You don't have to deal with the dealers
Let your boyfriend deal with the dealers
It only gets inconvenient
When you wanna get high alone
You don't have to know how to get home
Let your boyfriend tell the driver the best way to go,
It only gets kinda weird when you wanna go home alone,
You don't have to know the inspiring people
Let your boyfriend know the inspiring people
You can hang in the kitchen
Talk about the stars in the upcoming sequel

If you get tired of your boyfriend's things
There's always other boys,
There's always other boyfriends
If you get tired of your boyfriend's scene
There's always other scenes
There's always other boyfriends

You don't have to deal with the dealers
Let your boyfriend deal with the dealers
It only gets inconvenient
When you wanna get high alone
You don't have to go to the right kind of schools,
Let your boyfriend come from the right kind of school
You can wear his old sweatshirt
You can cover yourself like a bruise

But if you get tired of your boyfriend's things
There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
If you get tired of your football pranks
There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
If you get tired of the car he drives,
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you
If you get tired of the music he likes
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you

They say you don't have a problem
Until you start to do it alone
They say you don't have a problem
Until you start bringing it home
They say you don't have a problem
Until you start sleeping alone

There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you
There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you
There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you
There's always other boys
There's always other boyfriends
There's always other boys
And you can make him like you


Lyrics submitted by kemekongka

You Can Make Him Like You Lyrics as written by Tad Jason Kubler Craig Finn

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

You Can Make Him Like You song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

27 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +5
    General Comment

    I love this song as well, but I feel it's more satirical (sarcastic?) than literal. To me, it's an indictment against girls who live their lives through their boyfriend(s). They don't have to go to good schools or know how to get home or be inspiring, just as long as they're dating someone who matches those descriptions. And then, if they're growing tired of their life or feel like they need to change or mature, instead of actually working on themselves and growing as a human being, they just get a different or more mature boyfriend. To me, Craig Finn is telling girls, "Don't settle for that crap. You are NOT a bruise that needs to be covered. Be your own person. Live your own life. Expect great things of YOURSELF."

    treblejoneson January 31, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    i disagree with treblejones and mtfujiinmypants about the voice of the song drastically. i feel like he isn't necessarily saying that these girls are horrible or awful but rather that they are sad, conflicted. he shows that there is obviously conflict ("it only get's kinda weird when you wanna get high alone"). i don't see this so much as a declaration against such behavior but rather a solemn observation. this is is incredibly sad, but i wouldn't call it sarcastic or satirical at all.

    thomas doyleon March 03, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I kind of feel that "you can make him like you" is a double entendre. If you interpret the song title like that, it becomes more of an indictment of intergender relationships, which sticks to the theme of the rest of the album. The line speaks about how men so easily succumb to manipulation, but also what happens to the relationship in general. "You can make him like you" also means that she's making him as miserable as she is...spreading the sadness.

    bbrown301on September 16, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    The thing is when on stage, Craig stresses 'you CAN make him like you', as if to say it's empowering to women.

    But really the; "they say you don't have a problem untill you start to do it alone" bit suggest it's more about how girls sacrifice their entire selves for a relationship..

    brendzillaon June 06, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    It's about how a boyfriend can weigh you down and stifle your potential. Even if it's only your potential to do drugs

    hannahkawon August 12, 2010   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is very clearly calling society out for the cultural pressure on women to see themselves as secondary and how crappy it is to be that young woman who hasn’t yet convinced herself that she doesn’t have to filter her interests through a guy or rely on a guy to get what she wants. She can develop her own interests and handle herself. But when young women do this, we get a ton of shit for wanting to be capable in our own right.

    If she’s interested in motorcycles, she doesn’t have to find herself a guy with a bike and ride on the back; she can go out and learn to ride. If she wants drugs, she shouldn’t be expected to sit back and let the dude pay and supply; she doesn’t have to owe a guy for providing the drugs, she can get her own. Or, she can buy for her and her guy. She can throw a party for her own friends and they can have inspiring conversations; house parties aren’t reserved for the guy’s guests, despite fraternity/sorority culture. She doesn’t have to be the passive party.

    It’s crazy to me that so few of the comments pay attention to the last two stanzas. “They say you don't have a problem / Until you start to do it alone / They say you don't have a problem / Until you start bringing it home / They say you don't have a problem / Until you start sleeping alone”. In other words, no one gives her any guff for her interests when she’s allowing these guys to be the ones who get to take action while she sits back and chills, waiting passively. She’s a woman, so she’s allowed to sit back and remain inactive without comment. But when, as a young woman, you try to free yourself from the pressure to remain inert and unskilled and realize your interests for yourself, all of a sudden people hate on you like its their job. All of a sudden, your interests are so weird and problematic and fake and you get judgement from everyone and evverywhere. If you’re an accessory to a dude, your interests can be normal. If you’re independent, your interests are a problem.

    There’s this pressure in society that encourages women and girls to leave skill development and leadership to men who will do the dirty work for them. But who wants to be the secondary character?

    Let me tell you, it sucks to be a young woman who wants to help build the family cabin only to be told she can’t help because it’s a job for the men in the family. It sucks to grow up and have your father never think to teach you basic home improvement skills because you’re his daughter and not his son. It sucks to like motorcycles growing up and have men tell you you’re too small to pick one up, so you’ll never own one. It sucks to realize you never developed certain skills because all your life men around you were encouraging you to rely on them. When you start to insist on actually participating actively in your interests and learning skills, that’s when you get the push back from men who don’t want women in their domains. It really sucks. Society pats these young women on the heads and tells them not to worry their pretty little heads about X, because women aren't encouraged to be their own people,separate from men.

    discobiscuon October 03, 2017   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I don't think Craig sees this girls as horrible people either. They're portrayed as being sad and kind of pathetic. He's watching these girls who bend and twist who they are just to be with some guy. Yeah, you can make him like you, but at what price? Instead of learning from the mistake, they do it over and over "there's always other boys, you can make him like you." They never grow because they don't think it's necessary. "It only gets kind of weird when you wanna get high alone" or "It only gets inconveneint when you wanna go home alone", those are the only times the girls think about how much of themselves are wrapped up in these guys. Other than that, they're content to "hang in the kitchen."

    IndieQueen75on May 18, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    selfishisgorgeous... i'm a girl, and i don't think it's empowering... coz it's totally not! one thing nobody has mentioned yet is what this song is saying about the guys that this girl can make like them...! if this girl is sucha personality-lacking leech... doesn't that reflect poorly on all the dudes she can make like her?... and then she's the one who gets bored of him and moves on first...? sad.

    waspiEon June 28, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I mean, think about it. If you're a beautiful woman, you've got the world at your fingertips. There is some rich person out there that will do anything and everything for you just to be with you. And all you've got to do is put out. And I think beautiful girls are faced with that indecision. Do I take advantage of this, or be who I am and find someone I care about regardless of my looks? And I think this song is about the girl that's like "Hell, I'm hot, I don't need to do anything except be hot and some guy, whoever he is, will take care of the rest." But it only gets inconvenient when you have to go home alone," I think that means there will always be an emptiness inside you unless you ignore the superficial and just be who you are.

    rbach48on June 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i love this song so much. and i love that a guy sings it. it's so reassuring...

    camkid2on January 26, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.