Friday, April 20, 2007     « The Bottle »

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Song: "The Bottle" by Gil Scott-Heron. Possibly the most upbeat and uplifting tune with the most depressing lyrics. The song is structured like a series of short stories or vignettes told by a narrator as he walks through a neighborhood pointing to the people whose lives have been destroyed by alchohol addiction. It's impossible to get to the part about the woman who drinks wine without shaking to the music. Catchy, rhythmic, and soulful Gil Scott-Heron has a way with drawing the listener into the harsh reality his lyrics tell. The part that hits me hardest in this song is when Gil or the intended narrator seems to be telling his own story, "I'll tell you a little secret.... If you ever come looking for me you know where I'm bound to be, in the bottle. Turn around. Look around on any corner, if you see some brother looking like a goner it's gonna be me."

« The Bottle »