How My Heart Behaves by Feist Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Emotional Depths of the Sea Within
Lyrics
What grew
What grew and inside who
First so simple was the vow
Then the chorus sang about
Your shoulder
The mooring for me
Like water lost in the sea
The cold heart will burst
If mistrusted first
And a calm heart will break
When given a shake
I’m a stem now
Pushing the draught aside
Opening up
Fanning my yellow eye
On the ferry
That’s making the waves wave
Illumination
This is how my heart behaves
The cold heart will burst
If mistrusted first
And a calm heart will break
When given a shake
(How her heart behaves)
The rain, rain making me cry
(How her heart behaves)
Then the wind comes
Fanning my yellow eye
(How her heart behaves)
The waves wave, the waves wave
(How her heart behaves)
This is how my heart behaves
A cold heart will burst
If mistrusted first
And a calm heart will break
When given a shake
The cold heart will burst
If mistrusted first
And a calm heart will break
When given a shake
And what grew
What grew
What grew and inside who
Beneath the tranquil melodies and folkish charm of Feist’s ‘How My Heart Behaves’ lies a rolling sea of emotional depth and complexity. This hauntingly beautiful track closes out her critically acclaimed 2007 album ‘The Reminder’, leaving listeners with a lingering sense of introspection and warmth.
To understand the waves of meaning within this piece, one must dive deep into the metaphors and quiet storytelling Feist employs. The song is a gentle yet stirring journey through the ebbs and flows of introspection, acceptance, and the raw mechanics of the heart. Let us sail into the heart of this artful composition.
The Ebb and Flow of Emotional Voyage
The repetitive mention of ‘What grew and inside who’ serves as the song’s thematic anchor, suggesting an evolution or blossoming of feelings within an individual. The simplicity of the opening vow contrasts sharply with the complexity of emotion that unfolds as the song progresses. It’s a voyage from innocence to experience, mirroring the journey of growth and self-discovery we all face.
‘Your shoulder, The mooring for me’ tells of human connection, a safety in another that holds us stead in life’s tumultuous sea. The singer finds solace in another person, anchoring her emotions in their presence, suggesting a profound reliance on this person for emotional stability.
A Heart’s Reaction to Trust and Turmoil
Feist delves deep into the heart’s fragility, stating ‘The cold heart will burst / If mistrusted first / And a calm heart will break / When given a shake.’ These lines reflect a universal truth about vulnerability and the intrinsic risks of opening oneself up to others. The cold heart that ‘will burst’ embodies the idea that even those who appear distant or detached are susceptible to the pains of betrayal.
Moreover, the ‘calm heart’ is not immune to suffering; it may be serene on the surface but can easily shatter under strife. These juxtaposed conditions of the heart suggest that regardless of one’s emotional state, trust is the keystone in any relationship, and its violation can lead to immense emotional upheaval.
Metamorphosis of the Self: The Hidden Meaning
There is an unmissable transformational element to the lyrics. ‘I’m a stem now / Pushing the draught aside’ portrays the speaker as a burgeoning entity, growing despite the adversities faced, likely symbolic of personal development and the insistence on thriving amid emotional challenges.
‘Fanning my yellow eye’ implies a newfound openness and willingness to witness life in a different spectrum, transitioning from concealment to exposure. This growth may very well be internal, relating to self-enlightenment and the readiness to face the world anew, with a boldened heart.
A Journey Through the Tempest: The Song’s Emotional Arc
The lyrics convey a sense of constant movement, a journey through a metaphorical storm—rain ‘making me cry’ and then the wind ‘fanning my yellow eye’. The weather elements represent shifting emotional states, the rain as sorrowful tears, while the wind signifies change and the resilience of the spirit to adapt as circumstances demand.
The refrain ‘the waves wave’ signals a recognition of the recurring patterns in life and relationships, the ups and downs that are both inevitable and necessary. Like the forces of nature, one cannot control these emotional tides but must learn to navigate through them.
Memorable Lines: The Echo of the Waves in the Heart
The haunting repetition of ‘A cold heart will burst / If mistrusted first / And a calm heart will break / When given a shake’ etches into the listener’s memory, stirring a visceral reaction each time they resurface. The words act as a refrain, evoking the cyclic nature of trust and pain that defines so much of human experience.
These lines linger long after the song ends, leaving the audience to ponder their own experiences with trust, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to keep one’s heart open in a world where emotions can be as turbulent as the sea captured in Feist’s delicate metaphors.
