I want the boy
The White Stripes Lyrics

I want to be the boy to warm your mother's heart
The singer wants to win over their partner's mother and make her accept him as a suitable partner for her child.

I'm so scared to take you away
The singer is afraid that pursuing a relationship with their partner might upset their mother or cause them to disapprove.

I tried to win her over right from the start
The singer has been trying to impress their partner's mother ever since they first met.

But something always got in the way
Despite their efforts, there always seem to be obstacles preventing the artist from winning over their partner's mother.

We've been sitting in your backyard for hours
The artist and their partner have been spending time together in the backyard, but the partner's mother has not come out to greet them.

But she won't even come out and say hi
The mother is avoiding the singer, possibly due to disapproval or skepticism about their relationship with her child.

While my mother baked a little cake for you
The singer's mother is friendly and welcoming towards their partner, in contrast to the partner's own mother.

And even dreaded when you said goodbye
The artist's mother was sad to see their partner go, indicating that she approves of their relationship with her child.

What kind of cartwheels do I have to pull?
The artist is struggling to impress their partner's mother and wonders what else they need to do to win her over.

What kind of joke should I lay on her now?
The artist is trying to come up with witty or entertaining ways to impress the mother, but is struggling to succeed.

I'm inclined to go finish high school
The singer is willing to take extreme measures to impress the mother, even going back to high school to improve himself.

Just to make her notice that I'm around
The artist wants the mother to acknowledge him and recognize his worthiness as a partner for her child.

Well nothing I come up with seems to work
Despite their efforts, the singer is not succeeding in winning over the mother or gaining her approval.

It feels like everything I say is a lie
The singer is so nervous and anxious around the mother that they feel like they are not being genuine or sincere in their interactions with her.

And never have I felt like such a jerk
The singer is ashamed of their inability to win over the mother and feels like a failure as a result.

I'm afraid to even open my eyes
The artist is so nervous around the mother that they are afraid to even look at her or make eye contact.

Because I really don't want her to judge me
The artist is worried that the mother will disapprove of him or his relationship with her child, and is afraid of being judged or rejected.

I want her to really know who I am
The singer wants the mother to understand and accept him for who he really is, rather than judging him based on first impressions or preconceived notions.

And the, and only then will she love me
The singer believes that if the mother approves of him and understands him, she will then love him as a suitable partner for her child.

Well at least that was the plan
The artist's hopes and expectations of winning over the mother may not be realistic or attainable.

If ever a boy needed a holiday
The artist feels worn out and stressed from trying to impress the mother and win her over.

If ever a girl needed someone to hold
The artist's partner is also feeling stressed and possibly neglected due to the tension between the artist and their mother.

I just hope I don't act the same way
The singer is worried that they may become controlling or disapproving of their own child's partner in the future, like the mother is with them.

By the time that I get that old
The artist is concerned about becoming jaded or controlling as they age, like the mother seems to be with them now.

I never said I was the heir to a fortune
The singer is not wealthy or financially successful, but believes that other qualities should be more important in a partner.

I never claimed to have any looks
The singer is not conventionally attractive or physically impressive, but believes that their personality and character should be more important in a partner.

But these kind of things must be important
The singer recognizes that wealth and physical attractiveness are often seen as important qualities in a partner, even if they personally value other qualities more highly.

Because somebody ripped out my page in your telephone book
The artist's attempts to win over the mother may have resulted in her deliberately distancing herself from the artist or cutting off contact.