After moving to Atlanta for college, Kays continued to develop her skills as a singer, songwriter, and performer. She started writing her own music at the age of seventeen and regularly performed at open mic nights. Her talent caught the attention of online audiences through covers she posted on social media platforms, which helped her cultivate a devoted fan base.
In 2018, Kays independently released her debut EP titled "A House Too Big," featuring self-published singles. She initially shared her music on YouTube and expanded her presence to platforms such as TikTok, where she has amassed over 1.9 million fans on her sarakaysmusic account.
In 2020, Kays signed a contract with Atlantic Recording Corporation, marking a significant milestone in her career. Her first single released under the label, "Remember That Night," went viral on TikTok towards the end of 2020. The song achieved chart success in the Netherlands and Flanders in 2021, further elevating her profile.
In early 2021, Kays made her national television debut with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, showcasing her growing recognition in the industry.
On August 6, 2021, she unveiled her EP "Struck By Lightning," a collection of seven tracks that has been referred to as a mini-album or album. Sara Kays' musical journey showcases her evolution from a young street musician to a rising star in the American music scene.
Rich Boy
Sara Kays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"Give him a chance", her father would say
But she wouldn't want him, no matter the day
Play nice, dress up, don't forget your makeup
You really should impress him, once you take your medicine
Ooh, daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Buy a big house on top of the world, oh
You'll be a princess, you'll be a queen
But her and her daddy, they never agree, oh
17, it's getting late, so listen to me and do as I say
Baby, you're not gonna make it on your own
Stand tall, suck in, laugh to show you're into him
I heard he's got a million, so be a lady, not a friend
Ooh, daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Marry a rich boy, be a rich girl
Buy a big house on top of the world, oh
You'll be a princess, you'll be a queen
But her and her daddy, they never agree, oh
Marry a rich boy, you'll need the money
So maybe one day, you'll be worth something, honey, oh
Marry a rich boy
Can't you see? He's what you need to live in his society
It's only the reality, baby
Marry a rich boy, be a rich girl
Buy a big house on top of the world, oh
You'll be a princess, you'll be a queen
But her and her daddy, they never agree, oh
Marry a rich boy, you'll need the money
So maybe one day, you'll be worth something, honey, oh
Marry a rich boy
The song "Rich Boy" by Sara Kays is a story of a young girl who is being pressured by her father to date a wealthy boy, but she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea. She paints a picture of her hesitance where she describes herself as having "purple lips and a sad face" while getting ready to go on a date with the rich boy. Even though she tries to be open-minded and "play nice," the girl can't bring herself to like him, no matter how hard she tries. She feels the pressure of the unrealistic expectation that her father sets for her, where he wants her to marry a wealthy boy who can provide for her to have a luxurious life.
Despite her father's persistent suggestions, the girl misses the point, and they can never reach a common ground. He wants the best for her, which to him meant marrying a wealthy man, but he doesn't understand that his daughter's idea of happiness is different. The girl dreams of independence and exploring new horizons, but her father becomes an obstacle in her path of self-discovery. The repetition of the phrase "marry a rich boy" emphasizes the father's beliefs and also shows the girl's lack of interest; she feels powerless and misunderstood.
Sara Kays describes a broadly relatable issue that many young people face, where they are pressured to follow their parent's expectations, even if it means sacrificing their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Purple lips, sad face, going on a stupid date
She's not excited about going on the date and is feeling down about it.
"Give him a chance", her father would say
Her father wants her to give the guy a chance despite her reluctance.
But she wouldn't want him, no matter the day
She simply isn't interested in the guy and wouldn't be even if it were a different day.
Play nice, dress up, don't forget your makeup
She needs to put effort in to impress the guy and dress up for the occasion.
You really should impress him, once you take your medicine
She's taking medicine to deal with nerves or anxiety around the date and should try to impress him despite that.
Ooh, daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Her father has a particular vision of happiness that he's trying to impose on her.
Marry a rich boy, be a rich girl
Her father wants her to marry someone wealthy and become wealthy herself.
Buy a big house on top of the world, oh
Marrying a rich boy would enable her to live in luxury.
You'll be a princess, you'll be a queen
She would have a high status in society if she married a rich boy and lived an affluent lifestyle.
But her and her daddy, they never agree, oh
She doesn't see things the same way her father does regarding what will make her happy.
17, it's getting late, so listen to me and do as I say
She's feeling pressure to do what her dad says because she's reaching a point in her life where she needs to make some decisions.
