< Return to Video

Gil Scott-Heron | Winter in America

  • 0:00 - 0:05
    WINTER IN AMERICA
  • 0:05 - 0:07
    yes the first thing that i'm going to have to do
  • 0:07 - 0:09
    is get rid of the large list of requests that we had
  • 0:09 - 0:11
    on the table back there
  • 0:11 - 0:12
    i wonder how somebody always manages
  • 0:12 - 0:15
    to get into our dressing room
  • 0:15 - 0:18
    and all these songs they wanted to hear
  • 0:18 - 0:21
    glad they did one i had the chords to
  • 0:21 - 0:24
    it'll help out in the right direction
  • 0:24 - 0:26
    you see there used to be an agreement
  • 0:26 - 0:27
    between the seasons
  • 0:27 - 0:30
    that they would all come and stay about three months
  • 0:30 - 0:32
    then they would go to whereever seasons go
  • 0:32 - 0:34
    when they're not where we are
  • 0:34 - 0:37
    we are we rarely notice
  • 0:37 - 0:38
    but one season was unhappy
  • 0:38 - 0:40
    because it seemed as though
  • 0:40 - 0:41
    all of its time was being taken
  • 0:41 - 0:43
    by the others seasons
  • 0:43 - 0:44
    dillying and dallying
  • 0:44 - 0:45
    ... coming too soon,
  • 0:45 - 0:47
    winter was unhappy
  • 0:47 - 0:49
    fall always stayed too long
  • 0:49 - 0:51
    spring always came too soon
  • 0:51 - 0:53
    and on the continent of north america
  • 0:53 - 0:56
    winter became very, very unhappy
  • 0:56 - 0:59
    decided to stay
  • 0:59 - 1:00
    winter decided there would be
  • 1:00 - 1:02
    a little bit of winter in every spring
  • 1:02 - 1:03
    a little bit of winter in every summer
  • 1:03 - 1:06
    a little bit of winter in every fall
  • 1:06 - 1:09
    and a whole lot of winter in every winter
  • 1:09 - 1:12
    it becomes a season of ice
  • 1:12 - 1:15
    frozen dreams and frozen ideas and frozen progress
  • 1:15 - 1:16
    all of a sudden
  • 1:16 - 1:18
    things people needed, all of a sudden
  • 1:18 - 1:20
    just frozen beyond their reach
  • 1:20 - 1:22
    winter was unhappy
  • 1:22 - 1:25
    philosophically, politically, psychologically
  • 1:25 - 1:27
    we're doin' a song about winter
  • 1:27 - 1:32
    the song is called winter in america
  • 1:32 - 1:54
    ..
  • 1:54 - 1:58
    and From the Indians
  • 1:58 - 2:00
    who welcomed the Pilgrims
  • 2:00 - 2:03
    to the buffalo
  • 2:03 - 2:06
    who once ruled the plains
  • 2:06 - 2:08
    like the vultures
  • 2:08 - 2:11
    circling beneath the dark clouds
  • 2:11 - 2:16
    looking for the rain
  • 2:16 - 2:21
    yeah, they be lookin for the rain
  • 2:21 - 2:26
    Just like the cities
  • 2:26 - 2:28
    staggered on the coastline
  • 2:28 - 2:31
    living in a nation
  • 2:31 - 2:34
    that just can't take much more
  • 2:34 - 2:36
    Like the forest they
  • 2:36 - 2:39
    buried beneath the highway
  • 2:39 - 2:44
    Just never had a chance to grow
  • 2:44 - 2:49
    well, never had a chance to grow
  • 2:49 - 2:55
    And now it's winter
  • 2:55 - 3:02
    seems like winter in America
  • 3:02 - 3:05
    talkin about all the healers
  • 3:05 - 3:09
    done been killed
  • 3:09 - 3:11
    or been betrayed
  • 3:11 - 3:13
    said people doin' something wrong
  • 3:13 - 3:18
    everybody been talkin about winter
  • 3:18 - 3:24
    seems like winter in america
  • 3:24 - 3:29
    the truth is there ain't nobody fighting
  • 3:29 - 3:34
    because nobody knows what to say
  • 3:34 - 3:36
    brother save your soul
  • 3:36 - 3:41
    lord knows it's winter in america
  • 3:41 - 3:45
    the Constitution
  • 3:45 - 3:48
    a noble peace of paper
  • 3:48 - 3:51
    with free society
  • 3:51 - 3:54
    struggled but it died in vain
  • 3:54 - 3:56
    And now democracy
  • 3:56 - 3:59
    is ragtime on the corners
  • 3:59 - 4:04
    oh lord, hoping that it rains
  • 4:04 - 4:08
    yeah, it is hoping for the rain
  • 4:08 - 4:11
    but it just don't look like rain
  • 4:11 - 4:14
    I see the robins
  • 4:14 - 4:16
    perched in barren treetops
  • 4:16 - 4:19
    watching last-ditch racists
  • 4:19 - 4:21
    marching across the floor
  • 4:21 - 4:24
    And like the peace sign
  • 4:24 - 4:27
    that melted in our dreams
  • 4:27 - 4:32
    it never had a chance to grow
  • 4:32 - 4:36
    well, it never had a chance to grow
  • 4:36 - 4:38
    somebody won't go
  • 4:38 - 4:43
    till there is winter
  • 4:43 - 4:50
    it's cold, it's like a winter in america
  • 4:50 - 4:53
    talking about when all of the healers
  • 4:53 - 4:56
    done been killed
  • 4:56 - 4:59
    or been betrayed
  • 4:59 - 5:01
    say, people doin' somethin' wrong
  • 5:01 - 5:06
    Hey! it's winter
  • 5:06 - 5:12
    yeah it feels like winter in america
  • 5:12 - 5:16
    the truth is there ain't nobody fighting
  • 5:16 - 5:20
    because nobody knows what to say
  • 5:20 - 5:23
    sisters says ...
  • 5:23 - 5:28
    yeah because of winter in america
  • 5:28 - 7:13
    ...
  • 7:13 - 7:19
    yeah! it's winter
  • 7:19 - 7:25
    yes, it seems like winter in america
  • 7:25 - 7:28
    well it's time for all of the healers
  • 7:28 - 7:30
    brothers who can help us
  • 7:30 - 7:33
    done been killed
  • 7:33 - 7:35
    brothers been killed
  • 7:35 - 7:38
    say, people doin' something wrong,
  • 7:38 - 7:39
    something wrong!
  • 7:39 - 7:42
    it's winter
  • 7:42 - 7:49
    yes it shouldn't be winter in america
  • 7:49 - 7:53
    the truth is there ain't nobody fighting
  • 7:53 - 8:00
    because nobody knows what to say
  • 8:00 - 8:02
    yes the truth is that there's
  • 8:02 - 8:07
    nobody fighting, nobody fighting, nobody knows
  • 8:07 - 8:13
    hey, nobody knows what to do, what to do
  • 8:13 - 8:16
    truth is there ain't nobody fighting
  • 8:16 - 8:18
    because nobody knows
  • 8:18 - 8:23
    what to say..
  • 8:23 - 8:27
    ...
Title:
Gil Scott-Heron | Winter in America
Video Language:
English
Duration:
08:34

English subtitles

Revisions

Our website uses cookies for analysis purposes.