This song was a breakthrough in several ways. It was the first "happy" love song since her breakup. It was also the first song where she also wrote a parody at the same time. It might someday replace Arrow as her most covered song. Here is a live recording of the song on YouTube.
The song states that Cheryl musta been Gandhi or Buddha or something great to have someone as good as Cathleen. The parody (Cathleen's version) states that she musta done something really bad to get stuck with Cheryl. The regular song is absolutely great. It has a nice sound, and the lyrics are very uplifting. The parody is very funny as well. Here is a live version of the parody from YouTube.
Cheryl told me that the working title to this song was "Musta Been", but when she thinks of it, she normally thinks of "Gandhi/Buddha". So, for a long time, this song was listed as "Musta Been", and that was how it was refered to on her mailing list. During the summer of 2001, Cheryl told me that she was sticking with Gandhi/Buddha, and when Different Stripe came out, the issue was settled.
- Gandhi / Buddha
- Words And Music By
- Cheryl Wheeler
- Feel this wind blow, scatters all these leaves like paper rain.
- Feel these days roll, back into our winter lives again.
- The tangle at the garden fence is brown and dry.
- You call me out and point to your November sky.
- chorus:
- I must've been Gandhi or Buddha or someone like that,
- I must've saved lives by the hundreds everywhere I went.
- I must've brought rest to the restless, fed the hungry too,
- I must've done something great to get to have you.
- And when the cold comes and you are by your fire and fast asleep,
- I'll turn a light on, to watch the snow outside fall soft and deep.
- And when the winter morning shines all white and blue,
- We'll watch the dogs run through the fields like children do.
- (repeat chorus)
- I suppose stranger things have come to pass,
- Many's the forest I can't see.
- I was so down and lost and fading fast.
- How did you find your way to me?
- (repeat chorus)
- *************************************
- Alternate or "Answer" version:
- Man this wind blows, scatters all these leaves I've raked all day
- And your snot nosed little cat keeps getting in the way
- I've got to take that f-ing garden fence back down
- Just so your local yokel friend can plow the ground
- I must've been Hitler or Satan or someone like that
- I must've caused death and destruction everywhere I went
- I must've brought torts to the tortured, beat some nuns up too
- I must've done something bad to have to have you
- And when the cold comes and you have turned the heat to 95
- I'll put some shorts on, and wonder how the cats and dogs survive
- And when the winter morning shines all white and blue
- I'll tell you how it was when you get up at two
- I must've been Hitler or Satan or someone like that
- I must've caused death and destruction everywhere I went
- I must've brought torts to the tortured, drowned some puppies too
- I must've done something bad to have to have you
- (P) July 4, 2000
- Penrod And Higgins Music / Amachrist Music
- ACF Music Group
- International Copyright Reserved
- d