I Wanna Be a Boy

> Even though, for me, it's a song about gender identity and finding myself in that way, I think really at the core—it becomes a song about not understanding yourself and wishing so desperately that you could and it's a very vulnerable song for that reason.
>
> Addison Grace

"**I Wanna Be a Boy**" is a song by Addison Grace, released as a single on January 21, 2022.

## Background

It was first posted as a demo video on December 8, 2020, to Grace's YouTube channel.

In an Instagram post, they stated they wrote "I Wanna Be a Boy" during a time of questioning their identity. He continued, "It felt like my brain was constantly fighting my body and [I] had never felt so lost, angry, and confused. [T]his song is not only for those who "want to be a boy" but for everyone who's ever felt insecure about themselves and like they were somehow made "wrong".

From another source, he said, "I initially started writing it when I was questioning a lot of things about myself. I'm very open with how I identify online and I've always openly been a queer creator, queer musician, and at that time I was really not understanding how I identified with my gender and how I felt about it... With time, I realized it was very much me explaining—in song form—that I wasn't a girl and that I was non-binary instead."

## Cover art

The cover art features an image collage of Grace from his childhood growing up, at 2 years, 10 years, 15 years, and a year prior. They explained, "I wanted to put stickers and all that because when you're finding yourself, it feels like these weird puzzle that don't fit quite right, so I wanted it to look slightly off... I really love it and it feels really nostalgic to me."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1]

I wanna be a boy

Or at least that's what I think this feeling is

Take red pen to my paper

Correct mistakes God somehow did

[Verse 2]

I wanna befriend bugs

Climb tall trees, scrape my knees

And show I am tough

Only cry in the nighttime, my bed is the thing I can trust

[Chorus]

'Cause I've grown sick of staring hours in the mirror

Molding cheekbones hope a new face could appear

I'll break and bend my spine

If it'd make you say you're mine, it's so unfair

I guess I wanna be a boy

[Instrumental]

[Verse 3]

I wanna be a boy

Take up space when I sit

I don't need manners, they're shit

Rip my nails, cut my hair

'Cause maybe then you'd finally care

[Verse 4]

Why can't I just be a boy

Be the thing that gives you butterflies

Whisper that I make you smile

Could we pretend that's me for a while

[Chorus]

'Cause I've grown sick of staring hours in the mirror

Molding cheekbones hope a new face could appear

I'll break and bend my spine

If it'd make you say you're mine

You're mine

You're mine

[Instrumental]

[Outro]

I wanna be a boy

Or at least be in a body you could love

I'll break and bend my spine

If it'd make you say you're mine

Could it make you say you're mine, it's so unfair

I guess I wanna be a boy

## References

1. ↑ "I Wanna Be A Boy - Addison Grace (DEMO)". *YouTube*. December 8, 2020.
2. ↑ "Addison Grace". *Instagram*. January 21, 2022.
3. ↑ Moseley, Rebekah (January 31, 2022). "Addison Grace and Gender Identity in "I Wanna Be a Boy"".
4. ↑ Longmire, Becca (January 24, 2022). "TikTok Star Addison Grace Drops Powerful New Single 'I Wanna Be A Boy'". *ET Canada*.