The lyrics of "Boyish" by Hippo Campus tell the story of a person who is trying to come to terms with their upbringing and their relationships with their family. The song talks about the weight of the world that a "wolf child" carries, and how they store all of their love in an adolescent girl. The person narrating the song also talks about the guilt they feel when their father comes home, and the brothers who are locked away in the basement until they'e 30. The song also speaks to the feeling of not knowing what you did wrong, and only ever hearing "it wasn't my fault" from others. The lines "All we ever knew is what we didn't have" speaks to a sense of lack and longing that the person narrating the song feels. Throughout the song, there is also a sense of nostalgia, singing to the drunks like their momma did. The refrain "I've been saying to ya" is repeated throughout the song, almost like a plea for understanding and connection. Overall, the song seems to be about feeling stuck in the past, trying to make sense of familial relationships, and searching for a sense of self that doesn't depend on external validation.
