"King Henry IV" Gil Scott-Heron

The Very rare poem of Gil Scott-Heron which may had been published in the late 70´s or the early 80´s, i´m not sure at all because I found it in the collection of Scott-Heron´s poetry “Now and Then” (Canongate Books, 2010).

The subject is the most deadly disease. HIV. In this poem GSH´s called it "King Henry IV" and his message is very comprehensible.

!!! Do not bow down before the King !!!

"King Henry IV" Gil Scott-Heron

The King is alive and twenty millions strong

And long before he ever ascended to the throne

He was made fun of, a source of great humor

His domination over neighborhoods was nothing but a rumor

Back when the King´s name was so rarely spoke

And the ten million disciples mentioned by some folks 

Was called exaggerated and treated like a joke

They didn´t understand that the monster had woke

But the King could instantly demonstrate

That he wasn´t no laughing matter

Blow folks away so quickly it would demonstrate

Nobody and nothing does it better

Now we´re talking about total finesse

That´s when you know you´re dealing with the best

There ain´t even been one whisper of force

Over the entire kingdom of Henry IV.

The awful thing about it is there ain´t nothing you can do Guard all your 

door and windows and the King can still

rob you

Oh, No! ain´t talking about the 60´s, not that f´n far back

In the ´80s with folks falling into and between the cracks

And talking about being right in the center of the news

But the King don´t never give no interviews

And the reporters was lined up. The King was raising hell

around here

And then information just dried up and the King seemed to

disappear

Gone so quickly you might have just an impression

Am I certain of my facts now of course.

I know almost all there is to know about King Henry IV

What it left on the ghetto streets was an incorrect

understanding

About the ways he caught on and how rapidly he was 

expanding 

The reason i felt black kids was headed for a fall

Was the day I read this poem painted in a bathroom stall:

Fuck a man in the butt and you could get it for sure

Pass a dope needle around and there wasn´t no cure

The kids believed if you wasn´t gay and didn´t shoot dope

You was home free, take the day off and float

But what would always make the King seem so tough

Is that he get in and then take five years to show back up

And you can go scream at them until you get hoarse

But they don´t understand and about King Henry IV

(There was only Public Enemy with really decent shit to say

And maybe Run DMC had it with "Walk This Way"

15 years ago? Hell it wasn´t even ten

Which only goes to show how fast the King is moving in)

He was no more than a whisper at gay after-hour spots

If there are no bloodless revolution why hadn´t he fired a 

shot?

Sunday mornings from the pulpit he was blamed on

promiscuity

More confusing newspaper bullshit only furthered the 

ambiguity

Preacher´s became obsessed and called him a message from

above

The creature´s game progressed since nobody knew who the

fuck he was

Completely taking over areas that had never seen royalty

But soon millions on five continents could all pledge their

loyalty

The invisible monarch was steady doing his thing

He never heard folks once saying "Hail to the King!"

But he´s got powers you can´t help but endorse

And the Africans call him King Henry IV