Gil Scott-Heron Quotes

“Gil says he wrote the song in the first person, rather than the third, to avoid making it sound accusatory. "If you do things in the first person, then even people with those kinds of problems can look at them because you're not talking about them. You're talking about yourself. They can look at themselves by looking at you.”
― Marcus Baram, Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man

“In a city that attracted protesters, organizers, and activists of every variety, debating issues across the political spectrum and with a huge population of black people, the messages in his lyrics were received with enthusiasm. “This was Chocolate City. People in DC were pretty sophisticated and they liked his political wit, and I think he liked speaking truth to power in the heart of the government.”
― Marcus Baram, Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man

“Like Gil, Brian had been raised as an only child by strong women. "It shaped our views of ourselves. We considered ourselves loners, on the outside of society," said Jackson. And the two of them often preferred being alone to being around other people.”
― Marcus Baram, Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man

“If you've lost your sense of humor, I think you've lost your sense of humanity... You can't just start screaming at everybody. Everybody knows there are things wrong with this planet. But in order to make it through all the things that are going to happen to you in your life, you need to maintain humor. It's the most important aspect of yourself.
- Gil Scott-Heron”
― Marcus Baram, Gil Scott-Heron: Pieces of a Man