Feist – Borrow Trouble

I cry all the time, and I’ll never stop.

My entire mood will change if I observe something touching, or very sad, or very happy. Once in an interview, Amy Winehouse said “I fall in love every day. Not with people but with situations.”

That’s a sensation I didn’t think anybody would relate to, because it’s so specific and makes no sense. I’m happy with that.

Borrow Trouble by Feist feels vague in nature, and would be great by its production alone. Huge sweeping instrumentation reminiscent of David Bowie’s Heroes leads you into the lyrics which feel just as specific and strange as what Amy had to say.

Even before you are awake
Your thoughts will find a clock to wind
And put dissent into your ear
Even before your eyes are open
The plot has thickened round your fears

That alone had me processing for days. Do many people wake up in the negative? Do our mundane stressors ruin our chance of having a good day before it’s even started? It made me so, so sad. I’ve often said “It’s normal when I’m sad, but I hate it when other people are.” It really bothered me.

The chorus pierced through the clouds of my fixation.

We borrow trouble
Seems we all know how
It’s an expression from the old days
But even more true now
We borrow trouble
We even borrow time
Like you don’t have enough of your own
Now you want some of my… trouble

I wish we’d all take better care of ourselves. I do think that caring deeply about the happiness and wellbeing of another, even a stranger, can have a profound impact.

Sure, we’re told to put on our oxygen masks first, but we can also shift focus in moments where we can’t do the best things for ourselves. Help somebody else, and you’ll probably feel good about it anyhow.

Borrow trouble.