Scott-Heron, Gil - Winter In America Lyrics






From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains
Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds
Looking for the rain
Looking for the rain

Just like the cities staggered on the coastline
Living in a nation that just can't stand much more
Like the forest buried beneath the highway
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
Winter in America
Yes and all of the healers have been killed
Or sent away, yeah
But the people know, the people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
'Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul, Lord knows
From Winter in America

The Constitution
A noble piece of paper
With free society
Struggled but it died in vain
And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
Looks like it's hoping
Hoping for some rain

And I see the robins
Perched in barren treetops
Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor
But just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow

And now it's winter
It's winter in America
And all of the healers have been killed
Or been betrayed
Yeah, but the people know, people know
It's winter, Lord knows
It's winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your souls
From Winter in America

And now it's winter
Winter in America
And all of the healers done been killed or sent away
Yeah, and the people know, people know
It's winter
Winter in America
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows, nobody knows
And ain't nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows what to save





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Scott-Heron, Gil Winter In America Comments
  1. R.... C....

    I know racism.. I am married to a black woman... I lost my family and most of my friends... butt she is the love of my life

    R.... C....

    Thank you sweet person.. this means so much 2 me...

    R.... C....

    She is the sweetest woman I evermet... she is the most true girl ever.. we were married though we are so different... but we sais we would be true till the end of our life... never loved someone this much But oh boy, the hate...

  2. B.... T....

    Ma-gni-fi-cent ! A masterpiece. From France with love

  3. B.... D....

    Brother Gil was relevant in every era; before, during and after his own and not one more than the other. The same issues, never dissolving, only repeating for a reason..

    Even more sad that he died from a heroin OD, couldn’t stand the persistent pain..”and ain’t nobody fighting ‘cause nobody knows what to save”

  4. T.... G....

    damn tht flute solo

  5. H.... D....

    The two most important poet laureate of the modern era Gill-Scott-Heron and Percy Mayfield their vocal tone are similar deep dark burnt and hauntingly beautiful .Only difference Percy gets blue.

  6. p.... ....

    I am so blessed to have seen him play many times in 80s. He was a legend in the UK. And then a final concert maybe 5 yrs ago?at Yoshi's San Francisco. 5 of us lined up on the curb after his " church," of a gig, speechless. We just bowed to him and he furled his long legs into a beaten up Toyota Corolla drive by a very old dear friend. Goodnight Mr Gill

  7. z.... ....

    2020
    Still uplifting
    From Martinique with love,
    PapaSlam

  8. C.... H....

    RIP Kobe..my main man..#.grand opening grand closing

  9. R.... d....

    Respect

  10. E.... T....

    This song is heavily depressing especially in winter .....great tune but gil Scott stuck us with this tune to wake us up during the low year ......STICK!!!!!

  11. 1.... ....

    What happened to nation time? Peace

  12. K.... R....

    Who's paying?!!!.#work

  13. W.... B....

    The Drums screams justice the flute screams change! & Gil Scott has died in Stuggle only to haunt the World with the song disrobing the Great tragedy Called United States of America , Cold ass piece of a work

  14. H.... D....

    Its summer in Trinidad and the Scarlet Ibis birds are just chillin among the leaves and the cows are grazing in the noonday sun.

  15. K.... ....

    Rest In Peace your message will live forever

  16. H.... J....

    2020 save your soul from
    "WINTER IN AMERICA"

  17. G.... ....

    2020 Folks Better Listen More Than Ever ... Futuristic Prophetic Words And Music

  18. M.... B....

    This is why I love R&B, Soul, Jazz, Latin, socially conscious & a fusion of all of them. I just now discovered this enormous talent....WOW 👌 RIP 🙏

  19. Y.... G....

    Who agrees that Gil Scott-Heron is more relevant now than ever?
    ?

    Y.... G....

    #ADOS music

    Y.... G....

    I play this to what would be my grandchildren''s generation so they do not end up as ignorant fools like my generation IS!!!
    I was born in 1952 in Detroit...
    -Robbie B from the D

    Y.... G....

    @X X It's not our generation; it's the one after ours that I feel is lost.

  20. K.... S....

    It's officially the winter of 2020 different year same sh*t.

