Mitski song interpretations!!

Real Men

Lyrics:

Real men don't need other people
And real men suck it in
Real men don't flinch or bleed in public
Oh, I think I'm a real man

Little boys cry and look around for comfort
And always get what they want
Little boys see toys and say, "I can take that!"
Oh, you are my little boy

Though honestly sir, all I wanna do
Is get naked in front of you
So you can look me up and down
And tell me, "Well done girl, you're looking good"

Real men keep cool in the face of a fire
Go down with the ship
And real men don't eat, 'cause they're above that, damn it
Oh, I'm gonna be a real man

Though honestly sir, all I wanna do
Is get naked in front of you
So you can look me up and down
And give me your love for being so good

But little boys hold me, color me
Praise me, make me feel lovely
For a little while

So little boy, say you want me
'Cause when I can't take it, go ahead
Do it, do it

In this song we can notice a toxic depiction of masculinity that (from a femenine pov) that has standards that both men and women have to live up to, where we can see how the protagonist compares herself to the stereotypical man and how she tries to "fullfill" what she thinks is her role as a woman in the line "well, honestly sir all I wanna do is get naked in front of you, so you can look me up and down and tell me well done girl you're looking good" and conform with what society expects her to do. She is searching for the validation men have had since they were born.

When she refers to "little boys" she is talking about everything men can't be, everything they have to hide or leave behind when they grow up, such as their fears, their need for comfort and understanding. The protagonist would like to be seen as highly as society sees men, someone who is expected to suck it in and be unaffected by everything, but she would also like to be seen as a little boy, express her emotions and being able to show vulnerability without losing credibility.