Like a Boy by Ciara Lyrics Meaning – Unmasking Gender Double Standards in Modern Relationships
Lyrics
Pull up your pants (just like ’em)
Take out the trash (just like ’em)
Gettin’ your cash like ’em
Fast like ’em
Girl, you wanna act like he did (I’m talkin’ ’bout)
Security codes on everything
On vibrate so your phone don’t ever ring (never ring)
Joint account and another one he don’t know about (hey)
Wish we could switch up the roles and I could be that
Tell you I love you, but when you call, I never get back (oh)
Would you ask them questions like me, like where you be at?
‘Cause I’m out, four in the morning on the corner, rolling, doing my own thing
What if I, had a thing on the side
Made you cry?
Would the rules change up or would they still apply?
If I played you like a toy
Sometimes I wish I could act like a boy
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Girl, go ahead and be (just like ’em)
Go run the streets (just like ’em)
Go home, missin’ sleep like ’em, creep like ’em
Front wit’ your friends
Act hard when you wit’ ’em, like ’em
Keep a straight face when you tell a lie
Always keep an airtight alibi
Keep it hid in the dark
What he don’t know won’t break his heart (hey)
Wish we could switch up the roles and I could be that
Tell you I love you, but when you call, I never get back
Would you ask them questions like me, like where you be at?
‘Cause I’m out, four in the morning on the corner, rolling, doing my own thing
What if I, had a thing on the side (what if I)
Made you cry? (made you cry)
Would the rules change up or would they still apply?
If I played you like a toy
Sometimes I wish I could act like a boy
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
If I was always gone
Let the sun beat me home (would you like that?)
Told you I was with my crew when I knew it wasn’t true if I act like you (would you like that?)
Walked a mile up in your shoes (would you like that?)
Messing with your head again
Dose of your own medicine
What if I, had a thing on the side (what if I)
Made you cry? (made you cry)
Would the rules change up or would they still apply?
If I played you like a toy
Sometimes I wish I could act like a boy
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
Can’t be getting mad what, you mad?
Can’t handle that
R-A, go, here’s the clutch
If I paged you (would you like that?)
Had friends (would you like that?)
Never call (would you like that?)
No, no, you wouldn’t like that, no
What if I, made you cry? Would they still apply?
What if I, if I played you like a toy
Sometimes I wish I did act like a boy
(Can’t handle that)
Ciara’s powerful R&B track ‘Like a Boy’ is not just a catchy anthem; it’s a bold exploration of the gender double standards pervasive in modern relationships. The song, which hit the airwaves with a thud in 2007, remains just as relevant today as it was at the height of its popularity, resonating with listeners who are all too familiar with the imbalance.
More than just a song of heartache or an ultimatum to an unfaithful partner, ‘Like a Boy’ serves as a narrative that gives voice to many who feel disenfranchised by societal norms. Ciara uses a clever role-reversal scenario to highlight the stark differences in how certain behaviors are perceived and accepted, depending on whether you’re a man or a woman.
Flipping the Script: A Role Reversal Rebellion
Ciara does not merely question gender roles; she dares to defy them. Tired of the double standards, the lyrics speak to a fantasy of flipping societal norms – what if a woman took on the typically ‘male’ behaviors in a relationship? The singer dances on the blurred lines of expectations, highlighting the freedom often afforded to men but denied to women in romantic relationships.
The song delves deep into the psyche of ‘what if,’ exposing the listener to a narrative where the woman is the one coming home late, keeping secrets, and remaining emotionally detached. It’s a rebellion not just against a partner’s actions, but against an entire system that excuses certain actions for one gender but not the other.
The Questions That Sting: Ciara’s Confrontational Lyrics
‘Would the rules change up or would they still apply?’ Ciara confronts her partner – and, by extension, the audience – with the stark realities of double standards. The lyrics challenge the listener to confront uncomfortable truths about society’s acceptance of male indiscretions while simultaneously punishing women for lesser or similar actions.
Her confrontational approach is a deliberate mechanism to spark dialogue, to force the acknowledgement of inequality, and to start the process of introspection and change. Ciara’s directness is relentless, as she repeatedly asks if the emotional landscape would shift if she mirrored the behaviors of an unfaithful male partner.
The Poison of Traditional Masculinity Exposed
Ciara’s ‘Like a Boy’ not only calls out the double standards women face but also subtly critiques the toxic elements of traditional masculinity. By adopting these traits and actions typically associated with men, she exposes them as harmful patterns that should be questioned rather than romanticized or excused.
The song is not an attack on men per se, but rather on the societal norms that not only tolerate but often glorify behaviors like emotional stoicism, infidelity, and detachment. Ciara’s inversion of roles serves as an indictment of these destructive ideals of manhood.
Decoding the Hidden Meaning of Independence
Beyond the clear commentary on gender roles, ‘Like a Boy’ carries an undercurrent of independence. The act of reimagining roles gives agency back to those who’ve felt disenfranchised. Ciara’s exploration of the hypothetical is a rallying cry for self-sufficiency and equality within romantic and societal partnerships.
This hidden meaning taps into the core desire for respect and equality, transcending beyond a mere call-out of unfair practices to an invocation for personal empowerment and the rejection of societal expectations that limit individuality.
Memorable Lines that Echo Across Generations
‘Tell you I love you, but when you call, I never get back.’ This line exemplifies the chilling aloofness that Ciara portrays – an aloofness often stereotypically attributed to men in relationships. It encapsulates the frustration experienced by individuals who’ve felt the cold shoulder from a partner. The raw emotion in Ciara’s delivery reinforces the pain behind the lyrics, turning them into memorable lines that have echoed across generations.
The questions Ciara asks and the scenarios she paints are stark not because they’re unheard of, but precisely because they are familiar. Her lyrics manage to take personal pain and individual experiences and translate them into a collective, universal narrative that many can relate to, ensuring the song’s longevity and impact.
