“You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and drop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip
Skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised”
This proto-rap classic was influential in the development of socially conscious hip-hop. Jazz poet Scott-Heron originally recorded it for his 1970 live album Small Talk at 125th and Lenox. This spoken word poem is stripped down, accompanied by only congas and bongo drums.
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was a popular slogan of the Black Power movement of the 1960s. Scott-Heron written it in response to The Last Poets 1970 spoken word classic “When the Revolution Comes”, which opens with the line: “When the revolution comes some of us will probably catch it on TV, with chicken hanging from our mouths.”
The more widely known full band version appeared on Scott-Heron’s 1971 landmark album, Pieces of Man. The tune denounces political passiveness and makes potent statements about the inability of pop culture and the media to address real-world issues. It expresses the view that real revolution takes place on the street when the media isn’t covering it. Even though some of the references may be dated, the tune’s message of wokeness isn’t.