Man in the Mirror; Reflections on the Guy in the Glass
Posted: Wednesday, July 01, 2009
by Sandra E. Graham
My Books and Articles
This has not been a good week for celebrities, as we got up each morning to hear on the news or read the papers that one of our favorite singers, favorite actresses, favorite game show hosts, and favorite paid programming' announcers had just died. And just as we are preparing to celebrate our Nation's birthdate of Independence .
And although I will mourn the loss of each one, my heart aches most at the loss of the Man in the Mirror. Michael's 1988 spiritual rendition of this heart-rending song still flows through my head when I think of this great talent. I liked many of his songs, but this was my favorite, for I felt (hoped) that he was truly feeling what he was putting into such beautiful verses.
The words had so much meaning, but as the years that followed and trouble plagued the young man, I wondered if he truly listened to his own words, as he seemed to express feelings straight from the heart. I wondered what he really saw in the mirror. Did he see a man that needed to change, wanted to change? Or did he think he was laying out the life of someone else? And I wonder now if he died a happy man, a changed man? I hope he did. I'm not sure that he didn't deserve to. I didn't know his heart. But my feelings tell me that he didn't deserve some of the ridicule and harsh treatment that seemed to come his way at every turn. After all, even an icon is just a man.
"Man In The Mirror"
by Michael Jackson
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Then Make A Change
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His
Ways
And No Message Could've
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
Change!.
Another man, many years before Michael Jackson sang his grammy nominated Hot 100, also expressed his feelings toward the reflection looking back at him from the looking glass. That man was Dale Wimbrow. This is his version of the man in the mirror. This is another great poem of what it means to see through the outer shell of a man to the inner most person that lies beneath and what is in that person's heart and soul. Enjoy.
The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow 1934
When you get all you want and you struggle for pelf,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
And although I will mourn the loss of each one, my heart aches most at the loss of the Man in the Mirror. Michael's 1988 spiritual rendition of this heart-rending song still flows through my head when I think of this great talent. I liked many of his songs, but this was my favorite, for I felt (hoped) that he was truly feeling what he was putting into such beautiful verses.
"Man In The Mirror"
by Michael Jackson
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Then Make A Change
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His
Ways
And No Message Could've
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make That . . .
Change!.
Another man, many years before Michael Jackson sang his grammy nominated Hot 100, also expressed his feelings toward the reflection looking back at him from the looking glass. That man was Dale Wimbrow. This is his version of the man in the mirror. This is another great poem of what it means to see through the outer shell of a man to the inner most person that lies beneath and what is in that person's heart and soul. Enjoy.
The Guy in the Glass
by Dale Wimbrow 1934
When you get all you want and you struggle for pelf,
and the world makes you king for a day,
then go to the mirror and look at yourself
and see what that man has to say.
For it isn't your mother, your father or wife
whose judgment upon you must pass,
but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life
is the one staring back from the glass.
He's the fellow to please,
never mind all the rest.
For he's with you right to the end,
and you've passed your most difficult test
if the man in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world,
down the highway of years,
and take pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
if you've cheated the man in the glass.
We will miss you, Michael Jackson.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Thanks Sandra for sharing. I am sure he lived his words through himself. After all, his monetary and his talents drew a world unto him. I know that through your years there has never been a leader without opening his or herself up to the flaws that have been within. He had talent enough to go back into time and place a poem within and brought it to life in music. I still see myself in the mirror. I only wish the mirror could correct what I am suppose to see and correct. (A mirror is like a Bible, it can show and tell you what is wrong for you to fix it, but it cannot fix it). A true artist gives their soul for what they love... Good or bad, they give. Thanks again for your article as always.And thank you, Dr. Clarence, for reading and commenting.SandraSandra, very well written, very well said, and I know the song that you wrote about, but never really listend to the lyrics, and I am thinking you are right about your article, perhaps he sould have listened to his own song, and he would have been fine. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and I really like the write.....your friend in pen, and fan......GaryYeah, I think his song had the right idea, but I'm just not sure very many of us take our own advice. We all know we need change, but few want to make the first move. Sometimes we should listen to our children--often they are smarter than we are.Thanks for commenting, Gary.SandraAnd Happy Fourth.
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