  21. I.... n....

    Listening in 2020

  22. J.... D....

    ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿

  23. W.... S....

    Very prophetic very historical very now

  24. m.... g....

    that roll ewwwwww and his vocals egbjaogjegeoggrno

  25. s.... l....

    Listening from Washington, DC December 18 2019

  26. C.... C....

    Competing with Weather Report and Billy Cobham was tough then! Loved 96.3 WHUR in WDC back in that era!

  27. T.... A....

    Thank you !!!

  28. K.... 2....

    I don't care what your race is , you should relate. Everyone of every race should relate to the struggle

  29. C.... C....

    "A nation that cant go on much longer" pshhhh yeah try 2019 and still going buddy

  30. j.... l....

    It's dat Prince?

  31. J.... M....

    The true meaning behind "Thanks Giving" in America, all in a beautiful song by, the late GSH!

  32. l.... b....

    "2019" Today " Rest in Paradise " 💘

  33. C.... A....

    CRACK ROCK

  34. B.... A....

    How can anyone not like this song?

  35. K.... R....

    Case closed...#Pub

  36. L.... ....

    And I see the Robins, perched in barren treetops.......watching last ditch racists, marching across the floor......Gil Scott saw it all.......

  37. T.... M....

    a MASTERPIECE from a true master of artistic expression.......I LOVE THE MILITARY DRUM ROLLS.... THE SNARE DRUM.....so cool ....so hard hitting, so much deep meaning ..and very subtle, but clear suggestions and implications, .....from a simple drum beat...amazing brilliance....

  38. U.... ....

    winter i in america is so deep and the music off the chain

  39. I.... L....

    We need him back!!

  40. L.... V....

    Mobb deep it's all right

  41. M.... ....

    Sitting here listening ,with tear filled eyes, to this masterpiece and I am thinking ...can music get any better than this ?
    IMHO I really do not think it can.
    As a 60 year old guy I have been a fan of this wonderful man for 40 years ...the poetry and lyrics , the music, the ambiance and soul.
    May God bless you and keep you GIL ....my love to you always. Sleep well my brother.

  42. [.... D....

    inamerikah_

  43. J.... S....

    Gates of soul

  44. E.... T....

    Dear America.....

  45. J.... H....

    Guy is irreplaceable. Genius

  46. j.... s....

    Eddie Harris, Les McCann, Roberta Flack, James Brown brought me here-so happpy!

    j.... s....

    Wow! Try to make it Real, Compared to What?!

    j.... s....

    @Chris Collins Best lyrics of any contemporary American song

  47. s.... ....

    Gil brings back sooo many memories. I met him sitting at the counter of the Florida Avenue grill in D.C. around 1979 when I was a student at Howard. He was cool and cordial as I always figured him to be. Tremendous talent and I've been a fan for many decades...

  48. T.... H....

    Fighting only ever happens when we all believe in the same thing!?

  49. T.... H....

    GSH is my god.We worship the god that speaks our soul

  50. T.... H....

    My God Gil. God this is Gill. Heaven is hell on earth. Heaven is here. Ain't up there. Drop it

  51. M.... ....

    I don't care how old a song is long as its still projecting the I'lls of a nation that's still going on today....RIP BROTHER GILL SCOTT HERON.

  52. F.... S....

    I listen to this song when I feel like I’m getting too comfortable and need that reality check. The older I get the more I realize some things will never change.

  53. C.... K....

    A great song, both lyrically and in performance.


    And so so sadly even more appropriate now than ever..

  54. H.... H....

    It is still Winter in America in 2019

    H.... H....

    Been that way for a while. Gotta get money out of politics and start putting us, putting all people first.

    H.... H....

    Very much so, even more so in this very season.

    H.... H....

    Yes it is totally

    H.... H....

    Sorry about that and respect from Italy

  55. D.... d....

    Retrogott

  56. P.... W....

    A true music provocateur! Sing it, Gil!💕💯

  57. A.... M....

    Brother Gil did his thing. Long live his clarity and commitment to revolutionary change. Up with the struggle!

  58. C.... E....

    I only just found out about Gil Scott Heron YESTERDAY, and I am mesmerized by his music! Soulful, mournful, prophetic, defiant. How did I never hear of him before??

  59. t.... h....

