DESCRIPTION:
Gil Scott Heron - Inner City Blues

Gil influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul.He has been described by music writers as "the godfather of rap" and "the black Bob Dylan".

Lyrics

Rockets, moon shots
and blame it on it on the have-nots
Money, we made it
yeah but before we see it,they take it

Yeah,it makes you wanna holler right on
The way they do your life
Yeah,it makes you wanna holler right on
The way they do your life

Inflation means there aint no chance
To increase a little bit of finance
and Bills they're gonna pile up the sky
Send that boy off to die

Yeah,it makes you wanna holler right on
The way they do your life
Yeah,it makes you wanna holler right on
The way they do your life

Hang ups and let downs
Bad breaks and set backs
The Natural fact is
baby, that I can't pay no taxes

Yeah,it makes me wanna holler sometimes
and throw up both my hands

It makes you wanna holler sometimes
and throw up both my hands

So you say you never never heard of the inner city blues
and whats more you dont understand at all
what the ghetto people mean,
When they say livin behind walls,

Well put on your best suit white shirt and tie and
come on down town to
stand in line for a job washin dishes that you may not qualify.
Walk a big hole in a brand new pair of shoes
and you've had your first look at
the inner city blues.

Go lookin for a place to live an all the while
remember what lurks behind the
devils smile,are we stupid or just nieve
that we continue to believe money can by us anything
including a slice of the american dream

Yeah answer ads in the paper about houses for sale
and get treated like
charles manson out on bail.
when you start to get frustrated by the tactics they use
you'll recognise the feelin its
the inner city blues,

yeah make you wanna holler sometimes and throw up both your hands,
and have'nt you ever wondered why some brothers and sisters
where down and out
recieving they,re sympathy from a bottle of wine
or worse yet on homocide
livin they're lives in a plastine bag or
praysing the mysterys of terminal scag,
some of our brothers parading in drag another set of victims too
would'nt choose,
yeah you can recognise that thats the inner city blues,
makes you wanna holler sometimes and throw up both your hands.

To see sweet sisters the blossoms of our african tree
profiling on the corner talkin about
10 an 3
because inspite all the money we made and taxes we paid
the women were lookin at hungry days
and some decisions had to be made,
could you tell her its better to go to your grave
as a slave for the minimum wage,
well i hardly think so,
but makes you wanna holler sometimes and throw up both your hands,

and what happens when people start to feel that they have
nothing to lose,(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)
nothing to lose,(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)
nothing to lose.(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)
nothing to lose,(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)
nothing to lose,(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)
nothing to lose.(Uncle sam want you,uncle sam wants you for target practice)


Did you ever hear about Mark Essex and the things that made him choose
to fight the inner city blues,
Yeah essex took to the rooftops gorilla style and watched while
all the crackers went wild,
brought in 600 troops out here brand new to see them
crushed with fear,
Essex fought back with a thousand rounds and
new orleans was a changin town and
ratta tat tat tat tat was the only sound,
yeah bring on the stolen rifles to knock down walls
bring on the elephant guns,bring out the helecopters
to block out the sun,
yeah it made the devil wanna holler
cause they where dead and a dozen was down
and claps of freedom was a brand new sound new york,chicago,frisco,LA,
justice was served and the unjust where afraid,

but after all the years an all the fears
brothers where alive
the courage found and to spread them god damn blues around,
Yeah it make you wanna holler black people and hold up both your hands
and say liberation.

Crime is increasing Trigger happy policing
Panic is Panic is spreading
and lord knows where were heading,
yes it makes you wanna holler sometimes
and throw up both your hands,
makes you wanna holler sometimes
and throw up both your hands,
throw up both your hands,
throw up both your hands,
throw up both your hands,
throw up both your hands,
throw up both your hands,
hands,hands!!!