The devil's in the dreaming
He tells you I'm not sleeping in my hotel room alone
With nothing to believe in
You dive into the traffic rising up
And it's so quiet
You're surprised
And then you wake

For all the things you're losing
You might as well resign yourself to try and make a change
I'm going down to Hollywood
They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find
crawling round my brain

I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me
And I could shake this static everytime I try to sleep
I wish for all the world that I could say,
"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."

The devil's in the dreaming
You see yourself descending from a building to the ground
You watch the sky receding
You spin to see the traffic rising up
And it's so quiet
You're surprised
And then you wake

For all the things I'm losing
I might as well resign myself to try and make a change
But I'm going down to Hollywood
They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find
crawling round my brain

I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me
And I could shake this static every time I try to sleep
I wish for all the world that I could say,
"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."

In one of these dreams, you forgive me
It makes me think of the bad decisions that keep you at home
How could anyone else have changed?
All these wrong conclusions that leave you alone
How could everyone rearrange?
How could everyone else have changed?
What I see I believe

For all the things I'm losing
I might as well resign myself to try and make a change
Well, I'm going down to Hollywood
They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find
crawling around my brain

I wish I was a girl so that you could believe me
And I could shake this static everytime I try to sleep
I wish for all the world that I could say,
"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days."

But I can't sleep at night



Lyrics submitted by ang

Track duration: 05:54

"I Wish I Was a Girl" as written by Daniel John Vickrey, Ben Mize, Adam Duritz, Charles Gillingham, David Bryson, Matthew Malley

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


I Wish I Was A Girl song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:I'm almost positive he's referring to film angles when he says things like "you watch the sky receding" and "the traffic rising up"... It reminds me of a camera panning out on some horrified girl in the middle of the street. Plus all the references to Hollywood and the line "they're gonna make a movie..". I just loved this song as a kid because he uses "Elizabeth" and says "I wish for all the world" that I could just talk to you but I'm too shy. I remember listening to this song as a little girl (like 10) and thinking that whoever was singing the song was "safe".
    Flag logophobicon April 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:What all of you have been saying seems to be true. I always thought it was about him wanting a sex change. ;)

    This is a really sad song, but I'd have to say that it is really, really good. This whole CD is great. I feel his pain through his lyrics.
    Flag komickazeon April 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days." = Piece of Art x
    Flag HarryMerchon June 19, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:As for Adele's question, here's what I think: When Adam says "Hey Elizabeth, you know, I'm doing alright these days." I think he wants to be able to tell her that he's okay, and it not seem like something that's defensive. If he wasn't in the same position, Elizabeth wouldn't see the statement as a front, but rather something sincere.

    It could also be the fact that he's so lonely and messed up from her, that he wants to eventually be able to tell her that he's okay, and that he's over it, but he can't just yet.
    Flag epicpaigeon January 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:
    For all the things you're losing
    You might as well resign yourself to try and make a change
    I'm going down to Hollywood
    They're gonna make a movie from the things that they find
    crawling round my brain
    (Then the second time, he changes it to himself that need to make the change)

    this brings up another theme that often appears in adam's writing.

    he is saying the for all the things he's lost in his life, such as his relationships, due to his fame/career, he should make a change, but instead he's going to continue to live the rockstar life. and his art ends up being the things that crawl around his brain. the thoughts that are left after the decisions are made.
    and for elizabeth; he is saying for all the stress that my life puts on you, you should make a change, because he's is going down to hollywood to live the life and make music
    Flag willchillon January 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:okay, my use of past/present tense there was atrocious. and i meant to say that the 'i wish i was a girl' isn't a literal thing. it's just to prove a point.

    and i missed out the 'a' in 'he was a girl'.

    fudge.
    Flag heartshotsupernovaon October 20, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Um, Idk.
    From what I read earlier today, I've got a different meaning from it.
    Apparently Adam copped a lot about being 'whiny' and stuff in his songs, when he was really depressed and suffering from something medical.

    For me, this is about how he wishes he was girl so people would believe him when he says he's miserable - people don't really associate guys with being sad all the time (hey, not my view).

    People kept telling him nothing was wrong and to cheer up, life isn't that bad, etc. and he wished there wasn't anything wrong, but there was.

    It hits me most in the opening lines and the chorus. I may be wrong (most likely am), but that's just what hits me personally.
    Flag heartshotsupernovaon October 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Elisabeth isn't Adam as a girl, but Maria is. Maria is his lyrical female alterego.

    There might only be a tenuous connection between the stuff about Hollywood, the stuff about jumping off buildings and the stuff about Elisabeth. Sometimes Adam writes songs about more than one thing.

    I love the part at the end where he lets go, loses all the poetry and just yells 'I can't sleep at night'
    Flag GotMeNowon January 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:""I Wish I Was a Girl" is a sequel to a Recovering the Satellites song, "Goodnight Elisabeth," about a former love. Duritz said he spoke to a friend of Elisabeth's at a wedding recently. The women claimed to be the person on whose shoulder Elisabeth cried when she thought Duritz was out on the road being unfaithful. "[It's] something that I didn't ever do," Duritz said, "but she was kind of crushed by that thought when we were going out. That song is about how 'I wish I was a girl so you would believe me.' If I was your friend you'd probably actually believe me when I tell you this."
    Flag mattstfcon October 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:elizabeth is adam as a girl. i'm pretty sure that's what it is atleast. it's the same thing he's talking about in im not sleeping and goodnight elisabeth.
    Flag PoorMansSupermanon February 03, 2006   Link

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