Wise Man Pt. 2
Frank Ocean Lyrics

Wiseman closed his mouth
The wise one chooses to remain silent.

Madman closed his fist
A violent person chooses to use their fists to solve problems.

Young man shows his age
Youth bring inexperienced perspectives and actions.

Judge man named it sin
Those in power make decisions on what is considered wrong.

Bad man don't exist, no
The concept of a completely evil person is nonexistent.

No evil man exists
Evil is a subjective concept and doesn't exist in the way that we think it does.

Good man don't exist, no
People can't be purely good.

No righteous man exists
Nobody is completely virtuous at all times.

Sad man cannot cry in place where man can see
Men feel like they can't show their emotions in public.

Never witnessed his father weep
The artist has never seen their father cry.

This old man thought it weak
The singer's elder thought crying was a sign of weakness.

But strong man don't exist
Even a strong man has weaknesses.

No undying man exists
No one is able to live forever.

Weak man don't exist, no
Nobody is completely weak.

Just flesh and blood exists
People are mortal and are made of flesh and blood.

But your mother would be proud of you
Despite everything else, a mother's love for their child is constant.

I bet your mother would be proud of you
The artist is optimistic about the good qualities of the person.

The beast will crawl this earth
The singer speaks of negative/unwanted behavior preformed by some people.

Then fall in the dirt to feed the crows
The consequences of poor actions bring about personal failure and demise.

They'll rip apart his flesh
Negative actions yield negative effects that tear apart the actor.

'Till all that's left is glorious bone
The destruction of a person's negative traits will reveal their honorable qualities.

So you'll bury your own
The bad traits that you give life to will lead to your own negative outcome.

Too vain
Being dedicated to your own glorification leads to short term gratification.

You saw it unfold
You perceive your actions as they happen.

What you know
No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn.

And you claimed all you could hold
You took ahold of everything in sight trying to claim it.

Until death did you part from the mess you made
The legacy of your actions continues after your death.

Primate sharpens tool
People need to stay sharp to survive and protect themselves.

To survive and thrive in the jungle
In a predatory society, self-preservation is key.

Maybe hearts were made to pump blood
The function of our bodily organs is only to maintain life.

Maybe lungs were made for flood
Our bodies take in the world around us for survival.

I won't blunt my blade for cut these chains
The artist acknowledges their worth and would rather not be held back by struggling for things they deem worthless.

Rather let my limbs be drug through mud
Getting dirty for a meaningful cause is better than avoiding sacrifice and contributing to something negative.

You're my brother but your eyes are cold
Knowing someone intimately doesn't mean you know the motives behind their actions.

You're my sister but your womb is bare
Knowing someone's past experiences doesn't mean you know their current feelings.

I bet our mother would be proud of you
The artist comes from a place of empathy towards the person.

Bad man don't exist
Continuing with the singer's perspective, a purely evil person is a fallacy.

No evil man exists
Everyone has the capacity for both good and bad.

I know good man don't exist
Similar to the idea that purely evil people don't exist.

No righteous man exists
Nobody is inherently virtuous all of the time.

Strong man don't exist
Even the seemingly strong have weaknesses.

No undying man exists
Nobody is able to steer clear of death.

Weak man don't exist
Weakness is a fact of life.