Lyrics:

On “Girl Afraid” Morrisey plays with the word girlfriend as “girl afraid” and boyfriend as “boy afraid.” The song deals with mistaken assumptions in the relationship of said girl and boy.
Girl afraid
Where do his intentions lay?
Or does he even have any?

She says
'He never really looks at me
I give him every opportunity
In the room downstairs he sat and stared
In the room downstairs he sat and stared
I'll never make that mistake again'

('I'll never make that mistake again')
('I'll never make that mistake again')

Boy afraid
Prudence never pays
And everything she wants costs money

'But she doesn't even like me
And I know because she said so
In the room downstairs she sat and stared
In the room downstairs she sat and stared
I'll never make that mistake again, no'