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, certain trends and certain situations and, in such, have become, I guess, more so than musicians, bluesicians because we have tended to try to define certain means and modes related to the blues. We attempted to define the Lie Detector Blues, as caught by Mayor Frank Rizzo. I understand that he is sick currently. And we send our coldest regards. Lie Detector Blues and what Brian Jackson used to refer to as the Ex- Official Blues, as caught by Agnew, Nixon—it’s terminal. And what we’ve found ourselves becoming afflicted with over the past six months or so is the Bicentennial Blues
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron]
Some people think that America invented the blues
And few people doubt that America is the home of the blues
As the bluesicians have gone all over the world, carrying the blues message
And the world has snapped its fingers and tapped its feet right along with the blues folks
But the blues has always been totally American
As American as apple pie
As American as the blues
As American as apple pie
The question is why?
Why should the blues be so at home here?
Well, America provided the atmosphere
[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron]
America provided the atmosphere for the blues and the blues was born
The blues was born on the American wilderness
The blues was born on the beaches where the slave ships docked
Born on the slave man’s auction block
The blues was born and carried on the howling wind
The blues grew up a slave
The blues grew up as property
The blues grew up in Nat Turner visions
The blues grew up in Harriet Tubman courage
The blues grew up in small town deprivation
The blues grew up in big city isolation
The blues grew up in the nightmares of the white man
The blues grew up in the blues, singing of Bessie and Billie and Ma
The blues grew up in Satchmo’s horn, on Duke’s piano and Langston’s poetry, on Robeson’s baritone
The point is that the blues has grown
[Vocals/Written By: Gil Scott-Heron]
[Intro: Gil Scott-Heron]
We have assigned ourselves the task of defining certain, certain trends and certain situations and, in such, have become, I guess, more so than musicians, bluesicians because we have tended to try to define certain means and modes related to the blues. We attempted to define the Lie Detector Blues, as caught by Mayor Frank Rizzo. I understand that he is sick currently. And we send our coldest regards. Lie Detector Blues and what Brian Jackson used to refer to as the Ex- Official Blues, as caught by Agnew, Nixon—it’s terminal. And what we’ve found ourselves becoming afflicted with over the past six months or so is the Bicentennial Blues
[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron]
Some people think that America invented the blues
And few people doubt that America is the home of the blues
As the bluesicians have gone all over the world, carrying the blues message
And the world has snapped its fingers and tapped its feet right along with the blues folks
But the blues has always been totally American
As American as apple pie
As American as the blues
As American as apple pie
The question is why?
Why should the blues be so at home here?
Well, America provided the atmosphere
[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron]
America provided the atmosphere for the blues and the blues was born
The blues was born on the American wilderness
The blues was born on the beaches where the slave ships docked
Born on the slave man’s auction block
The blues was born and carried on the howling wind
The blues grew up a slave
The blues grew up as property
The blues grew up in Nat Turner visions
The blues grew up in Harriet Tubman courage
The blues grew up in small town deprivation
The blues grew up in big city isolation
The blues grew up in the nightmares of the white man
The blues grew up in the blues, singing of Bessie and Billie and Ma
The blues grew up in Satchmo’s horn, on Duke’s piano and Langston’s poetry, on Robeson’s baritone
The point is that the blues has grown
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