She was born in Par… Read Full Bio ↴Yaël Naïm is a French-Israeli singer and songwriter.
She was born in Paris in 1978 to Jewish-Tunisian parents. At the age of four, she moved with her family to Ramat HaSharon, Israel, where she learned Hebrew and trained as a pianist. She served in the Israel Defence Forces as a soloist in the Israeli Air Force Orchestra. She began her singing career with a part in the musical "Les Dix Commandements," and her first solo album, In A Man's Womb, was released in 2001. According to a Songfacts interview with her, it disappointed Yael, who decided she would be much happier giving up her dreams of stardom and making music on her terms.
She also sang the song "You Disappear" by Bruno Coulais for the film Harrison's Flowers directed by Elie Chouraqui. For her early work she was credited simply as Yaël.
Naïm joined forces with percussionist David Donatien, and over a period of two years they arranged and recorded thirteen of Naïm's songs in a studio in Naïm's own appartment in Paris, and these were released as her second album, Yael Naim, in the fall of 2007 on the Tôt Ou Tard label. The songs are in French, English, and Hebrew and received critical acclaim, and the album entered the French album chart at #11 the week after its release. The style has been described as having a touch of folk and a touch of jazz, with mysterious and evocative words sung with a delicate and intentionally slightly husky voice.
In January 2008, her song "New Soul" was featured in the debut commercial for the MacBook Air laptop. The song gained fame from being featured in the ad, and it has peaked, as of February 1 2008, at #2 on the iTunes Top 100 Downloaded Songs.
Discography
* 2001: In A Man’s Womb
* 2007: Yael Naim
This is NOT an incorrect tag for Yael Naïm. The correct spelling of her name is Yaël Naïm and the correct spelling of her releasing name and 2007 album is Yael Naim.
03. She Was a Boy
Yael Naim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i was a child to see it
she came alone to build her story
i was so young and loved her
go on you'll see
all that you want to be
while everybody's saying
you’ll never be free
but we just kept on growing
she was a boy with some feelings for me
i was too wild and missed it
i came alone to hear her story
while no one else was worried
go on she said
or else you will grow sad
while everybody doubted
hold on, they say
one day you’ll have to pay
but i was so afraid to go
hold on you're scared
you only need to dare
while everybody's laughing
go on, you'll see
one day you'll be free
and you will understand why
she was a boy, she was a boy, she was a boy
hiding in herself but
she was a boy, she was a boy
she knew that everyone was saying it
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live, see her growing
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live feel like falling
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
wishing everyday you could see her face again
how much you want to give
how much you want to live
she was a boy
she was a boy
but she was there for me
i was a child and
she was a boy
The song "She Was a Boy" by Yael Naim and David Donatien is a poignant and moving exploration of gender identity and the struggles faced by those who do not conform to binary gender norms. The song tells the story of a person who was assigned female at birth, yet identifies as male, and the challenges they faced in coming to terms with their identity.
The lyrics of the song are full of complex emotions and conflicting messages. In the first verse, the singer reflects on how difficult it was for the person they knew to grow up in a world where they didn't fit in: "she was a boy, it wasn't easy for her / i was a child to see it / she came alone to build her story / i was so young and loved her." The singer is grappling with their own memories of this person, who they loved but perhaps didn't fully understand.
As the song progresses, the singer encourages the listener to embrace their own identity and not be held back by the doubts and fears of others. The chorus includes the lines: "go on you'll see / all that you want to be / while everybody's saying / hold on, you'll see / you’ll never be free / but we just kept on growing." Despite the doubts of others, the singer believes in the power of growth and self-discovery.
The song ends with a repeated refrain of "she was a boy," a reminder that gender identity is complex and multifaceted, and that the person they knew was more than just the gender assigned to them at birth. Overall, "She Was a Boy" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that encourages empathy and understanding for those who don't fit into traditional gender roles.
Line by Line Meaning
she was a boy, it wasn't easy for her
She identified as a boy, but it was a difficult journey for her to fully express and embody that identity.
i was a child to see it
I was young and didn't fully understand or recognize her gender identity at the time.
she came alone to build her story
She bravely embarked on a journey of self-discovery and self-expression, even if she had to do it alone.
i was so young and loved her
Even as a child, I cared for her deeply and want to support her in any way I could.
go on you'll see
all that you want to be
while everybody's saying
hold on, you'll see
you’ll never be free
but we just kept on growing
Despite the doubts and negativity from others, I encouraged her to continue on her journey of self-discovery and self-expression, and we continued to grow and evolve together.
