Lyrics On Coming from a Broken Home (Pt. 1) - Gil Scott-Heron

On Coming from a Broken Home (Pt. 1)

I want to make this a special tribute
To a family that contradicts the concepts
Heard the rules but wouldn’t accept
In addition, women-folk raised me
In addition, I was full grown before I knew
I came from a broken home
Sent to live with my grandma down south
When my uncles was leaving
And my grandfather had just left for heaven
They said and as every-ologist would certainly note
I had no strong male figure right?
But lily Scott was absolutely not your mail order room service type cast black
grandmother
I was moved in with her;
temporarily, just until things were patched,
'Til this was patched and 'til that was patched
Until I became at 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10
The patch that held lily Scott who held me and like them 4
I became one more and I loved her from the absolute marrow of my bones
And we was holdin' on,
I come from a broken home
She had more than the five senses
She knew more than books could teach
And raised everyone she touched just a little bit higher
And all around her there was a natural sense
As though she sensed what the stars say what the birds say
What the wind and the clouds say
A sensual soul and self that African sense
And she raised me like she raised 4 of her own
And I was hurt and scared and shocked when lily Scott left suddenly one night
And they sent a limousine from heaven to take her to god, if there is one.
So I knew she had gone
And I came from a broken home