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Feist – How My Heart Behaves Lyrics 14 years ago
Ok.. this is what i think of the song.

i think the metaphors are being used to describe someone's heart that has been detached for a long time. She has gone through a lot of either heart break or let downs. She finally meets someone that has instilled something beautiful in them. Hence the opening verse. (what grew, what grew..)

When describing her new love, she describes their shoulder as a mooring for them. in other words, this new love/person has come in and gave her stability. Again, the sea is a metaphor for how lost she was when it came to love and matters of the heart.

But, since past experiences exist, its hard to trust this beautiful feeling. This is where the chorus sets in. Anything can cause this her to run, to be let down. Based on experience and resilience, she can either have a cold heart (depending how he/she has reacted to those past experiences) or a calm heart that can be easily broken.

The second verse describes her rebirth. She uses the earth and the elements to describe how long she has gone on without love. "drought" becomes a strong metaphor.. the new love that is growing, is now pushing aside her past.. i.e;. end of the road relationships, ones that go nowhere and are empty (drought).
She is now growing and has become the flower that has been brought to life by love, she basks in her nature as someone does when they fall in love.

She no longer is lost in the sea but is now on a ferry - she can watch the waves wave. when someone knows they are in love or have found love, they become more conscious of their surroundings. Everything becomes heightened. This is where illumination sets in. this is when she is conscious of her feelings and how strong she feels and how much more hurtful it can be now that she feels this way.

Unfortunately, it seems that there is trouble within the love affair, the following verse uses winds, waves, and rain.

OR it can be describing her past and situations that have made her the way she is... (i prefer this interpretation)

Lesson: if you find someone who is vulnerable because of their past - and you have fed them hope that this affair will be different from the rest - be more cautious. You do not want to hurt a person such as this one, you can ultimately make them bitter.

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