Lyrics for When I Was a Boy as interpreted by aur0ra

When I Was a Boy Lyrics
I won't forget when Peter Pan came to my house, took my hand
I said I was a boy; I'm glad he didn't check
I learned to fly, I learned to fight, I lived a whole life in one night
We saved each other's lives out on the pirate's deck
And I remember that night when I'm leaving a late night with some friends
And I hear somebody tell me it's not safe, someone should help me
I need to find a nice man to walk me home
When I was a boy, I scared the pants off of my mom
Climbed what I could climb upon
And I don't know how I survived, I guess I knew the tricks that all boys knew
And you can walk me home, but I was a boy, too

I was a kid that you would like, just a small boy on her bike
Riding topless, yeah, I never cared who saw
My neighbor come outside to say, "Get your shirt," I said "No way
It's the last time I'm not breaking any law."
And now I'm in a clothing store, and the sign says Less is More
More that's tight means more to see, more for them, not more for me
That can't help me climb a tree in ten seconds flat
When I was a boy, see that picture? That was me
Grass-stained shirt and dusty knees
And I know things have gotta change, they got pills to sell, they've got implants to put in, they've got implants to remove
But I am not forgetting
That I was a boy too

And like the woods where I would creep, it's a secret I can keep
Except when I'm tired, except when I'm being caught off guard
I've had a lonesome awful day, the conversation finds its way
To catching fire-flies out in the backyard
And I tell the man I'm with about the other life I lived
And I say now you're top gun, I have lost and you have won
And he says, "Oh no, no, can't you see
When I was a girl, my mom and I we always talked
And I picked flowers everywhere that I walked
And I could always cry, now even when I'm alone I seldom do
And I have lost some kindness
But I was a girl too
And you were just like me, and I was just like you

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  • 13 Comments
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Mvskoke
10-07-2002

Rated 0 
Gender stereotypes and how they inhibit us

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nightkite13
04-24-2004

Rated 0 
This is one of the saddest, truest songs I have ever heard anywhere. I like how it denounces the idea of rigid gender stereotypes without beating you over the head with its message.

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alnbk5
02-28-2005

Rated 0 
I love the whole Peter Pan analogy in this song, it rocks. And I think it's cute how she shows the stereotypical gender issues. Gotta love Dar!

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empathy_junkie
05-04-2005

Rated 0 
i think this song is absolutly beautiful.
i also agree with the people above me. gender is so rigid when people become adults. if you dont fit your gender's stereotype, people think you're gay or transgeneder or "confused".
its so much simpler with little kids. it's okay to climb trees when though you're a little girl (i climbed quite a few in skirts that my mom picked out). i grew up a little like this, surrounded by boys. but it's definately changed for me, which is sad.
i miss the days when i was a little boy.

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Frostie
07-29-2005

Rated 0 
This is an AMAZING song! I still do that stuff... Im a tomboy... Oh wait... It has changed for me... now... Im a tomboi... Im a lesbian but back in the day of liking guys... I used to want to be like them... to be fearless...because I thought only boys could. But then I got into the Spice Girls... and they said Girl Power... so... yeah... I didnt have to be a boy to be fearless.

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pnkseashel
01-16-2006

Rated 0 
Dar says:

"The feminists are going to say, “Why couldn’t you be that way when you were a girl?” But I wasn’t like a boy, I was a boy. So there was grit to stick to that strong line. I was describing how I was a boy, and then I was trying to decide how to end the song. I thought the song was going to be a whole thing about women in the world, but I realized it’s just not a feminist song. It’s not a song about women, it’s a song about children. So that’s why the ending is “when I was a girl.” And that’s what made all the difference. Because if it was turning into a feminist manifesto, it would have been really heavy. It would have been like that rib that they put on the car in the Flintstones, and the whole car falls over! It would have been that rib.


I think there is a lot of empathy between men and women, and they want to share, but they get polarized by these debates. I didn’t want to feel that I was arguing against men, especially since men get shafted so much by their roles. Actually a lot of women that I speak to who would have been the separatists, they feel sorry for men. They don’t feel like men are the enemy, they feel like men are the victims of these roles.

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pnkseashel
01-16-2006

Rated 0 
I thought "When I was a boy" would be an enormous flop, because I felt like I was the only one like that growing up in my school. I thought the boys were boys and the girls were girls, and here I was playing sports with the boys and being more grubby than most of the kids. I had no idea I was going to hit a nerve with so many people. I've sung that song for real girly-girls from my past, and they say they can relate to that song. And it really surprised me that it resonated so much with men. Two or three men I had always associated with being very emotionally masked, sort of notoriously so, found me at a quiet moment and said, you know, I was a girl. The ones I knew who were the most emotionally guarded were the ones who made a special point of being very direct with me about how this song had affected them."

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smallboyonherbike
02-20-2006

Rated 0 
"just a small boy on her bike, riding topless, yeah, I never cared who saw..." as my username states,that was me, I remember when my mom finally told me that I had to wear a shirt when I was in the front yard. I grew up in rural canada so it never really mattered too much, there were trees to climb and gardens to mess around in. I had mostly sisters, but I never cared about brushing my hair or keeping my clothes clean, and I was more interested in bugs than dolls. I love the way she shows how when you're little, you're just who you are, be it male or female, be it whatever you are. then in come stereotypes and all of a sudden you can't like bugs or run around without a shirt because puberty hits and people want to see you without one.
may I echo empathy_junkie--- I miss the days when I was a little boy.

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shanier
03-01-2006

Rated 0 
It's funny because I've always called this song "Autobiographical Song #1." (Precious Things by Tori Amos is #2.) I never imagined other people identified with it too...

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Wulfe87
11-20-2006

Rated 0 
I came across this song in a book I just picked up a few days ago. The girl's screenname was "Smallboyonherbike" and she later explained it was from a song. So I had to look it up. This song is me! lol
I was often mistaken for a little boy when I was little 'cause I had short hair (well... still do ^_^) and I would run around without a shirt and do all the stuff little boys are "supposed" to do.
I'm just sad I can't find a recording of this song.. maybe I'll check with my sister. ^__^

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sollisch
04-17-2007

Rated 0 
such a good song. it has a sort of humor, and is told through the eyes of s girl growing up. we doesn't understand why she can't continue to behave the way she wants. why she can't just hang out with the guys. its amazing. i love thr irony in the end.

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veronda
04-02-2008

Rated 0 
I can relate so so much to this song. I love how she can make so many references to who a woman, and a man, are expected to be. I like the reference about how a woman should always be on display (tight shirt) and always think she is not good enough (implants). As a kid she got to be topless and not care how people think she measures up.

Mostly I love how she doesn't blame men for girls feeling the need to do these things, but society/marketing. She paints men as just as much victums of growing up as women are.

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ixlikexmusic
05-31-2008

Rated 0 
I saw her in concert last night, and this song made me cry. Ever since I was little (and i was another one of those girls who always said she was a boy and was dirty and wrestled...) this song has been like...my song. And my mom says that the first time she heard this song she thought about me.

so everytime i listen to this song i get something new from it. When i was 8, all i saw was the being a boy and not wanting to be a girl, but when i listen now, i hear all of the body image things. It makes me think of how easy everything was when i could play in the sprinkler with swimming trunks on and now i have to worry about how i dress...

this song is so moving, and she does it so beautifully.

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