Stepchild
Bran Van 3000 feat. Badar Ali Khan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you ever wish you were somebody else?
All the time.
Why, don't you like yourself?
No, it's not that. I mean it's just not what you thought it would be. I mean, my old man, he used to sit and he'd go, "I don't know." I mean, he'd just be sitting there and he'd say, "I don't know". And I'd say, "What daddy? What don't you know?" And he'd say, "I don't know". [Have you ever thought](?) that you'd go, "I don't know, I don't know. And I guess you never do figure it out."

Don't you like yourself?

No, it's not that. I guess, in some way, you fucked up. In some way down the line, something went wrong and you spend the rest of your life trying to figure it out.

Don't you like yourself?

Like yourself?
Like yourself?
Like yourself?
Why, don't you like yourself? (x2)

Like yourself?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bran Van 3000's song Stepchild seem to be a conversation between two people, discussing their unhappiness with themselves and their desire to be someone else. The first speaker expresses that they frequently wish they were somebody else and when asked why they don't like themselves, they explain that it's not necessarily that they don't like themselves, but that their life isn't what they expected it to be. They share a story about their father, who used to sit and say "I don't know", leaving the singer with a sense of uncertainty about understanding their own life.

The second speaker asks, "Don't you like yourself?", to which the first responds by explaining that they do, but they feel like they messed up somewhere along the way and spend the rest of their life trying to figure it out. The repetition of "Like yourself?" and "Why, don't you like yourself?" highlights the struggle of self-acceptance and the idea that it's not always a simple answer. The lyrics suggest that we may all experience moments of doubt and questioning about ourselves and our choices in life, and that this is a struggle that we must all navigate.

Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the complexity of the human experience and the challenges of self-acceptance and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you ever wish you were somebody else?
Do you sometimes feel discontented with who you are and want to be someone different?

All the time.
Yes, I often feel this way.

Why, don't you like yourself?
Is this because you don't accept or love who you are?

No, it's not that. I mean it's just not what you thought it would be.
Actually, it's not about not liking myself. It's just that life turned out differently than what I imagined.

I mean, my old man, he used to sit and he'd go, 'I don't know.'
My father would often sit in silence and seem unsure about life.

I mean, he'd just be sitting there and he'd say, 'I don't know'.
He would say, 'I don't know' without any clear reason or explanation.

And I'd say, 'What daddy? What don't you know?'
I would ask him what was bothering him or what he didn't understand.

And he'd say, 'I don't know'. [Have you ever thought](?) that you'd go, 'I don't know, I don't know.
Despite my questioning, he would still repeat, 'I don't know'. It's like he had no answers or clarity. Do you think you could also end up feeling this way?

And I guess you never do figure it out.'
It seems as though the uncertainty and confusion about life never really goes away. It's something you just have to accept.

No, it's not that. I guess, in some way, you fucked up. In some way down the line, something went wrong and you spend the rest of your life trying to figure it out.
Actually, it's not just about feeling unfulfilled or unsure. It's also about the realization that somewhere along the way, you made a mistake or didn't do things right. And now you're constantly trying to make sense of it all.

Like yourself?
Is it really that easy to just 'like yourself' when there are so many unanswered questions and doubts?

Like yourself?
It's almost as if this simplistic question doesn't do justice to the complexity of one's feelings and experiences.

Like yourself?
It's not that simple.

Why, don't you like yourself? (x2)
Once again, this question oversimplifies a much more nuanced and complicated issue. It's not just about liking or not liking oneself.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Guo Yi, Eric-Pierre Bergen, James Di Salvio, Yue Guo, Jayne Hill, Dominic Hynes, Robert Joanisse, Sara Johnston, Gary McKenzie

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS