"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
"Plug in, turn on, and ", a reference to Timothy Leary's pro-LSD phrase "Turn on, tune in, drop out."[6]
cop out
"Process", term for using chemicals to straighten a Black person's hair
[9]
37th president of the United States
Richard Nixon
General , one of the commanders of military operations in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War
Creighton Abrams
chairman of the House Armed Services Committee during the period of the Vietnam War (Rivers' name appears in the original 1970 recording, but not in the re-recorded 1971 version, being replaced by Spiro Agnew)
Mendel Rivers
39th vice president of the United States under Nixon
Spiro Agnew
, an anthology of theatrical films that aired on several U.S. TV stations
Schaefer Award Theatre
film actress
Natalie Wood
film actor
Steve McQueen
cartoon character
Bullwinkle
"The revolution will not get rid of the nubs", the nubs being beard stubble, from a Techmatic razor advertisement of the period
Gillette
baseball player
Willie Mays
" will not be able to predict the winner at 8:32", a reference to television networks predicting the winner of presidential elections shortly after the polls close at 8 p.m.
NBC
"Red, black, and green", the colors of the
Pan-African flag
, a U.S. television sitcom
Green Acres
, a U.S. television sitcom
The Beverly Hillbillies
" Junction" (a corruption of Petticoat Junction, a U.S. television sitcom, and its fictitious location)
Hooterville
"...will no longer be so damned relevant," a statement of approval toward the that led to the above three shows being canceled
rural purge
generic white couple derived from white children, a brother and sister, featured in American basal readers
Dick and Jane
, a popular U.S. television soap opera
Search for Tomorrow
, another U.S. television soap opera
The Brighter Day
the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy's widow, seen during the period in television broadcasts of Kennedy memorials
Jackie Onassis
U.S. composer
Jim Webb
British pop music singer, then hosting The Engelbert Humperdinck Show
Engelbert Humperdinck
all-white U.S. rock band signed to Motown Records (this band is only referred to in the 1971 version)
Rare Earth
"White lightning", a term for , the name of a 1950s country and western song by George Jones, and an American psychedelic rock band.
moonshine
"Put a tiger in your tank", an Esso (now ) advertising slogan created by Chicago copywriter Emery Smith
Exxon
"Giant in your toilet bowl," a reference to commercials saying that it cleared so well it was like "having a giant in your toilet bowl" with an animation of a large arm using a plunger on your toilet.
Liquid-Plumr
"Fights germs that may cause bad breath", from advertising
Listerine
"Will put you in the driver's seat", reference to advertising slogan for car rental
Hertz
Each verse has several cultural references:[5]
List of socialist songs
Scott-Heron, Gil (2007). Eleveld, Mark (ed.). . The Spoken Word Revolution Redux. Naperville, Ill.: Sourcebooks MediaFusion. pp. 214–215.