[Verse 1,] Keep your hands folded, Keep your eyes down, Don’t make a scene When the grown-ups come around. Say you’re grateful, Even when it hurts, Hide every question Inside your Sunday shirt. I learned to smile Before I learned to fight, I was a good boy… Nobody asked if I was alright. [Verse 2,] I never slammed doors, I never spoke back, I swallowed my anger Till my whole chest cracked. They called me polite, They called me mature, Like silence was proof That a child could endure. I kept the peace Every morning, every night, I was a good boy… Nobody asked if I was alright. [Chorus,] I was a good boy, Quiet as a grave, I carried their shame And behaved, and behaved. I stood there smiling While something died inside, I was a good boy… Nobody asked if I was alright. [Verse 3, ] I knew every footstep, Each turn of the key, The weight of the silence Before it reached me. I knew when to vanish, I knew when to lie, How to wipe off my face Before somebody asked why. They praised my manners, My collar buttoned tight, I was a good boy… Nobody asked if I was alright. [Bridge, ] Where were you When I stopped being young? When fear made a home At the back of my tongue? You saw me sit still, You called that being strong, But a child who never cries Has been frightened for too long. I did what you wanted. I stayed out of sight. I was your good boy— Wasn’t I? Wasn’t I? [Final Chorus, ] I was a good boy, Quiet as a grave, I carried their shame And behaved, and behaved. I begged without speaking, I bled where no one could see, You wanted a good boy— You never wanted me. [Outro, ] Now I leave doors open, I let my hands shake, I say when I’m angry, I cry when I break. I’m learning that love Doesn’t ask you to hide. I was a good boy… But I wasn’t alright. No… I was never alright.
