[Verse 1]
She thinks life is fair and God hears every prayer
And everyone gets their ever after
She thinks love is love, and if you work hard that's enough
Skin is just skin and it doesn't matter
And that her friends older brother is gonna keep his hands to himself
And that somebody's gonna believe her when she tells
[Chorus]
But what are you gonna tell her when she's wrong?
Will you just shrug and say it's been that way all along?
What are you gonna tell her when she figures out
That all this time you built her up just so the world can let her down?
Yeah, what do you tell her, what are you gonna tell her?
[Verse 2]
Do you just let her pretend that she can be the president?
Would it help us get there any faster?
Do you let her think the deck's not stacked
And gay or straight or white or black
You just dream and anything can happen?
[Chorus]
What are you gonna tell her when she's wrong?
Will you just shrug and say it's been that way all along?
What are you gonna tell her when she figures out
That all this time you built her up just so the world can let her down?
Yeah, what do you tell her, what are you gonna tell her?
[Bridge]
Do you tell her not to fight?
Is it worth the sacrifice
Can you look her in the face and promise her that things will change?
[Outro]
What are you gonna tell her?
Maybe you can't, 'cause there ain't a way you can explain what you don't understand
What the hell do you tell her?
What the hell do you tell her, oh?
What are you gonna tell her?
What are you gonna tell her?