Baby, you're not gonna make it on your own
Her father believes that she won't be successful unless she marries someone rich.
Stand tall, suck in, laugh to show you're into him
She needs to put on a facade of being interested in the guy and show that she's enjoying herself.
I heard he's got a million, so be a lady, not a friend
She should be more interested in dating him because he has a lot of money and be more formal and reserved with him.
Can't you see? He's what you need to live in his society
Her father believes that she won't be successful in society unless she marries someone like the guy she's about to go on a date with.
It's only the reality, baby
Her father thinks that this is just the way things are and she needs to realize that.
Marry a rich boy, you'll need the money
Her father believes that marrying someone rich is necessary in order to have financial security.
So maybe one day, you'll be worth something, honey, oh
Her father thinks that by marrying someone rich, she'll be worth more in society and have more value.
Marry a rich boy
Her father's ultimate goal for her is to marry a wealthy man.
Contributed by Alice D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Midnight-xk6hm
Purple lips, sad face
Going on a stupid date
Give him a chance her father would say
But she wouldn't want him no matter the day
Play nice, dress up
Don't forget your makeup
You really should impress him
Once you take your medicine
daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Marry rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
But her and her daddy they never agree
Seventeen, it's getting late
So listen to me and do as I say
Baby you're not gonna make it on your own
Stand tall, suck in
Laugh to show you're into him
I heard he's got a million
So be a lady, not a friend
(Ooo) daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Marry a rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
But her and her daddy they never agree
Marry a rich boy
You'll need the money
So maybe one day you'll be worth something honey
Marry a rich boy
Can't you see he's what you need
To live in his society
It's only the reality
Baby
Marry a rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
Bit her and her daddy they never agree
Marry a rich boy
You'll need the money
So maybe one day you'll be worth something honey
Marry a rich boy
(Just copied and paste so I could sing along while im watching at the same time)
@lucysandoval8681
sARa wHy r yOu sUch a gOod siNgEr
I love how I can understand the meaning of each of your songs:
Under covers: about divorced parents :(
Rich boy: about a father telling her daughter she needs to marry a rich boy because if not she’s worth nothing
Smaller than this: a girl wanting to be thinner/ skinnier
Is there anything else: about a girl who has a boyfriend/ husband, but he’s always looking at another girl that’s ‘prettier’ than her so she tries to change herself to be good enough for him. But she realizes she’s perfect the way she is and doesn’t need to change for a stupid boy.
No matter the season: about someone who always wears sweatshirts, no matter the season and people question them in the summer time.
Not done loving you: about someone not being able to stop loving their ex? (Idk)
Ur new song (forget the name): about having a best friend but then you move away and your separated :c
Sara if u see this, ur my favorite singer btw-
@mommyzluvsivy
I noticed her covers are good but the songs she does herself are just art. I love her voice so beautiful!
@lxmtmxmt1057
You're so right🙈
@Sofia-jc5yl
So true
@sandraaguirre9681
Right
@nobaliekloster286
I found you on tik tok and thought "no matter the season" and "smaller than this" were so good. Turns out all your music is amazing and I can not stop listening to it.
@livianathani9417
Same I Love her music
@kaybreeduncan3829
Same here
@yuyu-sama
Same but with " home for the summer " ☺️
@Midnight-xk6hm
Purple lips, sad face
Going on a stupid date
Give him a chance her father would say
But she wouldn't want him no matter the day
Play nice, dress up
Don't forget your makeup
You really should impress him
Once you take your medicine
daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Marry rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
But her and her daddy they never agree
Seventeen, it's getting late
So listen to me and do as I say
Baby you're not gonna make it on your own
Stand tall, suck in
Laugh to show you're into him
I heard he's got a million
So be a lady, not a friend
(Ooo) daddy always had his ideas of being happy
Marry a rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
But her and her daddy they never agree
Marry a rich boy
You'll need the money
So maybe one day you'll be worth something honey
Marry a rich boy
Can't you see he's what you need
To live in his society
It's only the reality
Baby
Marry a rich boy
Be a rich girl
Buy a big house
On top of the world
You'll be a princess
You'll be a queen
Bit her and her daddy they never agree
Marry a rich boy
You'll need the money
So maybe one day you'll be worth something honey
Marry a rich boy
(Just copied and paste so I could sing along while im watching at the same time)
@krishmacaspac6096
thanks for this , this song is song lovely