Proud of Your Boy
Adam Jacobs Lyrics
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I'll make you proud of your boy
Believe me, bad as I've been, Ma
You're in for a pleasant surprise
I've wasted time
I've wasted me
So say I'm slow for my age
That I've been one rotten kid
Some son, some pride and some joy
But I'll get over these lousin' up
Messin' up, screwin' up times
You'll see, Ma, now comes the better part
Someone's gonna make good
Cross his stupid heart
Make good and finally make you
Proud of your boy
Tell me that I've been a louse and loafer
You won't get a fight here, no ma'am
Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, no good
But that couldn't be all that I am
Water flows under the bridge
Let it pass, let it go
There's no good reason that you should believe me
Not yet, I know, but
Someday and soon
I'll make you proud of your boy
Though I can't make myself taller
Or smartter or handsome or wise
I'll do my best, what else can I do?
Since I wasn't born perfect like Dad or you
Mom, I will try to
Try hard to make you
Proud of your boy
In the song "Proud of Your Boy", the singer narrates his realization of the wasted opportunities in his life. He regrets being a bad son and causing disappointment to his mother. However, he promises to try his best to make amends and become the son his mother can be proud of. He admits his flaws and is willing to work towards something better. The singer shares with his mother that pleasurable surprises are yet to come, as he will try his hardest to be the son he knows she deserves. He begs her to trust him one more time and to have faith that he will change. The song conveys a message of hope and redemption, with the singer yearning for a second chance to make things right with his mother.
Line by Line Meaning
Proud of your boy
I want to make you proud of me as your son
I'll make you proud of your boy
I promise to become a better person and make you proud of me
Believe me, bad as I've been, Ma
Even though I have made many mistakes, I am telling the truth now
You're in for a pleasant surprise
You will be pleasantly surprised by how much I can change and improve
I've wasted time
I have not always used my time wisely
I've wasted me
I have not always lived up to my own potential
So say I'm slow for my age
I may not have matured as quickly as others my age
A late bloomer, Okay, I agree
I admit that I have been a late bloomer in life
That I've been one rotten kid
I have not always been the best son
Some son, some pride and some joy
I have given you some joy and pride, but also some disappointment
But I'll get over these lousin' up
I will overcome my past mistakes
Messin' up, screwin' up times
Times when I made mistakes or caused problems
You'll see, Ma, now comes the better part
I am about to turn over a new leaf and do better from now on
Someone's gonna make good
I am going to become successful and do good things
Cross his stupid heart
I swear that I will make you proud of me
Make good and finally make you
I will do well in life and finally make you proud
Proud of your boy
I want to make you proud of me as your son
Tell me that I've been a louse and loafer
Go ahead and call me lazy and unproductive
You won't get a fight here, no ma'am
I will not argue with you about my past behavior
Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, no good
You can call me a slacker and someone who is not doing well in life
But that couldn't be all that I am
I know that I have the potential to be more than that
Water flows under the bridge
Things that have happened in the past cannot be changed
Let it pass, let it go
We should move on from the past and focus on the present and future
There's no good reason that you should believe me
I understand that you may not have reason to trust me yet
Not yet, I know, but
I understand that I have not yet proven myself, but I will
Someday and soon
In the near future, I will succeed and make you proud
I'll make you proud of your boy
I promise to become a better person and make you proud of me
Though I can't make myself taller
I cannot change physical traits like height
Or smartter or handsome or wise
I cannot change certain traits like intelligence or appearance
I'll do my best, what else can I do?
I will try my hardest to improve myself and make you proud
Since I wasn't born perfect like Dad or you
I know that I do not have inherent perfection like some other people do
Mom, I will try to
I promise to make a genuine effort to improve and succeed
Try hard to make you
I will work tirelessly to make you feel proud of your son
Proud of your boy
I want to make you proud of me as your son
Contributed by Colin L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gracieflood3597
Alan Menken is a GENIUS.
@QuantumForte
No doubt! I'd love to meet him!
@witchboltalice6740
When I realized that the musical would be bringing back this song, I got super emotional. It resonates with so many people. I do want my dad to be proud of me, but it's an uphill battle because of things I'm proud of (dancing and improving my singing) are things my dad could care less about. I'm so glad this was brought back. Howard and Alan have a special place in my heart. Hopefully I can scrape up what I have and see this before it's too late.
@matthewvick9996
You do know that this is the proud boys song
@megumi6499
Adam was born to sing Disney songs
@karrielangit9847
TRUE so GOOD
@redpanda6125
Perfection, everything about this is perfection
@Person-mh6xq
His voice is so exceptional!! The pitch, the control, the choices he makes with his vocal instrument- truly outstanding.
@joiedejunelle1
"i'll do my best what else can i do, since i wasn't born perfect like dad or you" my favorite line, it just hits me deep for some reason. howard would be proud! love these two
@Julescr80
"I wasn't born perfect, like dad or you" meaning that they weren't born perfect either or that they are perfect, unlike me?