'm sure that I'm moving to St. Louis
Three long years wondering here in New York City
I guess I'm looking for the right way to do this
I guess I'm looking for the right things to call pretty
Young boys playing in the park turning their backs to take a shot
You know I'll stay sharp around here'cause they're stoning and leaving type
It's the kind of love that comes and goes when there's company coming around
What's a boy to do who knows no man now?
What's a boy to do who knows no man now?

Daddy's been looking down his nose at all of them
And I've been looking round for someone to tell me who I am
He kept saying I was too young to finish a fight
I'd die each time they came I never got to draw my knife
Well it was just a pair of shoes in a middle school room with the world watching in
An angel is crying I'm dying just a little inside as they ran away
Funny which words stick around 20 years down when you're driving alone
What's a boy to do when there's no man at home?
What's a boy to do when there's no man at home?

Well I'll stack all my books into perfect rows
From the biggest down to the smallest ones
And I buy all the perfect clothes
Bullet proof and black, where I look like a son
Well it was just a rainy night at his house
A bottle spinning around the room
And everybody's singing and slipping down the bottom of a halfway rush of blood
And I was grabbing Missy but I was trying to find the light switch in the dark
What's a boy to do with no man in his heart?
What's a boy to do with no man in his heart?

It's all quiet for the first time
With no voices left to fall
I saw a boy at the bottom of the bridge
His car was left there on the top
It's four o'clock in the morning
Didn't need to be like this
There's a white sheet left to cover up
What should have been a holy kiss
It's not like those days
It's not like I'm scared of you
What's the Son of Man and a boy to do?
What's the Son of Man and a boy to do?

Overall Meaning

Mat Kearney's song "What's A Boy To Do" is a reflection on the challenges of growing up without a male role model. The first verse talks about the singer's uncertainty about his decision to move to St. Louis after three years in New York City. He is looking for the right way to do things and the right things to deem pretty. The second verse alludes to his father's disapproval of him and the singer's search for his identity without a father figure. His father tells him he is too young to fight, and he never gets to defend himself.

In the third verse, the singer describes the ritual of stacking his books and buying bulletproof, black clothing to make himself look more like a man. The next scene takes place at a party. A bottle spins around the room, and people are singing and drinking. The singer tries to grab a girl, but he can't find the light switch. The final verse is a tragic ending where a boy's car is left on top of a bridge, and the singer wonders what can the Son of Man and a boy do with no man around?

The lyrics of "What's A Boy To Do" explore the idea of masculinity and the struggle to find one's identity without a positive male role model. The song is a thoughtful commentary on how boys grow up without fathers and the impact it can have on their lives.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm sure that I'm moving to St. Louis
I am certain that I am leaving New York and moving to St. Louis

Three long years wondering here in New York City
I have spent the last three years in New York City, pondering my life

I guess I'm looking for the right way to do this
I suppose I am searching for the proper path to take in my life

I guess I'm looking for the right things to call pretty
I suppose I am searching for genuine beauty and truth

Young boys playing in the park turning their backs to take a shot
I see young boys playing in the park, turning their backs on me to shoot a basketball

You know I'll stay sharp around here'cause they're stoning and leaving type
I have to stay alert in this neighborhood because some people here are unfriendly and dangerous

It's the kind of love that comes and goes when there's company coming around
Some people pretend to love you when others are watching, but their affection is shallow

What's a boy to do who knows no man now?
What should I do when I lack male role models in my life?

Daddy's been looking down his nose at all of them
My father disapproves of everyone in my life

And I've been looking round for someone to tell me who I am
I have been searching for someone to help me understand myself

He kept saying I was too young to finish a fight
My father frequently told me that I was too young to confront my problems

I'd die each time they came I never got to draw my knife
I was afraid every time they came, and I never had the courage to stand up for myself

Well it was just a pair of shoes in a middle school room with the world watching in
A trivial incident involving shoes in a school garnered worldwide attention

An angel is crying, I'm dying just a little inside as they ran away
As people taunted me and left, I felt upset and helpless

Funny which words stick around 20 years down when you're driving alone
It's strange which words continue to haunt you 20 years later, even when you're alone driving

What's a boy to do when there's no man at home?
How can a boy learn to be a man when there is no father figure at home?

Well I'll stack all my books into perfect rows
I will arrange my books neatly in rows from largest to smallest

From the biggest down to the smallest ones
I will sort the books by size from largest to smallest

And I buy all the perfect clothes
I will purchase impeccable clothing

Bulletproof and black, where I look like a son
I will dress in black clothing that makes me appear strong and confident

Well it was just a rainy night at his house
One night it was raining outside when I was at someone's house

A bottle spinning around the room
There was a bottle spinning around the room for drunken entertainment

And everybody's singing and slipping down the bottom of a halfway rush of blood
Everybody was singing and getting drunk off of half full drinks

And I was grabbing Missy, but I was trying to find the light switch in the dark
I was trying to find the light switch in the dark while holding onto Missy

What's a boy to do with no man in his heart?
How can a boy find meaning and become a man without any fatherly guidance?

It's all quiet for the first time, with no voices left to fall
For the first time, it is silent and nobody is talking

I saw a boy at the bottom of the bridge, his car was left there on the top
I saw a boy's car abandoned on top of the bridge, and he was at the bottom, perhaps having jumped

It's four o'clock in the morning, didn't need to be like this
It's 4 in the morning, and this tragic event should not have happened

There's a white sheet left to cover up, what should have been a holy kiss
They covered the victim's body with a white sheet, which symbolizes finality, but what should have been a holy kiss

It's not like those days
Things are not like they used to be

It's not like I'm scared of you
I am not scared of you

What's the Son of Man and a boy to do?
What is the solution when even the son of God has experienced pain, making a young boy's troubles seem insignificant?

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