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Artist: Gil Scott-Heron
Suggested Track: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Lyrics
You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag
And skip out for beer during commercials, because
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be brought to you
By Xerox in four parts without commercial interruptions
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon blowing a bugle
And leading a charge by John Mitchell, General Abrams, and Spiro Agnew
To eat hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be brought to you by the Schaefer Award Theatre
And will not star Natalie Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs
The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner, because
The revolution will not be televised, brother

There will be no pictures of you and Willie Mae
Pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run
Or trying to slide that color TV into a stolen ambulance
NBC will not be able predict the winner
At 8:32 on report from twenty-nine districts
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young
Being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still lifes of Roy Wilkins
Strolling through Watts in a red, black, and green liberation jumpsuit
That he has been saving for just the proper occasion

Green Acres, Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction
Will no longer be so damn relevant
And women will not care if Dick finally got down with Jane
On Search for Tomorrow
Because black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news
And no pictures of hairy armed women liberationists
And Jackie Onassis blowing her nose
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb or Francis Scott Keys
Nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash
Engelbert Humperdinck, or The Rare Earth
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be right back
After a message about a white tornado
White lightning, or white people
You will not have to worry about a dove in your bedroom
The tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl
The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight germs that may cause bad breath
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat

The revolution will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
Will not be televised
The revolution will be no re-run, brothers
The revolution will be live
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Artists
Gil Scott-Heron
The American jazz poet and soul musician, Gil Scott-Heron, was notable for his work as a spoken word performer during the 1970s and 1980s. Gil Scott-Heron is often referred to as
AZ Artists
Gil Scott-Heron Lyrics
Gil Scott-Heron lyrics - 160 song lyrics sorted by album, including "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", "Work For Peace", "I'm New Here".
Genius Lyrics
Gil Scott-Heron – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is a rhythmic jam that served as an unapologetic wake-up call to anyone, especially African Americans, who thought they could gain their
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Willing
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Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – It's Your World
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / The ground beneath my feet / I know was made for me / There is no any one place where I belong / My spirit’s meant to be free / And soon now everyone
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Angola, Louisiana
After receiving a letter from the mother of Gary Tyler, a man who has been wrongly imprisoned in the Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1975, Gil Scott-Heron wrote “Angola
Gil Scott-Heron – The Prisoner
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / Here I am, after so many years / Hounded by hatred and trapped by fear / I'm in a box. I've got no place to go / If I follow my mind, I know I'll
Gil Scott-Heron – "B" Movie
Well, the first thing I want to say is..."Mandate My Ass!" / Because it seems as though we've been convinced / That 26% of the registered voters / Not even 26% of the American
Gil Scott-Heron – Re-Ron
Ah yes, they're off and running again. The campaign trail / And doesn't he look like himself? / Back in the saddle again / Roy Rogers and Buck Rogers / Rutherford B. Hayes and
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Johannesburg
[Chorus 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / Hey! / Said what’s the word? / Tell me, brother, have you heard? / From Johannesburg? / Tell me, what’s the word now? / Sister, woman, have you heard
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Angel Dust
This is a song about the damning effects of angel dust (PCP) on it’s abusers and their loved ones. It was recently sampled by Game on LAX’s “Angel.”
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – South Carolina (Barnwell)
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Gil Scott-Heron – Free Will
[Intro] / Ha ha, I do with you man please Lord / (Hands up nigga) / One two a one two / [Verse 1] / Find the shadows cast by rainbows / There you’ll meet the sage / Feeding rabbits
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter in America
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims / And to the buffalos who once ruled the plain / Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds
Gil Scott-Heron – No Knock
[Intro] / Um, we want to do a poem for one of our unfavorite people, um, who’s now the head of the, uh, Nixon campaign. He was formerly the Attorney General named John Mitchell
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Shut 'Um Down
Did you feel that rumble? Did you hear that sound? / Well it wasn't no earthquake, but it shook the ground / It made me think about power, like it or not: / Gotta work for earth
Gil Scott-Heron – The Crutch
Feb 8, 2010 ... The Crutch Lyrics: His eyes half closed revealed his world of nod / A world of lonely men and no love, no god / His life of seeming ...
Gil Scott-Heron – Whitey on the Moon
In this Gil Scott-Heron piece about the first moon landing, the poet expresses his unhappiness at having his taxes dedicated to bringing ‘whitey’ to the moon while he, and all
Gil Scott-Heron – Gun
Brother man nowadays livin' in the ghetto / Where the dangers sure enough real / Well when he's out late at night / And if he's got his head on right / Well, I lay you 9 to 5 he's
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – We Almost Lost Detroit
“We Almost Lost Detroit” recalls the near -disaster of the partial meltdown of the Fermi 1 nuclear reactor near Detroit, Michigan.
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Madison Avenue
In “Madison Avenue,” Gil Scott-Heron portrays the world of American consumerism through by representing it with the ideal “Madison Avenue,” where everything is as luxurious as it
