--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, revolution sounds like something…" description: "\"You see, revolution sounds like something that happens, like turning on the light switch, but actually it's moving a large obstacle, and a lot of folks..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce5/gil-scott-heron-9568_actually_you-see-revolution-sounds-like-something_1782345.jpg" --- # You see, revolution sounds like something that happens… ![“You see, revolution sounds like something that happens, like turning on the light switch, but actually it's moving a large obstacle, and a lot of folks' efforts to push it in one direction or the other have to combine.” quote by Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce5/gil-scott-heron-9568_actually_you-see-revolution-sounds-like-something_1782345.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce5/gil-scott-heron-9568_actually_you-see-revolution-sounds-like-something_1782345.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce5/gil-scott-heron-9568_actually_you-see-revolution-sounds-like-something_1782345.jpg) > “You see, revolution sounds like something that happens, like turning on the light switch, but actually it's moving a large obstacle, and a lot of folks' efforts to push it in one direction or the other have to combine.” [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Revolution requires collective effort to shift massive obstacles, not just isolated actions. **In simple terms:** Change needs many people working together. Key Takeaway Collaborate to move big barriers. Themes social change collective action obstacle Mood urgent hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - activism - community organizing - policy reform - grassroots movements Key Concepts politics social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you mobilize diverse groups? - What small steps build momentum? A Different Perspective Coordination can be difficult and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Combine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combine/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Efforts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efforts/) [Efforts Push](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/efforts-push-1873903/) [Folks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks/) [Folks Efforts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folks-efforts-1873905/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large/) [Large Obstacle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-obstacle-1873904/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Turning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-turning-1873902/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Obstacle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obstacle/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Push](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/push/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolution Sounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution-sounds-1873901/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Sounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sounds/) [Switch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/switch/) [Turning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turning/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [It's like turning the space program over to the Long Island Railroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/it-s-like-turning-the-space-program-over-to-the-long-island-railroad/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [I believe in facing reality. But only because I don't like turning my back on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-thaves/i-believe-in-facing-reality-but-only-because-i-don-t-like-turning-my/) [Bob Thaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-thaves/) > [Life is like a turning wheel: you can't always be on the top. Sooner or later you wind up on the bottom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-turning-wheel-you-can-t-always-be-on-the-top-sooner-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I feel like I'm at a point in my career where I'm looking for something else to sink my teeth into that's interesting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-montgomery/i-feel-like-i-m-at-a-point-in-my-career-where-i-m-looking-for/) [Ryan Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-montgomery/) > [I didn't know love felt like this, like turning into brightness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/i-didn-t-know-love-felt-like-this-like-turning-into-brightness/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [What the fuck I look like turning down some head it's kinda like a bird turning down some bread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/what-the-fuck-i-look-like-turning-down-some-head-it-s-kinda-like-a/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [I like being the underdog. I like turning around and shutting people up when they tell me I can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-like-being-the-underdog-i-like-turning-around-and-shutting-people/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [Art is like turning corners, one never knows what is around the corner until one has made the turn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-avery/art-is-like-turning-corners-one-never-knows-what-is-around-the-corner/) [Milton Avery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-avery/) > [“There's nothing quite like turning the page.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-carter/there-s-nothing-quite-like-turning-the-page/) [Casey Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-carter/) > [I take my vacation on the combine and tractor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/i-take-my-vacation-on-the-combine-and-tractor/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) > [In this world, there are things you can only do alone, and things you can only do with somebody else. It's important to combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/in-this-world-there-are-things-you-can-only-do-alone-and-things-you/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Invention is not enough. Tesla invented the electric power we use, but he struggled to get it out to people. You have to combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/invention-is-not-enough-tesla-invented-the-electric-power-we-use-but/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [“to combine both, but if you can’t, they should have at least one of these:”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-anderson/to-combine-both-but-if-you-can-t-they-should-have-at-least-one-of/) [Mary Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-anderson/) > [Let Time and Chance combine, combine! Let Time and Chance combine! The fairest love from heaven above, That love of yours was mine, My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/let-time-and-chance-combine-combine-let-time-and-chance-combine-the/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The complexity increases exponentially when you try and combine two companies that both need to be restructured in their own right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-waitt/the-complexity-increases-exponentially-when-you-try-and-combine-two/) [Ted Waitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-waitt/) ## More by Gil Scott-Heron > [Oftentimes, the way it seems to be is that our artists in particular point themselves out as spokesmen for a certain constituency in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/oftentimes-the-way-it-seems-to-be-is-that-our-artists-in-particular/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I was one of the first three black students to go to an all-white school in Tennessee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-was-one-of-the-first-three-black-students-to-go-to-an-all-white/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [A good poet feels what his community feels. Like if you stub your toe, the rest of your body hurts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/a-good-poet-feels-what-his-community-feels-like-if-you-stub-your-toe/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I find it not just strange but almost ridiculous that people could take a song like the one I was doing and interpret it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-find-it-not-just-strange-but-almost-ridiculous-that-people-could/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [Womenfolk raised me and I was full-grown before I knew I came from a broken home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/womenfolk-raised-me-and-i-was-full-grown-before-i-knew-i-came-from-a/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [If you aren't having no fun, die, because you're running a worthless program, far as I'm concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/if-you-aren-t-having-no-fun-die-because-you-re-running-a-worthless/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I have a novel that I can write. It's about three soldiers from Somalia. Some babies have been disappearing up on 144th Street, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-have-a-novel-that-i-can-write-it-s-about-three-soldiers-from/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [ I work hard at it \[delivery of lyrics\], just like I worked hard at getting my masters degree. It's not just something I sit… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-work-hard-at-it-delivery-of-lyrics-just-like-i-worked-hard-at/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [Your life has to consist of more than 'Black people should unite.' You hope they do, but not twenty-four hours a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/your-life-has-to-consist-of-more-than-black-people-should-unite-you/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [You should be able to do anything you can afford as an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/you-should-be-able-to-do-anything-you-can-afford-as-an-adult/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [You know what has made me the happiest I've ever been? Seeing my son and daughter graduate from college. More than wanting them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/you-know-what-has-made-me-the-happiest-i-ve-ever-been-seeing-my-son/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I've always had questions about what it meant to be a protester, to be in the minority. Are the people who are trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-ve-always-had-questions-about-what-it-meant-to-be-a-protester-to-be/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I was a piano player before I was a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-was-a-piano-player-before-i-was-a-poet/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I cannot afford to watch Fox News.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-cannot-afford-to-watch-fox-news/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) > [I think a whole lot of stuff gets by people - I could name half a dozen groups that do songs that are openly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gil-scott-heron/i-think-a-whole-lot-of-stuff-gets-by-people-i-could-name-half-a-dozen/) [Gil Scott-Heron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) [Explore all 71 Gil Scott-Heron quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gil-scott-heron/) ## More Actually quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/) [David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/) > [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/) [Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. 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Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. 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