No Knock (breakdown alt take) Songtext
von Gil Scott‐Heron

Having a lot of trouble here, um...
Well, I earned it, uh...
We′ll go into a poem, um, that is, uh...
Was written for one of our unfavoured people
The present campaign manager of the Nixon campaign
Uh, which seems to be off on a positive start
After his trip to China, but...
Lest thy forget Cambodia, you know
Like, let's not forget that things that he did
That we were very uptight about at the time that he did ′em

And, uh, let's get into this poem called 'No Knock′
The, um, the law is that members of the police or authorities
No longer have to knock on your door before entering
They can now knock your door down
This is called ′No Knock'


Yeah, you explained it to me, I must admit
But just for the record you were talkin′ shit
Long rap about no knock bein' legislated
For the people you′ve always hated
In this hell hole that you, we, call home

"No knock", the man will say
To keep that man from beating his wife
"No knock", the man will say
To protect people from themselves

No knockin', head-rockin′, inter-shockin'
Shootin', cussin′, killin′, cryin', lyin′
And bein' white
No knock

No knocked on my brother Fred Hampton
Bullet holes all over the place
No knocked on my brother Michael Harris
And jammed a shotgun against his skull
For my protection?
Who′s gonna protect me from you?
The likes of you?
The nerve of you?

To talk that shit face to face
Your tomato face deadpan
Your deadpan to ending another freedom fan


No knockin', head rockin′, inter-shockin'
Shootin', cussin′, killin′, cryin', lyin′
And bein' white
No knock

But if you′re wise, no knocker, you'll do this
No knock on my brothers′ heads
No knock on my sisters' heads
No knock on my brothers' heads
No knock on my sisters′ heads

And double lock your door
Because soon someone may be no-knockin′
For you
Drums off, do it again, start from no knock