What is the meaning behind “Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god Always an angel, never a god”? Not Strong Enough by boygenius
- by imrk
- March 08, 2023
This is a thematic idea of the band’s work, that women are devalued because they are women. Men get to be gods, the highest of the spiritual hierarchy, while women are consigned to lesser angelic functions, with societal connotations of needing to remain pure and chaste. This underscores the choral statement, “Not strong enough to be your man,” where feminine inferiority is called into question and then subverted with “I lied, I am, just lowering your expectations.” Being an angel represents that lower expectation of a woman as opposed to the male gods, the standard for whom is high and rewarding. (Their band name, boygenius, even lampoons this commonplace overpraising of men.)