What a Good Boy

Track 7 on Gordon

Produced by

Steven Page: I’ve heard so many good interpretations of this song that I’m loath to tell the real story, but suffice to say that it’s an idealistic twenty-one year-old’s… Read More

Jul. 28, 19921 viewer16.8K views

What a Good Boy Lyrics

[Verse 1]
When I was born, they looked at me and said
"What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy"
And when you were born, they looked at you and said
"What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl"

[Pre-Chorus 1]
We've got these chains hanging around our necks
People want to strangle us with them
Before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls
We just look away

[Chorus]
This name is the hair shirt I wear
And this hair shirt is woven from your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right
Be with me tonight

[Verse 2]
I go to school, I write exams
If I pass, if I fail, if I drop out
Does anyone give a damn?
And if they do, they'll soon forget
'Cause it won't take much for me
To show my life ain't over yet

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[Pre-Chorus 2]
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever going to change
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
And everything around me stays the same

[Chorus]
It's the hair shirt I wear
And this hair shirt is woven from, is woven from your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right
Be with me tonight

[Verse 3]
I couldn't tell you that I was wrong
Chickened out, grabbed a pen and paper
Sat down and I wrote this song
I couldn't tell you that you were right
So instead I looked in the mirror
And I watched TV, laid awake all night

[Pre-Chorus 1]
We've got these chains hanging around our necks
People want to strangle us with 'em
Before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls
We just look away

[Chorus]
Oh, this name is the hair shirt I wear
And this hair shirt is woven from, is woven from, is woven from hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight

[Outro]
When I was born, they looked at me and said
"What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy"
And when you were born, they looked at you and said
"What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl", yeah-yeah

About

Steven Page:

I’ve heard so many good interpretations of this song that I’m loath to tell the real story, but suffice to say that it’s an idealistic twenty-one year-old’s view of gender roles. However, it is one of my favourite songs to sing, and this live version restores the outro left off the Gordon version. Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas sang this with us once in New York City, and he actually did know all the words, just as he’d promised! It was pretty cool, as most musicians won’t admit to knowing the words to any of our songs, never mind a more obscure ballad. Still, all I could think was “I wish I could sing this one.” Meanwhile I’m sure he was thinking “I wish Carlos Santana were here.”

Source: Disc One – All Their Greatest Hits Liner Notes