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

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