"You don't understand"

Overall, I much preferred Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy” to Prince’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” probably because I could relate more to the lyrics of the former than the [to me, utterly distasteful] words of the latter. However, I also found Beyonce’s song more stylistically appealing. I was very impressed with the way the words and their meanings flowed from one end of the spectrum to the other – initially wistful (of the freedoms of a boy), to critical (of the abuse of such freedoms), to a sense of pity (for what the consequences of that abuse must eventually be). The initial characterization of a boy’s life, albeit stereotypical (I’m sure there are plenty of guys who are not slobs and don’t “chase after girls”), is radically different from a stereotypical girl’s life, and who doesn’t always want what they can’t have? Such liberty in actions (dress, lifestyle, etc.) directly contradicts the life that most girls are expected to follow: to dress carefully and appropriately, to participate in healthy/”proper” activities, to be faithful to one boy at a time (or else pay the price for infidelity). I honestly don’t know of a girl who wouldn’t long to be so free from the stereotypical expectations of others for at least one day. But, as Beyonce explains after the first chorus, such a lifestyle is easily corrupted, and if we lack consideration for those dearest to us, we will unintentionally hurt them and ultimately drive them away (“you lose the one you wanted/ ‘Cause you’re taking her for granted”). The grammatical shift in person (from first person to second) which signals the final heartbreak reminds me of the turn in a sonnet – but instead of fixing the problems alluded to in the initial verses, it shows the audience what will happen if we do not find our own solution.
At first I was too caught up in the poignant emotions of the lyrics (the wishing and the final sorrow of squashed hopes and dreams), to realize that, with just a few modifications, the song could easily be adapted to a male point of view (and be titled “If I Were a Girl”). The main theme of misunderstanding the opposite sex applies to both women and men. We are so often totally absorbed in our own desires, that we forget that the other sex does not always share those needs; we consequently feel that we need a partner more like our own gender, who would thus understand our emotions and cater to them. But since it is not possible to become our own perfect ideal of a partner – not “even just for a day”, we end up pitying those who hurt us through their ignorance (“But you’re just a boy/You don’t understand”).