Remarks:
“Whitey on the Moon”, from 1970, never charted, but it is one of his better-known songs.
There was, by the way, a black American astronaut back in the 1960s: Robert Lawrence. He never got to space: he died in a test flight in 1967. His test flights helped to make the Space Shuttle possible.
Lyrics:
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face and arms began to swell.
(and Whitey’s on the moon)
I can’t pay no doctor bill.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Ten years from now I’ll be payin’ still.
(while Whitey’s on the moon)
The man jus’ upped my rent las’ night.
(’cause Whitey’s on the moon)
No hot water, no toilets, no lights.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
I wonder why he’s uppi’ me?
(’cause Whitey’s on the moon?)
I wuz already payin’ ‘im fifty a week.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Taxes takin’ my whole damn check,
Junkies makin’ me a nervous wreck,
The price of food is goin’ up,
An’ as if all that shit wuzn’t enough:
A rat done bit my sister Nell.
(with Whitey on the moon)
Her face an’ arm began to swell.
(but Whitey’s on the moon)
Was all that money I made las’ year
(for Whitey on the moon?)
How come there ain’t no money here?
(Hmm! Whitey’s on the moon)
Y’know I jus’ ’bout had my fill
(of Whitey on the moon)
I think I’ll sen’ these doctor bills,
Airmail special
(to Whitey on the moon)
lol i never heard of this song.Its like the person who wrote it is saying all these things are happening here on earth while yall are going to the moon.I think this song can be applied to life today.change it from whitey on the moon to whitey at war.whitey fighting a war in other people’s country that don’t want them there.wasting money on being at war with people when they could use that money to help u.s citizens.
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Mr.Lawrence is from Chicago.I believe he went Englewood high school.RIP my Brother.Peace & Love.
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This song is calling out the Elephant in the room. How is the U.S. allocating our tax dollars? The song has a lighthearted or upbeat feeling, but the topic is serious. Government tax dollars are ours, so why are some communities educated all the way to the moon, while other communities get second rate education and opportunities?
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The Youtube comments are filled with douchebags.
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One of my all time favorite songs, by one of my all time favorite artists. GSH was much deeper than he ever got credit for. His music is built on a sophisticated jazz foundation, his vocals delivered in a rich, honeyed baritone, just the right hint of scratch, his lyrics evince that rare genius for capturing nuanced concepts with just one or two pithy phrases. He suffered from the same set of personal demons that seems to afflict so many highly creative individuals, and this was perhaps part of the reason he did not acheive a higher degree of fame despite his obvious genius, but probably the bigger reason what that he said, bluntly, what white America did not want to hear. Yet I never heard GSH say anything but the truth.
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Love Gil Scott-heron; Always spoke truth to power. I love Johannesburg. And The Bottle is one of my favorites also.
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I hear his influence in Cunnie Williams:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wijj-4Cd_UQ)
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Stupidest song ever sung, and all that it did is just get Whitey to hate our guts even more than before.
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Trump earlier today: “It is not enough to merely have an American presence in space. We must have American dominance in space. So important. Very importantly, I’m here by directing the Department of Defense and Pentagon to immediately begin the process necessary to establish a space force as the sixth branch of the armed forces. That’s a big statement. We are going to have the Air Force and we are going to have the Space Force — separate but equal. It is going to be something. So important.”
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@Nevile Ross. Seems like you really want white people’s approval. Be a good negro for them. So that they will like you really, really, really like you. Make you should listen to Gil Scott Heron’s song Evolution (And Flashback) it may just wake you up
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