to pieces
I saw him go to pieces
He was always such a good man
He was always such a strong, strong man
Yeah, I saw him go to pieces
I saw him go to pieces
J Skillington
"I saw the thunder and heard the lightning, and felt the burden of his shame" still hits hard and gives me chills
Fred Bush
Yes it does,Yes it does…
AndreaBaixinho
this is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard
Caleb Manger
Just wait till you hear another one from him
Burt472
Sure is
Aria Elan
"She was really sweeping up pieces of a man..." Ancestor Gil was truly a gifted poet and musician who dedicated his life to creating and sharing social justice songs. Unemployment, racism, destruction of our environment... Sadly, these issues have worsened since his passing. One Love...
Clive Elias Suffield-Thompson
I absolutely love his music and his portrail of life as it as it was and how it is now. God bless Gil xxx
J Jones
@Dave Gardner Look at the stats.
GChase6
Agree with everything apart from racism being worse, it 100% a fact that it is not as bad today as it was in Mr herons time
Peter Hudgens
Decades from now we'll come to realize how brilliant an artist Gil Scott-Heron truly was. The man was far ahead of his time as a musician and a poet.