If I Were a Man
Read If I Were a Man lyrics by Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
If I Were a Man
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
[Eloise]
I guess I have to be a lady
Smiling and waving
Constantly obeying
I guess I need a prince
To come and save me
Even if I don’t need saving
I guess I must sit on a throne I don’t own
Raising the babies we made all alone
I guess as a lady there’s just some things I’ll never know
But if I were a man
I’d go to Japan
Maybe swim in the seine
And learn to speak French
I’d have the whole world in the palm of my hand
I’d finally do what I could but I can’t
If I were a man
[Penelope]
Eloise, I must tell you something
[Eloise]
Tell mе
[Penelope]
I've come to know of a woman who is with child
[Eloise]
Is it a lady or a maid?
[Penelope]
It's a maid
[Eloise]
I didn't know one of your maids wеre married
[Penelope]
She's not married
[Eloise]
She’s not married?
How can a woman come to be with child if she's not married?
[Penelope]
Well, I don't know
[Eloise]
We need to find out, so it doesn't happen to us!
[Eloise]
I guess I have to go to banquets
Banquets make me anxious
Acting rather shameless
I guess I need a gown
Down past my ankles
Doing up my hair in tangles
I guess I have to sit still and look pretty
Dance till I'm proper dizzy
Throw away the life that I've been missing
But if I were a man
I'd summer in Canne
Maybe play in the sand
And wear my own pants
I'd have the whole world in the palm of my hand
I'd finally fly far away from the nest
If I were a man
There'll be no ladies and lords
Just the world to explore
And I don’t care if it’s all like a bore
No extravagant balls or gentlemen calls
And I don't give a rat if he's handsome and tall
I don't want to settle and squawk
I'll never leave unless for a delicate walk
Oh-oh-oh-oh
What if I, what if I want to fly?
‘Cause if I were a man
I'd go to Japan
Maybe swim in the seine
And learn to speak French
I'd have the whole world in the palm of my hand
I’d finally do what I could, but I can't
If I were a man
If I were a man
I'd have the whole world in the palm of my hand
I’d finally do what I could, but I can't
If I were a man
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "If I Were a Man"?
Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear performs "If I Were a Man", and this lyric page sits inside the Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "If I Were a Man"?
Yes. The related section below points to Alone Together and Balancing the Scales with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Abigail Barlow & Emily Bear's lyric pages.
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
What people are saying
No listener comments on If I Were a Man yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.