Like a Boy
Ciara Lyrics

Pull up your pants (just like 'em)
Ciara is telling women to mimic the behavior of men, particularly the act of pulling up their pants.

Take out the trash (just like 'em)
Taking out the trash is a chore typically assigned to men, so Ciara is once again suggesting women mirror men's behavior.

Gettin' your cash like 'em Fast like 'em
Ciara encourages women to be assertive and quick when it comes to earning and managing money, just like men often do.

Girl, you wanna act like he did (I'm talkin' 'bout)
Ciara implies that men often act in selfish or uncaring ways, and some women may feel the urge to behave similarly.

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)
Ciara is describing sneaky and suspicious behavior that some women may engage in to keep things hidden from their partner.

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
Here, Ciara is flipping the script and imagining a scenario where she behaves like a man who is distant and unresponsive when his partner tries to contact him. She then asks whether her hypothetical partner would feel the same insecurities and ask the same questions she would in that situation.

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
Ciara considers the possibility of cheating on her partner and wonders if the rules of the relationship would change if she acted more like a man. She also admits that she sometimes wishes she could act more emotionally detached like men often do.

Can't be getting mad what, you mad? Can't handle that
Ciara is saying that some men may have trouble dealing with the kind of behavior she describes in the song, and implies that they don't handle it well.

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)
Ciara is encouraging women to behave like men, even in ways that might be sneaky, dishonest, or shady just to avoid getting caught.

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
Ciara imagines herself behaving like an unfaithful or neglectful partner and wonders how her hypothetical partner would react if she did the same things to him.

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
Ciara is saying that men wouldn't like it if women acted like men in terms of being inattentive or distant when it came to communication.

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
Ciara is questioning whether the same rules would apply if she treated her hypothetical partner badly, and again admitting that she sometimes wishes she could act like a man in terms of being more detached and less emotional.

(Can't handle that)
This is a repeated phrase that Ciara uses to emphasize that some men might not be able to handle the kind of behavior she describes.