Been a Son

The lyrics present a woman as if she is being judged against a set of expectations she cannot satisfy. The repeated claim that she “should have been a son” suggests that her gender itself is treated as a failure. The mood is harsh and unsettling: ordinary criticism grows into statements about death, making the judgment seem cruel rather than reasonable.

Several images deepen that feeling. A “crown of thorns” suggests pain and sacrifice, as though she is expected to suffer or be punished. Being told she should have “made her mother proud” or “stood out in the crowd” points to pressure to earn approval and prove her worth. The phrase “another chance” hints that she has been denied the opportunity to change or succeed.

The lyrics do not explain who is speaking, so the accusations could be the voice of a person, a family, or a wider set of social expectations. Their contradictions are important: she is told both to achieve and, shockingly, that she should have died at birth. This may make the repeated refrain sound like an exposure of a cruel, impossible standard, rather than a sincere judgment of the woman herself.