Smalltown Boy
Kenji Club Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You leave in the morning
With everything you own in a little black case

Alone on the platform
The wind and the rain
On a sad and lonely face

Mother will never understand

Why you had to leave
For the answer you seek
Will never be found at home
The love that you need
Will never be found at home

Pushed around and kicked around
Always a lonely boy

You were the one
That they'd talk about around town
As they put you down
And as hard as they would try
They'd hurt to make you cry

But you'd never cry to them
Just to your soul

No you'd never cry to them
Just to your soul

Overall Meaning

The song Smalltown Boy by Kenji Club is a poignant portrayal of a young man's struggle to escape small-town prejudice and find acceptance elsewhere. The lyrics describe a lonely departure from home, marked by the abandonment of all he owns, "in a little black case." He leaves his mother, who will never understand why he had to leave, in search of the love he needs, which he knows he will never find at home.

The song highlights the harsh reality of being pushed around and kicked around, always the lonely boy, the one that they'd talk about around town, as they put you down. The young man in the song faces constant ridicule and bullying from his peers. The hurtful words and actions of others drive him to seek solace within himself, rather than cry out to them, just to your soul.

The lyrics also reveal a larger societal context. The young man's experience is not unique, but rather part of a broader pattern of rejection and exclusion. The song speaks to the need for compassion and understanding towards those who are struggling, and the importance of creating welcoming communities where all can belong.

Overall, Smalltown Boy is a moving account of the universal human desire for love, acceptance, and belonging, and the obstacles faced by those who are different or marginalized in society.

Line by Line Meaning

You leave in the morning With everything you own in a little black case
The singer of the song leaves his hometown early in the morning with all of his belongings in a small black case, symbolizing the weight and burden of his past that he must carry with him.

Alone on the platform The wind and the rain On a sad and lonely face
The singer stands alone on the platform in the rain and wind, with a sad and lonely expression, showing that he is alone and struggling to cope with his current situation.

Mother will never understand Why you had to leave For the answer you seek Will never be found at home
The singer's mother cannot understand why he had to leave home, as he searches for answers that he knows he cannot find in the place where he grew up.

The love that you need Will never be found at home
The artist realizes that the love he needs cannot be found in his hometown, as he seeks meaning and purpose beyond the confines of his past.

Pushed around and kicked around Always a lonely boy
The artist was often bullied and mistreated, leading to a feeling of loneliness and isolation that he carries with him even as he leaves his hometown behind.

You were the one That they'd talk about around town As they put you down
The singer was often the subject of gossip and negative talk in his hometown, with others belittling him and trying to push him down.

And as hard as they would try They'd hurt to make you cry But you'd never cry to them Just to your soul No you'd never cry to them Just to your soul
Despite the efforts of others to hurt and belittle him, the singer refuses to let them see his emotions and instead keeps them to himself, crying internally but refusing to show weakness to others.

Contributed by Caroline M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS