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A Man I'll Never Be
Boston Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I said whats on my mind
you'd turn and walk away
disappearing way back
in your dreams

Its so hard to be unkind
so easy just to say
that everything is just the way it seems

you look up at me
and somewhere in your mind you see
A man I'll never be

If only I could find a way
I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am
its getting harder every day for me
to hide behind this dream you see
of a man I'll never be

I cant get any stronger
and i cant climb any higher
you'll never know just how hard I've tried
Cry a little longer
and hold a little tighter
emotions cant be satisfied

you look up at me
and some where in your mind you see
A man I'll never be

Solo

If only I could find a way
I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am
and it gets harder every day for me
to hide behind this dream you see
of a man I'll never be.

solo

Cant get any stronger
and i cant climb any higher
you'll never know just how hard I've tried
Cry a little longer
and hold a little tighter
emotions cant be satisfied

oh you look up at me
and some where in your mind you still see
a man I'll never be

If only I could find away
I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am
and it gets harder every day for me
I cant keep hiding this feeling

Overall Meaning

"A Man I'll Never Be" by Boston is a song that expresses the feeling of inadequacy and insecurity that often grips a man in a romantic relationship. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and frustration that comes from the acknowledgement of not being able to live up to the expectations of one's partner. The song's opening lines "If I said what's on my mind, you'd turn and walk away" reveals the fear of rejection that the singer is forced to deal with. He feels that if he expresses his true feelings to his partner, she would be disappointed and would eventually distance herself from him. This fear leads him to hide behind a facade and pretend to be the person that she wants him to be, even though he knows deep inside that he can never be that man.


The chorus of the song, "And somewhere in your mind you see a man I'll never be," further emphasizes the gap that exists between the singer's self-perception and the partner's expectation. He knows that he can never live up to her idealized version of him, and that realization haunts him constantly. As the song progresses, he expresses his desire to find a way to be the man that she believes he is, but he also acknowledges that he can never achieve that goal. The line "I can't keep hiding this feeling" shows the singer's struggle to maintain the facade and his eventual acceptance that he can never change who he is.


In conclusion, "A Man I'll Never Be" is a poignant and emotional song that delves into the complex emotions of insecurity, fear, and the struggle to live up to the expectations of a loved one.


Line by Line Meaning

If I said whats on my mind
I'm afraid to speak my truth for fear of losing you


you'd turn and walk away
I know you wouldn't be able to handle my feelings


disappearing way back in your dreams
You would retreat into your own thoughts


Its so hard to be unkind
I don't want to hurt you


so easy just to say that everything is just the way it seems
It's easier to pretend that everything is fine


you look up at me
You're always looking up to me


and somewhere in your mind you see
You have an idealized version of me in your head


A man I'll never be
But I know I can never live up to it


If only I could find a way
I wish I could be the man you want me to be


I'd feel like I'm the man you believe I am
I want to live up to your expectations


its getting harder every day for me
But it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain this facade


to hide behind this dream you see
I can't keep pretending to be someone I'm not


of a man I'll never be
I know I'll never be able to live up to your idealized image of me


I cant get any stronger
I'm at my limit


and i cant climb any higher
I can't keep pushing myself


you'll never know just how hard I've tried
You may never understand the effort I've put in


Cry a little longer
I need to grieve


and hold a little tighter
But we still need to support each other


emotions cant be satisfied
But emotions can't always be resolved


oh you look up at me
You're still looking up to me


and some where in your mind you still see
You still have an idealized version of me in your head


a man I'll never be
But I know I can never live up to it


I cant keep hiding this feeling
I can't keep hiding my true self




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@tomstorm4060

I danced to this song with my wife in her hospital room the day before she died. I chose it because she wanted me to continue in life and be the same man I was the past 26 years we were together. I've tried but that was a man I'll never be again

@gibson3798

Man, I'm so sorry!

@geocav9708

Remember the good times.

@edwardpetersen3437

True pain, sorry brother. Try to be satisfied with the great memories. But there is no antidote. The hole in your heart won't be filled. Try to be grateful for what you had. That's what I try to do, it helps.

@BrianSkinner-sj4fq

Brad Delp was so underrated as a rock and roll singer to me he had one of the best voices he had so much range and smoothness and ease to hit the high notes he was unbelievable

@crawfordfanatic

I’m so sorry. My late husband used to play this for me. He was a brilliant musician. I feel your sadness. It’s a shitty club being widowed. We don’t want anymore members.

37 More Replies...

@glo7802

Brad Delp, I'm so sorry that you didn't find peace in this world! You had an amazing voice & touched many lives!😢

@ericsays8801

God wanted to hear his singing in person

@jenerickson67

Simply amazing voice!! Saw Boston twice in concert!! Amazing!!

@lafaynecallahan7189

Fly high❤❤❤

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