The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Gil Scott-Heron

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox in four
Parts without commercial interruption.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
Blowing a bugle and leading the charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams, and Spiro Agnew,
To eat hog mauls confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you
By the Schaefer Award Theatre,
And will not star Natalie Wood as Steve MacQueen
Or Bullwinkle as Julia.

The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs
The revolution will not make you look five pounds thinner
Because the revolution will not be televised, brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie Mays
Pushing that shopping cart down the block on the
Dead run,
Or trying to slide that color TV into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able to predict the winner at 8:32
On reports from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers
On the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers
On the instant replay.

There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being run out of Harlem on a rail, with a
Brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still lifes of Roy Wilkins
Strolling through watts in a red, black and green
Liberation jumpsuit that he as has been saving
For just the proper occasion.

"Green Acres," "Beverly Hillbillies," and "Hooterville
Junction" will no longer be so damned relevant,
And women will not care if Dick finally got down with Jane
On "Search For Tomorrow"
Because black people will be in the street looking for a
Brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the 11 'o clock news,
And no pictures on Harry R., women liberationists,
And Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb or
Francis Scott Key
Nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tome Jones, Johnny Cash,
Englebert Humperdinck, or the rare earth.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message
About a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a drum in your bedroom.
The tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.

The revolution will not go better with coke.
The revolution will not fight germs that may cause bad
Breath.
The revolution WILL put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised.
...Will not be televised.
...Will not be televised.
...Will not be televised.

The revolution will be no rerun, brothers.
The revolution will be LIVE!

PEMPAMSIE

[Picture of symbol]

"sew in readiness"

symbol of readiness, steadfastness, hardiness

According to The Adinkra Dictionary, the design of this symbol resembles the links of a chain, and implies strength through unity as well as the importance of being prepared.