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The way you get to know yourself is by the expression on other people's faces.
Gil Scott-Heron
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Gil Scott-Heron
Age: 62 †
Born: 1949
Born: April 1
Died: 2011
Died: May 27
Composer
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Poet
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Singer-Songwriter
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Chicago
Illinois
Glibert Scott-Heron
Gil Scott Heron
Gilbert Scott-Heron
Expression
Faces
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More quotes by Gil Scott-Heron
Paul Robeson once said that the artist has the responsibility to either help liberate the community or further oppress it. And I think that when Eldridge Cleaver wrote it down it was interpreted as his, but there's a history of people saying things of that nature and meaning it. And what I do is in that tradition, in that mode.
Gil Scott-Heron
Every once in a while, you live long enough to get the respect that people didn't want to give while you were trying to become a senior citizen.
Gil Scott-Heron
A good poet feels what his community feels. Like if you stub your toe, the rest of your body hurts.
Gil Scott-Heron
Oftentimes, the way it seems to be is that our artists in particular point themselves out as spokesmen for a certain constituency in a community, and thereby place themselves in that vulnerable position.
Gil Scott-Heron
The way you get to know yourself is by the expressions on other people's faces, because that's the only thing that you can see, unless you carry a mirror about.
Gil Scott-Heron
I cannot afford to watch Fox News.
Gil Scott-Heron
I don't see any independent position that I'm in it's rather inter-dependent.
Gil Scott-Heron
I try not to take people who haven't really thought out what they're doing too seriously. I try not to let them get in the way of what I feel I need to do.
Gil Scott-Heron
You will not be able to stay home, brother./You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out./You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,/Skip out for beer during commercials,/Because the revolution will not be televised.
Gil Scott-Heron
The revolution will be no re-run brothers, The revolution will be live.
Gil Scott-Heron
I was born in Chicago, but I was raised in a town called Jackson, Tennessee. And a lot of these changes that were necessary and talked about it as important have been made, like, people go to school where they want to go. They work for equal pay, they work for - they can go school and have an equal shot at a job.
Gil Scott-Heron
I would say if you are familiar with our history and the history of our art and literature that you see a clear cut pattern of people wanting to contribute, not only artistically, but in some practical purpose, for the benefits of the community.
Gil Scott-Heron
If we meet somebody who has never made a mistake, lets help them start a religion. Until then, were just going to meet other humans and help to make each other better.
Gil Scott-Heron
As for money - when I have it, it's great. When I don't, I go get some. I've been a dishwasher, a gardener, a cleaner.
Gil Scott-Heron
A lot of folks are so busy trying to get their groceries together that they don't have time to do research. I have time. Maybe that's the main difference.
Gil Scott-Heron
If someone comes to you and asks for help, and you can help them, you're supposed to help them. Why wouldn't you? You have been put in the position somehow to be able to help this person.
Gil Scott-Heron
Everything that's bad for you catches on too quickly in America, because that's the easiest thing to get people to invest in, the pursuits that are easy and destructive, the ones that bring out the least positive aspects of people.
Gil Scott-Heron
Our accomplishments show what kind of people we are.
Gil Scott-Heron
I am a black man dedicated to expression expression of the joy and pride of blackness. I consider myself neither poet, composer, or musician. These are merely tools used by sensitive men to carve out a piece of beauty or truth that they hope may lead to peace and salvation.
Gil Scott-Heron
I find it not just strange but almost ridiculous that people could take a song like the one I was doing and interpret it is corroding anything. Folks have the feeling that oftentimes if you don't talk about something it will go away.
Gil Scott-Heron
