The Revolution Will Not Be Televised-Updated

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

By Gil Scott-Heron

This was a word-song from 1970. I updated it for a reading at the open mic night at Kirby's as a part of my performance art events. The open mic got cancelled so I'm posting this anyway. I really like this.

From Counter-culture Journals:

You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in your Ipad and cop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on a hit a' dope
And skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be televised
The revolution will not be brought to you by dancing with the stars
In 6 episodes with lots'a commercial interruptions
The revolution will not show you pictures of Obama
Blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John Mccain
Scott Walker and Joe Biden to eat hog maws
Confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary
The revolution will not be televised

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Koch Arena and will not star Ted Nugent
And Kid Rock or Bullwinkle and Sponge Bob
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal
The revolution will not get rid of pimples

And make the girls wanna fuck you
The revolution will not make you look 12 pounds thinner
Because the revolution will not be televised, Brother

There will be no pictures of you and  Royals manager Ned Yost
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 predict the winner at 8:32
Or report from 29 districts
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no pictures of cops shooting down
Blacks on the instant replay

There will be no pictures of cops shooting down
Blacks on the instant replay

There will be no pictures of  Cornel West
Being run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process
There will be no slow motion or still life of Jesse Jackson
Strolling through Watts in a red, black and green Kwame Nkrumah
T-shirt that he has been saving
For just the proper occasion

The Voice, American Idol and Biggest Loser
Will no longer be so damned relevant
And women will not care if Dick finally gets down with Jane
On search for tomorrow because people
Will be in the street looking for a brighter day
The revolution will not be televised

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock news
And Michelle Obama blowing her nose
The theme song will not be written by Pharrell Williams
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Hank Williams Jr., Beyoncé,
Taylor Swift, Englebert What'is'dink or Aerosmith
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 Shark Vacuum sweeper in your bedroom
Flow the insurance girl or the Ty-D-Bowl man
The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight the 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 re-run brothers
The revolution will be live

The original: