This redux of Gil Scott Heron’s Classic The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is in response to the recent scheduling of a concert by Heron in Tel Aviv, scheduled for May 25, in violation of the call for a cultural boycott of Israel by Palestinian civil society. (For more information see links at end of post!) The announcement that Gil “What’s the Word? johannesburg!” Scott Heron would be breaking the cultural boycott of Israel.
LYRICS IN CAPS SIGNIFY MODIFICATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL LYRICS. ORIGINAL LYRICS IN LOWER CASE.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Redux
By Emma Rosenthal
You will not be able to DEFEND JUSTICE, brother.
You will not be able to PLAY ON, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on
TICKET SALES and SCREAMING FANS
Skip out ON JUSTICE DURING TOURS
Because the revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by
GENERAL ELECTRIC
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of OBOMBER
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by
RAUM EMMANUEL, DICK CHENEY OR HILLARY CLINTON
to eat HUMMUS AND TOBOULI CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATED FROM THE AL AQSA MOSQUE SANCTUARY.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by
THE BARBIE CLUB IN TEL AVIV and will not star MADONNA AND
LEONARD COHEN OR GIL SCOTT HERON and RICHIE RICH.
The revolution will not LET YOU mouth COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY EXCUSES.
The revolution will not get rid of the STIGMA OF BREAKING THE BOYCOTT.
The revolution will not make you look MORE MILITANT
because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.
There will be no pictures of you and YOUR BACK UP SINGERS
SHAKING HANDS WITH HEADS OF STATE or trying to slide onto ISRAELI TV WHILE PALESTINIANS DIE IN AMUBLANCES ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL.
NBC will not be able to predict the THE TIME IT TAKES
PALESTINIANS TO GET PAST CHECKPOINTS,
or report from 29 BANTUSTANS.
The revolution will not be televised.
There will be no pictures of ISRAELI SOLDIERS
shooting down brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of ISRAELI SOLDIERS
shooting down brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of FAYAT being
run out of JENIN on a rail with a brand new NOSE JOB.
There will be no slow motion or still life of MAHMOOD ABAAS
strolling through RAMALLAH in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.
MTV, AMERICAN IDOL, and GIRLS GONE WILD
will no longer be so damned relevant, and
PALESTINIAN women will not care if
GIL SCOTT HERON HAS REALLY RAD LYRICS
because THE PALESTINIAN 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 no pictures of SEXY ISRAELI
SOLDIERS IN MILITARY ISSUED BIKINIS ON TANKS
The theme song will not be written by LEONARD COHEN,
GIL Scott HERON, nor sung by MADONNA
OR ANYONE ELSE WHO DID NOT HONOR THE BOYCOTT
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be right back after a message
ABOUT WHITEY ON THE MOON, WHAT’S THE WORD
or ANY SONG FROM SOMEONE WHO DIDN’T SUPPORT
THE LIBERATION OF THE PALESTINIAN people.
You WILL NEED TO WORRY about APARTHEID WALLS,
STOLEN WATER ,POISONED WELLS AND
PALESTINIAN CHILDREN DIGGING
THROUGH THE RUBBLE LOOKING FOR CRAYONS AND SCHOOL BOOKS.
The revolution will not go better with Coke,
ESTEE LAUDER OR CLINIQUE
The revolution will not SUPPORT THE SCABS
WHO BREAK BOYCOTTS
OR THOSE WHO DANCE FOR THE OCCUPIERS.
The revolution will REMEMBER THOSE WHO SANG FOR JUSTICE.
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.
1. ORIGINAL LYRICS http://www.gilscottheron.com/lyrevol.html
2. CALL FROM PALESTINIAN CIVIL SOCIETY FOR BOYCOTT, SANCTIONS AND DIVESTITURE FROM ISRAEL UNTIL IT COMPLIES WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW:
http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=66
3. H’ARETZ ARTICLE ON THE UPCOMING CONCERT: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1163232.html
4. WHAT YOU CAN DO: http://usacbi.wordpress.com/2010/04/18/take-action-gil-scott-heron-dont-play-in-tel-aviv/
5. I remember “I ain’t gonna play Sun City!” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjWENNe29qc
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