    3:59 to 4:05 -> sampled by NAS

  60. M.... P....

    Cool song, but Black Lives Matters sucks, All Live Matters..Greetings from Holland

    M.... P....

    Oh, I didn't say the song has anything to do with black lives matters, I Just wanted to tell this to all the black people that listen to Nice music like this

    M.... P....

    Hello buddy If that's what you want to think, be my guest. Like many other I don't care what you think Or say😉

    M.... P....

    Hello buddy And now you Can dissapear into nothingness once more😙

  61. T.... ....

    I love all the positivity in the comments

  62. N.... d....

    When I hear this I just think of all the lost potential. The people I want to see I can't and the ones I don't are still here. I'm sad to think this song is still all to relevant.

  63. n.... m....

    ... and a nation that just can't stand much more....

  64. J.... L....

    The more things change..... RIP Gil

  65. F.... S....

    Save your soul!

  66. W.... P....

    A Giant Poet And We All Know It.

  67. P.... H....

    Gil Scott Heron was a pure genius.

    P.... H....

    👍👍

  68. M.... T....

    A tale foretold...

  69. B.... D....

    The flute today, is undervalued.

  70. E.... T....

    Come on spring

  71. L.... W....

    Gil-Scott is a prophet. He was on the pulse. The pulse is so awful in this country; it brings people down...especially sensitive people. But we have this recording. People listen. Can we listen...I am not hopeful sadly.

  72. g.... b....

    i was a true song 45 yrs ago and our pres has reset the clock on black people

  73. R.... E....

    That flute and accompaniment feels like pure love.

  74. d.... ....

    THE REAL NEED TO BE PROTECTED———-+——-ONLY REAL

  75. R.... N....

    What he speaks is what resonates today. I hate to say this and shatter any idealist’s hopes, but I don’t see this world changing anytime soon. Let’s be pragmatic and focus on what we can change.

  76. G.... R....

    One thing all the racial issues please remember how we did it in old days .come on black white green what ever respect. There is no difference are you kidding color of someone skin.

  77. G.... R....

    I wish I could tell this man how much i love him and miss him .take this message to Sir Gil Scott!

  78. O.... ....

    I'm here in 2019, who else wit me?

    O.... ....

    Here in 2020 too

    O.... ....

    I'm here in 2019 right now.

    O.... ....

    2020 too !!

    O.... ....

    I'm here in 2020!

  79. Q.... ....

    Also known as a 'pyramid scheme' which is prominently
    displayed on the back of our currency

  80. s.... o....

    Anybody still here because I am 2019 and still going strong

    s.... o....

    spiggidy one yep, july, 2019. Still beautiful, still great, still spot on. The line between prophecy and poetry is not blurred. Prophecy is poetry, right? Truth hurts and art comes from pain.

  81. A.... t....

    i like old school music because people played instruments and had actual talent.

  82. E.... R....

    Thankfully he can't see the state of affairs now.... 😢

  83. M.... ....

    The man GSH....there will never be another.....God bless this man.
    Oh how I wish I could have seen you live ...live on bro.

  84. l.... l....

    One of my regrets was never seeing him live. He was an amazing prophet, visionary, poet, brother who was unapologetic in his blackness. Had so much love for his people. If you all get a chance listen to his last work - I'm from a broken home. Incredible.

  85. i.... d....

    ...the constitution a noble piece of paper with free society they struggled but they died in vain and now democracy is ragtime on the corner... and I see the robins perched in barren treetops they're watching last ditch racist marching across the floor but like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams....

  86. M.... ....

    Why cant I find this album with this song on it??

  87. L.... H....

    ALL OF THE HEALERS HAVE BEEN KILLED OR SENT AWAY , THERE'S NOBODY FIGHTING BECAUSE NOBODY KNOWS WHAT TO SAY !!

  88. R.... G....

    eye was introduced 2 Gil Scott in 77, through my professor at KSU, Eye knew I would never 4get him or the Pan Africanist.


    RIP KING!

  89. G.... R....

    Miss and love Mr Gil !!

  90. E.... ....

    So true! Wonderful composition and performance! Great!

  91. A.... J....

    This is classic ♥️ Rip

  92. M.... ....

    omg I just can't get enough of this tune...and it brings tears to my eyes all the time