I'll Be That Girl Lyrics
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I love this song so much! In my opinion it's basically about being in love with someone that doesn't think you're good enough ("I'll be that girl/And you would be right over"). Full of a very sharp irony. I love it.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
I've always gone with the "self-absorbed girl" theory, but I came across a quote in which Steven Page says it's about autoerotic asphyziation. I was kinda traumatized, but it does make sense: "...to make myself turn blue," "tie my pantyhose around my neck..."
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
not for sure but if feels like this song is about someone willing to change anything at all to be with the one that they can't have.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
I've got a good idea this song is about a guy who falls in love with a girl who happens to be a straight forward lesbian (sort of like Ross' girlfriend in 'Friends' in the early episodes), who has a girlfriend. He's sort of saying well you don't like guys, you like girls, I love you so much, so i'll be that girl. It's a joking sort of song but say a lot about the madness of being in love, like he'd have a sex change! lol The lyric 'If you will not have me as myself Perhaps as someone else' says it all
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
While I like JC's idea, I think it's actually about a woman who won't have him because she's madly in love with herself. "That girl" is the woman he's singing it to, who's beautiful, young, and perfect. He wants to be this woman, because only then would she notice him/her. He's saying she'll be running to him when her looks are gone. It's partly a love song, partly a f*ck-you; when he speaks of tying pantyhose around his neck, he's telling her to go hang herself, and the chorus speaks for itself.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
I can tell very clearly that this song is about a gay man who is not open about his sexual orientation, and is experiencing deep feelings for a male friend of his. The problem is, the friend doesn't know he's gay, and he has a girlfriend. There are many references to suicide in this song, eg. "If I had a gun, there'd be no tommorow", "To make myself turn blue...Tie my pantyhose...Around my neck". I think that the man becomes exremely depressed because he doesn't want to risk losing a friend by telling him that he's gay, but he also can't live without him, so he contemplates killing himself. This is one of my favourite BNL songs.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
I love this song, especially the imagery in the chorus which starts out pleasant and gets very dark...
I also found an interview with BNL in which they said the song was written about autoerotic asphyxiation. It makes sense when you listen to it in that context. I have to admit that when I first listened to it I also subscribed to the lesbian theory, and I think I still like that reading better... The gay man thing is interesting too... But that's the great thing about songs, isn't it? That they can mean something different to each person who listens.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
not to be rude, but the problem with the first three analysi is that they assume the flat out meanings and silly lyrics of some of the rest of the stunt cd , but i think anadine pretty much hit it on the mark... i think its pretty much a girl who he is fascinated with that doesnt even know hes there, not because shes ignorant, because she couldnt care less because he doesnt present the face value worth she is ooking for in her naive youth, and that pisses him off but he still cant help want her to know him....just a thought...i like the song because its meaning could be interpretted in so many slightly varying ways... means what it means to you
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
That's interesting that they said it's about autoerotic asphyxiation. It's obviously a guy who's in love with a woman who's way out of his league, and he suggests that if he was as beautiful as her, maybe she'd notice. Or that she should come to him when she's not so young and beautiful.
The thing from the interview gives me the idea that maybe the object of affection is a woman in a porn mag. And that's kind interesting in a weird way.
![Cover art for I'll Be That Girl lyrics by Barenaked Ladies](../../../images/art-default.webp)
Its about frustration. He's into a girl who doesn't care about him-maybe too caught up in herself as said before-but he is willing to wait for her to mentally grow up. Still, he's pissed about the situation and cynically thinks that if he becomes just like her she'd love him. He also knows she's only a source of pain: clovers are sometimes considered weeds, shadows to light, and he even thinks about suicide as a way out.
Or I'm completely wrong. Either way I like the sound of the song