Leslie Odom Jr.
The Answer Is Ward
[MOLLY, spoken]
Can someone please explain to me what's so special about this Dr. Ward Wittlinger?
[OWEN, spoken]
He's only the most inspiring… Well, he inspired me to do what I do. And if he could turn this indoor nerd into an outdoor nerd, then he'd knock the socks off those kids.
(sung)
When I was a little guy
I liked my little guy things
Dinosaurs and trains and macaroni art
Then I saw a man named Ward
He talked to me and my friends
And blew my tiny mind apart
He said,
[OWEN and WARD]
We live connected on this big blue boat
And we must all pull together to keep it afloat
Every little thing is like a ripple on a lake
And we can each change the world
With the paths that we take
Take
[OWEN]
Ward (Ward Wittlinger)
Ward is the answer (Ooh)
If the question is who (He could inspire the world)
Could inspire the world?
The answer is Ward
From that moment on, I knew what I had to do
I was like a man who stepped out of the dark
And then I became a little obsessed
Had one thought filling up my brain
Maybe one day I would get to run a park
Only one direction would ever satisfy
Could never be a postman or a frozen yogurt guy
I looked to Ward for guidance along the way
Did I stalk him like a groupie? Now, y'know, who's to say?
And when I took my first test in Environmental Science and Management
Ward was there
And when I wrote that sternly-worded letter to raise awareness about clear-cut logging, you better believe it
Ward was there
And when I became manager of Central Park
The greatest moment of my life, family stuff not included
Ward was there
To be clear, he wasn't literally there
I mean, every step I took, metaphorically
Ward was there
Ward was there
Ward (Ward Wittlinger)
Ward is the answer (Ooh)
If the question is who (He could inspire the world)
Could inspire the world?
The answer is Ward