Comment #1

Annotation

In the track "Comment #1" (Flying Dutchman # FDS 131) Scott-Heron talked about the history of America with particularly reference to slavery, false freedoms and false revolution: "Democracy, liberty, and justice were revolutionary code names...in the mother country's crotch and behold a baby girl was born, nurtured by slave holders and whitey racists it grew and grew and grew screwing indiscriminately". He then turned his attention to the anti-war movement - in particular, white college kids who "vomit up slogans to stay out of Vietnam" - but who, according to Scott-Heron, did not face the struggles that African-Americans did everyday. Thus, a reflection of 1960s Civil Rights and race relations.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Young, very young, teeny bopping revolt on weekend young / Dig by proxy what a mental ass kicking they receive / Through institutionalized everything and vomit up slogans to stay out of Vietnam / They seek to hide their relationship with the world's prostitute / Alienating themselves from everything except dirt and money with long hair

About the artist

American poet, singer and composer, born 1 April 1949 in Chicago, Illinois; pioneer of politically charged spoken-word soul ('The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'); died 27 May 2011 in New York City, New York. [Source: Wikipedia] Gil Scott-Heron (1949-2011), born in Chicago, but mainly based in New York, is well-known as a soul and jazz artist with cutting edge political and social spoken-word recordings, particularly on issues to do with the treatment of African-Americans. He often collaborated with Brian Jackson. Several of these spoken-word tracks referenced the Vietnam War - "Comment #…

Themes

Anti-War · Civil Rights

In collections

Civil Rights Songs · Jazz Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years] · Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs