Gil Scott-Heron
The Bottle
See that white boy over there, running scared
His old man's in a bottle
Said he gonna quit his 9 to 5
Now he's drinking full time in a bottle
See that black boy over there, running scared
His old man got a problem, (and it's a bad one)
Pawned off damn near everything
His old woman's wedding ring for a bottle
And don't you think it's a crime
When time, after time, after time, living in the bottle
See that sister, sure looked fine
'til she started sipping wine from the bottle
She told me her old man committed a crime
And now he's doing time
So now she's living in the bottle
She's out there on the avenue, all by herself
Sure needs help from the bottle
Preacherman tried to help her out
She cussed him out and hit him in the head with a bottle
And don't you think it's a crime
When time, after time, after time, living in the bottle
See that gent in the wrinkled suit
He done damn near blown his cool to the bottle
He was a doctor helping young girls along
If they wasn't too far gone to have problems
But defenders of the dollar bill
Said "What you doing, Doc? it ain't legal,"
And now he's in the bottle
Now we watch him everyday trying to
Chase all the pigeons away from the bottle
And don't you think it's a crime
When time, after time, after time, living in the bottle