The Summer of ’42

Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - “The Summer of ‘42”
[Vocals/Written By/Producer: Gil Scott-Heron]
[Producer/Keyboards/Vocals/Written By: Brian Jackson]
[Producer: The Midnight Band]
[Vocals/Bells/Tambourine: Victor Brown]
[Bass Guitar: Danny Bowens]
[Congas: Eddie Knowles]
[Congas/Chinese Drum: Charlie Saunders]
[Congas/Shaker/Djembe: Barnett Williams]
[Drums: Bob Adams]
[Harmonica/Flute/Saxophone: Bilal Sunni-Ali]

[Chorus: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead

[Verse 1: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Now it’s the end of air that you breathe
It should become very clean, clean
Well, I guess I’ll scream. Likewise
The rivers, you’ll never be far from rivers
Great lakes and streams. [?] is walking on the water
It seems like you wish it
That could you undo, but there ain’t no way to undo it
Everything that’s happened to you
Since the Summer of ’42
But there ain’t no way, ain’t no way, ain’t no way, man
What you gonna [?]
You can leave if you want to, but I, I’m
After, yes, I keep on thinking, I keep on thinking like

[Chorus: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead. What it mean?
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead

[Verse 2: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Now call the rednecks that you know like George Wallace
Suddenly change their minds or claim they did
Tell me, could you relate to them and work for them?
I mean, like, after all this time?
Now all we’re trying
To tell somebody, tell somebody, tell somebody, please
There ain’t no way to undo, there just ain’t no way to undo
Yeah, but this thing that’s done happened to you, happened to ya, happened to ya
Now, since the Summer of ’42, I done said
Honest to God, Honest to God, Honest to God, man (Say what, brother man)
What you’ve gone reminiscing
Ain’t what my life, my life’s been missing
So I keep on thinking and I keep on feeling like

[Chorus: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
I gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead. Bass man solo

[Bridge: Bass Guitar Solo by Danny Bowens]

[Interlude: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Gil Scott-Heron: Got thirty years to make up for directions here—which one of these should I be more worried about?
Victor Brown: Get out the way, brother man, get out the way
Gil Scott-Heron: Stay ahead, stay ahead, I have

[Chorus: Gil Scott-Heron and Victor Brown]
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead. Can’t stop me
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow ([?] and it got me)
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead ([?])
Gotta move on, gotta see tomorrow (Just that they’re talking, it got me)
Gotta move on, I gotta get ahead (Back [?])
I gotta move on, gotta see tomorrow ([?] and it got me)
Gotta move on, I gotta get ahead ([?])
Gotta move on, you gotta see tomorrow ([?] and it got me)
Come on, you gotta get ahead ([?])
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back, there’s nothing there but sorrows
Gotta move on and get ahead, brother man
Gotta move on, I gotta see tomorrow
Gotta move on, gotta get ahead
I can’t look back