Boys Like You - Anna Clendening

The Experience: When someone starts to show interest in us it can be exhilarating, but do we stop and ask ourselves whether they really seeking our hearts or something else?

Music video: In the video we follow Anna around an abandoned house, yard, and forest. An image of the loneliness inside her. Every so often we see the hand of a mysterious, faceless guy that reaches out to her. The “boy like you” she is singing about. Yet deep down it seems she knows that he is not truly there to support her since he never comes fully into her life by becoming a real part of the video. Despite his presence she is still alone in the abandoned house.

The Meaning of Boys Like You: Boys Like You is about hoping to find love in the midst of one’s loneliness but looking for it in the wrong person who is not truly there for you. Deep down we each know when the people in our lives are truly there for us or not. However, admitting what we know is a lot harder. Are there people in your life that you are holding onto out of fear of being alone even though you know they are bad for you?

Ask yourself: Is there someone in your life who you are hanging onto even though you know they are not really there for you? What are you going to do about it?

Album: - (2018)

LYRICS:

Mama said there'd be boys like you
Tearin' my heart in two
Doin' what you do best
Takin' me for a ride
Tellin' me pretty little lies
But with you, I can't resist

Before I met you
I never felt good enough
Before I let you in
I'd already given up
Left on read, no reply
Left me just, wonderin' why
Now I'm skeptical of love

So when you hold my hand,
Do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me
Is it all of me or just one part?
So when you hold my hand
Do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me

Mama said there'd be boys like you
Tearin' my heart in two
Doin' what you do best
Takin' me for a ride
Tellin' me pretty little lies
But with you I can't resist

Maybe mama doesn't always know best

I'm terrified
But I'll never let you know
Social suicide
If I ever let it show
Everything feels just right
I fall in place, we fall in line
I'll never let you go

So when you hold my hand,
Do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me
Is it all of me or just one part?
So when you hold my hand
Do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me
Is it all of me?
Yeah

Mama said there'd be boys like you
Tearin' my heart in two
Doin' what you do best
Takin' me for a ride
Tellin' me pretty little lies
But with you I can't resist

Maybe mama doesn't always know best

So when you hold me
(When you hold me)
Am I the only one?
Do you wanna know me?
(Do you wanna know me?)
Or is this all just for fun?

Mama said there'd be boys like you
Tearin' my heart in two
Doin' what you do best
Takin' me for a ride
Tellin' me pretty little lies
But with you I can't resist
No, no

Maybe mama doesn't always know best

Mama said there'd be boys like you
Too good to be true
Doin' what you do best
Takin' me for a ride
Tellin' me pretty little lies
But for you, for you, for you
I'll take that risk

review by Ryan Carlin