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For Today I Am a Boy
Antony and the Johnsons Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful woman
One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful girl
One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful woman
One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful girl

But for today I am a child
For today I am a boy
For today I am a child
For today I am a boy

One day I'll grow up, I'll feel the power in me
One day I'll grow up, of this I'm sure
One day I'll grow up, I know a womb within me
One day I'll grow up, feel it full and pure

But for today I am a child
For today I am a boy
For today I am a child
For today I am a boy

For today I am a child
For today I am a boy
For today I am a child
For today I am a boy
For today I am a child (for today)
For today I am a boy (for today)
For today I am a child (for today)
For today I am a boy (for today)

Overall Meaning

The song "For Today I Am a Boy" by Antony and the Johnsons explores the theme of gender identity and the struggle to align one's internal sense of self with external societal expectations. The opening lines of the song depict the artist envisioning a future where they are a beautiful woman or girl, suggesting a desire to conform to normative gender standards. Yet, the repetition of the same phrase indicates a sense of uncertainty and unattainability in this image. The artist then reverts back to identifying as a child and a boy, a more fluid and undefined state of being that allows for exploration and curiosity.


As the song progresses, the artist describes a sense of power and potential within themselves that they know is there, but not yet fully realized. The line "I know a womb within me, feel it full and pure" is particularly poignant, as it suggests a desire for motherhood or a maternal instinct that may not fit within traditional masculine ideals. Yet, the artist is still tethered to their current state of being as a child and a boy.


Overall, "For Today I Am a Boy" portrays the complexity and nuance of gender identity, highlighting the tension between personal desires and societal norms. The repetition of the refrain emphasizes the temporal nature of identity, reflecting the idea that one's sense of self can be fluid and constantly evolving.


Line by Line Meaning

One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful woman
One day, I will mature and become a beautiful adult woman.


One day I'll grow up, I'll be a beautiful girl
One day, I will mature and become a beautiful girl.


But for today I am a child, for today I am a boy
Even though I will eventually become an adult woman, today I am still a child and identify as a boy.


One day I'll grow up, I'll feel the power in me
When I am an adult, I will have a sense of inner strength and capability.


One day I'll grow up, of this I'm sure
I am confident that I will eventually grow up and mature.


One day I'll grow up, I know a womb within me
As a woman, I will have the potential to bear children and have a womb.


One day I'll grow up, feel it full and pure
I will experience the fullness and purity of the potential within me as a woman when I am older.


For today I am a child, for today I am a boy
Even though I have potential as a woman, today I identify as a child and a boy.


For today I am a child, for today I am a boy
I want to be acknowledged as a child and a boy in this moment.


For today I am a child, for today I am a boy
It is important for me to express my identity as a child and a boy as of today.


For today I am a child, for today I am a boy
Today, I identify as a child and a boy and want to be treated that way.




Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Anohni Hegarty

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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