The Last Poets - Bird's Word lyrics

Everything was silent and then Ma Rainey spread Black News by way of the Backwater Blues as Bessie Smith picked up on it and spread the word, thru music and song, then the message pa**ed on to Chick Webb, King Oliver, Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll Morton, and they played the word and pa**ed it along to Louis Armstrong Fats Navarro, Charlie Ventura, Roy Eldridge and Fats Waller, who was known to holler The joint is jumpin with a Fatman's joy as everybody started Stompin' at the Savoy Then the word grew strong, as the immortal Bird came along and blew all the Blackness that was true with some Be-Bop brand new turning everybody on, with his unforgettable horn as Lester Young became the first Prez of our race and we turned around and dug on the beautiful face of Billie Holiday As Billie began to sing praises to the blackman's thing, the good Brother Monk threw in some funk so that the whole world could see what he is, was and always will be A genius creatively! Then Miles began to set new styles that put us miles ahead, as Dizzy set us free to be ourselves, and ride to heaven from hell in the latest El-Do-Ra-Do, comin' far to carry us home! Then Dinah sang finer As Duke and Ella rode to fame goin' to Harlem on the A train and we tuned into Charlie Mingus's ba** setting a soulful pace that let us taste the down sound, that found our hearts beating to the voice and drums of Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach in their hip approach to Blackness! Then Eddie Jefferson crooned an original tune as Lambert, Hendricks and Ross scatted a new course and we sampled King Pleasure's treasure and listened to James Moody's moans and then dug the dynamite drums of Brother Philly Joe Jones! As Milt Jackson played the vibes in leaps and strides with the MJQ (MJQ = Modern Jazz Quartet) that sped our prides into sophisticate funkiness Meanwhile, Sonny Rollins was building a bridge, for us to leave behind our grief for the soulful relief to find our own black minds to tune in on Bud Powell who played the piano with funky hands as he filled the seats and made 'em stand on funky nights down Birdland (jazz club in NYC) Then the Mighty Hawk made his horn talk (Coleman Hawkins) and we heard Baby Ray play What'd I say and jammed the set to dig Ornette as Art Blakey broke free spreadin' the message to you and me to dig on the trumpet of KD (KD = Kenny Dorham) as we broadened our range and counted our change with Basie As Earl Fatha Hines blew our minds and we grew fonder of Errol Garner as Eddie Harris bent our ear talkin' bout Listen Here and Eric Dolphy made his stand with a side called Ironman and Gene Ammons told his soul and we mined Horace's Silver that bought funky gold Then Oscar Brown and Joe Williams got down and we spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around, spun around and dug Clifford Brown, Wowin' a sweet funky sound of soul with a rhythm of gold and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along, and along came 'trane! Who blew away all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain, all the pain in the name of all the Black People on the Planet Earth, and all the stars in the cosmic universe! As Brother 'trane blew to the East to destroy the beast and bring back Peace to Black People! And everybody heard the majestic word of trane's horn, telling us of a Love Supreme for Black People, that grew strong, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, from the soul, from the heart from the spirit, from the brain from the love of Brother John Coltrane! Then Jimmy Smith got funky with it and preached a sermon not to Walk on the Wild Side but ride with Wes Montgomery who played his best everyday in our life as Shirley Scott's organ got hot and she and Stanley set more funk free! (Stanley Turrentine) as Ahmad Jamal played with renewed ability to give our minds some Tranquility so that we could listen to an in-soul depth Brother Archie Shepp as Jackie McLean broke on the scene blowing mean and harder for everybody to listen to Betty Carter as Sun Ra shined and Cannonball's horn whined Mercy! Mercy! Mercy! So Sonny Stitt started piping it and we couldn't get enough of brother Jack McDuff as Freddie Hubbard began to bud and we heard from Donald Byrd and they'll be no others like the Ayter Brothers Then Wayne Shorter grew taller and our ship left dock with Herbie Hanco*k as we rolled with Lee Morgan and Grooved on Richard Holmes' organ and then dug the soul of Art Tatum produce the sound that made him as Rufus Harley blew an old new type bagpipe that put the pants back on the man an' Nina Simone groaned Mississippi Goddam!l and Brother McCoy gave us peace and joy as Elvin bought our freedom Jones down on us! (Elvin Jones) Then Charles Lloyd filled the void an' we watched Roland Kirk work! and with a sigh of relief listened to Yusef Lateef blow in a flow of flurry's of peace from the east as Pharaoh Sanders floated down the Nile with Brother Leon Thomas to herald the promise of peace and happiness throughout the land! All praises due to the Creator of the Blackman! Blackman!