Gil Scott-Heron – Speed Kills
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson] / Speed on by / Don't seem to have the time / What about this life? / What about this life / Can I call mine? / [Verse 2: Gil Scott-
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Better Days Ahead
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / And now it’s time / To gather all the things we need to fly / To better days ahead / Just wave goodbye / We’ve better things to do now, you and I / In
Gil Scott-Heron – Home Is Where the Hatred Is (Pieces of a Man Version)
Home Is Where the Hatred Is" is taken from the 1971 album “Pieces of a Man”. It is a melodic, somber composition of the narrator’s dangerous and hopeless environment, presumably of
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Bicentennial Blues
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “Bicentennial Blues” / [Vocals/Written By: Gil Scott-Heron] / [Intro: Gil Scott-Heron] / We have assigned ourselves the task of defining certain
Gil Scott-Heron – Black History / The World
I was wondering about our yesterdays / And starting digging through the rubble / And to say, at least somebody went / Through a hell of a lot of trouble / To make sure that when we
Gil Scott-Heron – Work for Peace
Back when Eisenhower was the President / Golf courses was where most of his time was spent / So I never really listened to what the President said / Because in general I believed
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Guerilla
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / I believe that we gon’ be free in my lifetime / Standing tall on a mountain somewhere—don’t care—letting our light shine / I said that I believe that
Gil Scott-Heron – My Cloud
And when the morning comes / If there's been no rest for you / We've been friends long enough / You should know what to do / If that's how you started your day / Why keep running
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – A Lovely Day
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “A Lovely Day” / [Vocals/Written By/Producer: Gil Scott-Heron] / [Producer/Keyboards/Vocals: Brian Jackson] / [Producer: The Midnight Band] / [
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Three Miles Down
Here come the mine cars / And it's damn near dawn / Another shift of men, some of them my friends, comin' on / Hard to imagine workin' in the mines / Coal dust in your lungs, on
Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man
In order to make sense of what Gil Scott-Heron means by “pieces of a man”, we should briefly address some of the historical racial and socioeconomic dimensions of the metaphor.
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Push Comes To Shove
[Intro] / Push comes to shove, you’ll find exactly what you’re made of / [Verse 1] / Can’t nobody shame you / Can’t nobody scold you / Can’t nobody blame you / And make you feel
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – H2Ogate Blues
[Intro: Gil Scott-Heron] / Aheh. You don't wanna be involved in this one, huh? / This here, this is, this is gonna be a blues number / But, first, I wanna do a little bit of
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Under the Hammer
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / Good advice is sure 'nough hard to come by / And bad advice surrounds you constantly / And good advice you just can't put no price on / And bad advice
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Cane
[Intro: Gil Scott-Heron] / The Rural South, as described by Jean Toomer at the turn of the century, was the inspiration for this song about two of its characters. This is about the
Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here
I did not become someone different / That I did not want to be / But I'm new here / Will you show me around? / No matter how far wrong you've gone / You can always turn around
Gil Scott-Heron – Message To The Messengers
Message To The Messengers was a record dedicated to the rappers of the time and rap music in general. Gil-Scott is regarded as the “Godfather of Rap” and his influence can be seen
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Fell Together
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “Fell Together” / [Vocals/Written By/Producer: Gil Scott-Heron] / [Producer/Keyboards/Vocals/Written By: Brian Jackson] / [Producer: The Midnight
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – New York City
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “New York City” / [Vocals/Lyrics By/Music By: Gil Scott-Heron] / [Piano/Electric Piano/Vocals: Brian Jackson] / [Vocals: Victor Brown] / [Co-
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Show Bizness
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / Well, they’ll guide your career for only ninety-five percent / Well, that leaves enough for fronts like three-piece suits and pays the rent / Sing the
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – The Bottle (Winter in America Version)
“The Bottle” by Gil Scott-Heron is based upon his conversations with alcoholics outside a liquor store in Northern Virginia, near Washington D.C. “The Bottle” aims to capture the
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Rivers of My Fathers
Looking for a way / Out of this confusion / 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
Gil Scott-Heron – Save the Children
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / If you're driving through the country on a lazy afternoon / Or you're watching your children playing after school / They seem to be so unaware of... I
Gil Scott-Heron – Jose Campos Torres
From the inside liner notes of The Mind of Gil Scott-Heron: This poem was originally composed in the Spring of 1978, after the death of Brother Jose Campos Torres at the hands of
Gil Scott-Heron – A Sign of the Ages
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron] / It's a sign of the ages, markings on my mind / Man at the crossroads at odds with an angry sky / There can be no salvation, there can be no rest
Gil Scott-Heron – The Middle of Your Day
[Verse 1] / Over the hill you see / The middle of your day / And the sun says “It’s time / For you to go your way” / Go and tell your momma / That you now know what to do / Her
Gil Scott-Heron – Blue Collar
I been down in Pennsylvania / Where I was working in the mine / And I been down in Cincinnati / They laid me off the assembly line / Yeah, they got me looking everywhere / But I
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Genius Albums
Bridges by Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson
Get all the lyrics to songs on Bridges and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Reflections by Gil Scott-Heron
Get all the lyrics to songs on Reflections and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.