Mr. Wendal

Arrested Development In lieu of my recent trip to Costa Rica, I wanted to put this song up. This song has been one of my favorite songs for years now, but everyday it seems I can find new ways to look at past experiences. This song is pretty straightforward, a song which talks about meeting a bum who has a wealth of knowledge to offer the person who is willing to listen. The song begins by immediately showing us how simple charity can mean so much to someone, when we take life for granted on a day-to-day basis. It also begins with a very modest religious theme, saying that what is most important is what is awaiting you in Heaven, not what's here on Earth. Take from that what you will. The artist then proceeds to talk about the main character of the song, Mr. Wendal. He states that once he began to socialize with this "bum", he learns in himself that this person is a human like everyone else, with thoughts and ideas like everyone else. The idea of giving Mr. Wendal money as charity is diminished when the author starts treating this "bum" as a brother. The artist learns that this person has much to offer, and so they exchange services for goods, goods for service, shoes for knowledge. The second verse in this song seems to stem from something that the world, Jesus, Gandhi, and every other great spiritual leader has tried to tell us about: a free life from material possessions, social orders, and the like. Mr. Wendal, though what you might consider poor, is free from car payments, office hours, designer clothes, cell phones, and so on and so on. His only worries are sickness and the harassing cops who treat him "inhuman" as opposed to a "human in flesh". The artist also ponders how really civilized we are, when a whole nation or planet can succumb to violent acts such as enslavement over a "racist grudge". I really like it when he says "Mr. Wendal has tried to warn us about our ways but we don't hear him talk", because I again find it way too often a spiritual leader has tried to warn us about our ways, but we still don't listen. We continue to bathe in our possessions and ridicule those that have less, though those people may actually have the understanding of what the world is all about. I want to conclude by going back to my opening statement. I said I wanted to write this because of my experiences in Costa Rica. The reason I say this, is that in my eyes and from what I have seen from where we stayed, our culture would easily deem Costa Rica as a "poor country". Poor in money, yes; poor in spirit, love, and happiness? I think not. I found this country to definitely have less (possessions) than where I live, but the people were no less happier, and probably have a better understanding of what life is really all about, just like Mr. Wendal.

Lyrics Here, have a dollar, in fact no brotherman here, have two Two dollars means a snack for me, but it means a big deal to you Be strong, serve God only, know that if you do, beautiful heaven awaits That's the poem I wrote for the first time I saw a man with no clothes, no money, no plate Mr.Wendal, that's his name, no one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum, until I had the chance to really get to know one Now that I know him, to give him money isn't charity He gives me some knowledge, I buy him some shoes And to think blacks spend all that money on big colleges, still most of y'all come out confused Go ahead, Mr.Wendal (2x) Mr.Wendal has freedom, a free that you and I think is dumb Free to be without the worries of a quick to diss society for Mr.Wendal's a bum His only worries are sickness and an occasional harassment by the police and their chase Uncivilized we call him, but I just saw him eat off the food we waste Civilization, are we really civilized, yes or no ? Who are we to judge ? When thousands of innocent men could be brutally enslaved and killed over a racist grudge Mr.Wendal has tried to warn us about our ways but we don't hear him talk Is it his fault when we've gone too far, and we got too far, cause on him we walk Mr.Wendal, a man, a human in flesh, but not by law I feed you dignity to stand with pride, realize that all in all you stand tall Mr.Wendal, yeah yeah yeah, Lord, Mr.Wendal