Meaning of "City Boy" by Donkeyboy

The lyrics of "City Boy" convey the narrator's refusal to conform to the lifestyle of a cityboy. The term "cityboy" represents someone who is caught up in the fast-paced, materialistic, and superficial lifestyle of the city. The repetition of the phrase "I don't wanna be that cityboy" emphasizes the narrator's strong aversion to this lifestyle. The desire to break free from the city is reflected in the lines "Running timeless streets again" and "Stumbling down the streets." The narrator wants to escape the pressures and expectations that come with city life.

The mentioning of an eagle underneath the skin, clouds, and sin represents the narrator's inner self, his true nature that is hidden beneath the surface. The eagle symbolizes strength, freedom, and the ability to soar above the constraints of everyday life. This imagery suggests that the narrator feels constrained and restricted by the city lifestyle and longs for the ability to spread his wings and be true to his inner self.

The repetition of the line "Underneath my skin there's an eagle, underneath these clouds there's an ego" highlights the conflict between the narrator's true self and the influence of the city. The ego represents the superficiality and materialism that the city promotes, contrasting with the eagle's representation of the narrator's true nature.

The song also suggests that the cityboy lifestyle is not fulfilling or satisfying. The line "You're moving around, and heavenly you move in town" implies that those who embrace the city lifestyle may seem successful and content on the surface, but there is an emptiness beneath it all. The narrator recognizes the lack of substance and soul in the cityboy lifestyle and wants to avoid falling into that trap.

Overall, "City Boy" is a plea from the narrator to resist the pressures and expectations of conforming to the cityboy lifestyle and to embrace their true self and desire for freedom and authenticity.