You sit there on the couch
Sipping your scotch and ice
You turn the TV on
And tune me out again

So what would you say to me
If you could talk to me
You could ask anything
I wouldn't lie
But you're okay with this
Damaging awkwardness
So I'll just play it safe
And keep it inside
'Cause boys don't cry

I used to hold your hand
So tight there was no question
But now even when you're near
I've never felt so alone

So what would you say to me
If you could talk to me
You could ask anything
I wouldn't lie
But you're okay with this
Damaging awkwardness
So I'll just play it safe
And keep it inside
'Cause boys don't cry

If you just stand beside me
I'll keep you in my life
Tell me how much you love me
And I'll be just fine
Don't be afraid of me

So what would you say to me
If you could talk to me
You could ask anything
I wouldn't lie
But you're okay with this
Damaging awkwardness
So I'll just play it safe
And keep it inside
'Cause boys don't cry



Behind the Song:
“My husband and I mentor about sixteen teenagers, and this song is a combination of many of the things they’ve said to us. So many of them had parents who wanted to be their buddies but not really be parents. It’s almost like if the parents asked their kids how they were doing, they didn’t want them to really answer because then they’d have to deal with it. One of the guys in this group came to us, crying to my husband. He said ‘I was always told that boys don’t cry and I’ve got to be tough, but I hurt. I’ve slept with so many girls, I’ve done drugs, I smoke cigarettes, and my parents don’t even know about it. If I told them, they’d be more worried about their reputation than about me. I just wish they loved me enough to say no once in awhile.’ This boy was sixteen at the time, and when he said ‘boys don’t cry,’ I knew I had to write about this; it just struck a nerve with me.” – Tiffany Arbuckle Lee (Plumb)