Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Gil Scott-Heron
Vocals
Brian Jackson
Piano
Bernard Purdie
Drums
Burt Jones
Electric Guitar
Johnny Pate
Conductor
Ron Carter
Bass
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Gil Scott-Heron
Songwriter
Brian Jackson
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Bob Simpson
Mixing Engineer
Bob Thiel
Producer
Hall Ray
Mixing Engineer
Lillian Seyfert
Assistant Producer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
A circle spinnin' faster
And getting larger all the time
A whirlpool spelled disaster
For all the people who don't rhyme
[Verse 2]
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
Understand, understand, understand
[Verse 3]
A brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone, now
And leave the hate and fear behind
[Verse 4]
All the millions spent for killing
Seems the whole world must be dying
All the children who go hungry
How much food we could be buying
[Verse 5]
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
Understand, understand, understand
[Verse 6]
A brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone, now
And leave the hate and fear behind
[Verse 7]
People wake up every morning
And simply push their lives aside
They seem to carry all their feelings
Crushed and crumbled up inside
Inside, inside, inside
[Verse 8]
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him who just don't understand
So I went to see my father
Many questions on my mind
But he didn't want to answer me
God, the whole world must be blind
[Verse 9]
Him who don't fit through the needle's eye
Him may someday go insane
Insane, insane, insane
[Verse 10]
Without a brand new sense of freedom
A brand new sense of time
Him may go and stand alone, now
And leave the hate and fear behind
[Verse 11]
Yeah, behind
Yeah, yeah
Written by: Brian Jackson, Gil Scott-Heron