she was a boy with some feelings for me
i was too wild and missed it
i came alone to hear her story
while no one else was worried
She had romantic feelings towards me, but I was too preoccupied with my own wild and carefree behavior to fully understand or reciprocate those feelings. Nonetheless, I supported her and listened to her story during a time when others were not as understanding or supportive.
go on she said
or else you will grow sad
while everybody doubted
hold on, they say
one day you’ll have to pay
but i was so afraid to go
Despite the doubts and warnings from others, she encouraged me to take risks and follow my own path in life, warning me that I would only grow unhappy if I didn't. Others warned me that there would be consequences for pursuing my desires, but I was fearful and hesitant to take action.
hold on you're scared
you only need to dare
while everybody's laughing
go on, you'll see
one day you'll be free
and you will understand why
Others laughed or teased me for being scared or hesitant, but she reminded me that I only needed to take a chance and be courageous. Eventually, I would be free and understand why it was important to pursue my own desires and identity.
she was a boy, she was a boy, she was a boy
hiding in herself but
she was a boy, she was a boy
she knew that everyone was saying it
Despite societal pressures and expectations, she was a boy and knew it, even if she had to keep that part of herself hidden from the world.
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live, see her growing
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live feel like falling
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
wishing everyday you could see her face again
how much you want to give
how much you want to live
she was a boy
How much do you want to witness and be a part of her journey of self-discovery and growth? How much do you want to see her thrive and overcome societal expectations? How much do you want to give and live life to the fullest? She was a boy and that part of her identity was important and valid.
she was a boy
but she was there for me
i was a child and
she was a boy
She may have been young and struggling with her own identity, but she was still there for me during a time when I needed her support, and that will always be meaningful to me.
Lyrics © LILI LOUISE MUSIQUE
Written by: DAVID DONATIEN, YAEL NAIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@velik374
she was a boy, it wasn't easy for her
I was a child to see it
she came alone to build her story
I was so young and loved her
go on you'll see
all that you want to be
while everybody's saying
hold on, you'll see
you'll never be free
but we just kept on growing
she was a boy with some feelings for me
I was too wild and missed it
I came alone to hear her story
while no one else was worried
go on she said
or else you will grow said
while everybody doubted
hold on, they say
one day you'll have to pay
but i was so afraid to go
hold on you're scared
you only need to dare
while everybody's laughing
go on, you'll see
one day you'll be free
and you will understand why
she was a boy, she was a boy, she was a boy
hiding in herself but
she was a boy, she was a boy
she knew that everyone was saying it
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live, see her growing
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live feel like falling
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
wishing everyday you could see her face again
how much you want to give
how much you want to live
she was a boy
she was a boy
but she was there for me
i was a child and
she was a boy
@punishedgwynie
"So I recorded it, and it came really like it is now. Except I felt really strange about the beginning - I was singing, 'she was a boy, it wasn't easy for...' and in the beginning I resisted, saying, why do I want to write about a girl who was a boy? But at the end, I discovered it was a song about judging people."
@anna971025
What a lovely song and voice.
@watersmk1248
I love this song so much 💗
@419353
merci Yael ! I love you ...
@slavkocosic5553
Very Nice<3...Light & Love...
@Galinaox
unique performance....what a beauty...Thank you!
@velik374
she was a boy, it wasn't easy for her
I was a child to see it
she came alone to build her story
I was so young and loved her
go on you'll see
all that you want to be
while everybody's saying
hold on, you'll see
you'll never be free
but we just kept on growing
she was a boy with some feelings for me
I was too wild and missed it
I came alone to hear her story
while no one else was worried
go on she said
or else you will grow said
while everybody doubted
hold on, they say
one day you'll have to pay
but i was so afraid to go
hold on you're scared
you only need to dare
while everybody's laughing
go on, you'll see
one day you'll be free
and you will understand why
she was a boy, she was a boy, she was a boy
hiding in herself but
she was a boy, she was a boy
she knew that everyone was saying it
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live, see her growing
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
how much you want to live feel like falling
how much you want to see
how much you want to be
wishing everyday you could see her face again
how much you want to give
how much you want to live
she was a boy
she was a boy
but she was there for me
i was a child and
she was a boy
@klaracollao1303
Such an incredible song, love it 😍
@punishedgwynie
“She was a boy, she knew everyone was saying it,” as well as “she was a boy, i was a child,” (the child part implying they are no longer a child) make me think it might be about a trans girl. It’s all up to your interpretation. Such is the beauty of art.
Also the instrumentation is some of the best I’ve ever heard.
@ageavamailat
Her music reminds me of Lhasa De Sela