Winter In America - Live Songtext
von Gil Scott‐Heron

In case you haven′t been there lately
We have, and the season is back
I mean, it was, it was holiday weather for a minute
Or when I was just on vacation
I'll tell you a story

There used to be an agreement between the seasons
I mean, after a while they decided to sit down and work it out
And they agreed that they were gonna just come and stay
About three months each
And then they would go to wherever seasons go
When they′re not where you are
And this would be a cycle and it would go on all the time

And then one year in America, one of the seasons got mad
And decided it was going to stay
Decided that the way things were done there made it feel at home
He would not, he wouldn't go when he was supposed to
I mean it wasn't the people
The people runnin′ this stuff, you know what I′m sayin'


It was something, there was some kind of vibe there
Made it feel like it weren′t leaving, it was just not, just not gonna go
It wasn't in terms of the temperature, it was in terms of the philosophy
The politics, the psychology, the way things were going in other directions
And so for a long time, where we come from there′s no spring
And no summer and no fall

We have been taken over by the season of ice
Very few people recognise it for what it is
Although they feel uncomfortable
Very few people recognise the fact that somehow the seasons don't change
I mean, you can acclimate it, you can politically acclimate it
You can philosophically acclimate it

You start to, you start to relate everything to the season of ice
And so your dreams become frozen, and your ideas become frozen
Your promises become frozen in this
Frozen days, and frozen nights
Frozen aspirations and frozen inspiration

There′s something wrong, I mean, there's something wrong
I mean, there's something wrong, I mean
There′s something wrong, I mean
We′d like to talk to you about a season that is taking over America
The season is winter
This song is called, "Winter in America"


From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains
Like the vultures
Circling beneath the dark clouds
Looking for the rain
Hey, they've been looking for the rain

Just like the cities staggered on the coastline
Livin′ in a nation that just can't much more
Like the forest they buried beneath the highway
Never had a chance to grow
Well, they never had a chance to grow

And now it′s winter
Come on, sing if you know the words
Seemed like winter in America
A time when all of the healers done been killed
Or been betrayed, say
People know that something's wrong
Everybody oughta know winter
Seemed like winter in America

The truth is there ain′t nobody fighting
Because, well nobody knows what to save
Brother, save your soul
Lord knows it's winter in America

The Constitution, a noble piece of paper
With free society
Well, they struggled but they died in vain
And now democracy is ragtime on the corners
On the cord, hoping it'd rain
Yes, he′s been a-hopin′ for some rain
But it just don't look like rain

And I see the robins, yeah, perched in barren tree tops
Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor
And like the peace sign that filtered in our dreams
That never had a chance to grow
Yeah, they never had a chance to grow
Somebody want to go tell them it′s winter

It's cold, it′s like winter in America
Time when all the healers, people who have done been killed
Or been betrayed, say
But the people know there's something wrong
Hey, it′s winter
It seems like winter in America

The truth is there ain't nobody fighting
'Cause, well nobody knows what to save
Aw, sister save your babies
Yes, winter in America

I said hey, hey, hey
It′s winter
It′s cold, it's like winter in America
Time when all the healers, brothers who have done been killed
And put them in jail, say
People know there′s something wrong
Something wrong with winter

It feels like winter in America
The truth is there ain't nobody fighting because
Well nobody knows what to save
Yes and the truth is
There′s nobody fighting, nobody fighting
Nobody knows, nobody knows what to do, what to do
The truth is there ain't nobody fighting because
Nobody knows what to save

Thank you all
Thank you, thank you