Mr. Wendal
Arrested Development
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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 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 Go ahead, Mr. Wendal Mr. Wendal, yeah Lord, Mr. Wendal
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Written by: TODD THOMAS, TODD A. THOMAS
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Mr. Wendal" Release"Mr. Wendal" was released by the American alternative hip-hop band Arrested Development in 1992.
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Album InclusionThe song is featured on the band's debut album "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life...".
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Chart SuccessIt peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the UK Singles Chart.
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Song InspirationThe song was inspired by a homeless man who band member Speech met in Atlanta.
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Message Behind the SongThe song highlights the wisdom and value of people living on the fringes of society, specifically the homeless, delivering a message of respect and understanding towards them.
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Earning Recognition"Mr. Wendal" earned the band grammy nominations in 1993 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
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Song Samples"Mr. Wendal" samples "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Close to You" by Richard Evans, and "When it Comes Down to it" by Minnie Riperton.
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Cultural ImpactThe song has been notably featured in movies like "Zoolander" and "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay".
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Cover VersionsA cover version of the song was performed by the band Drumfish on their 1999 album "Fishnure".
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ReissuesIn 2002, "Mr. Wendal" was re-packaged and issued in a collection of the Arrested Development's greatest hits, entitled "The Best of Arrested Development."
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Controversial ElementThe song sparked some controversy in the United States for its lyrics which question the value system of affluent Western society, and the negative portrayal of those who don't adhere to it.
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In TV and MoviesBesides movies, the song has also been used in the TV show "Fresh Off the Boat."
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Citation
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"Mr. Wendal Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 3 Jun 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/31580040/Arrested+Development/Mr.+Wendal>.
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