Straight A student. Socially awkward kid. A passion for studying classical music and opera. That's the back story that eventually led Christa to find her comfort zone, her place of belonging. Classical and Romantic music filled her hungry heart and mind as she devoured the darkness of Hugo Wolf's Lieder and the brilliance of Mozart's operas. Eventually the classical training and influences gave way to pop culture and everyone from the legends to the obscure. "As I made my way out of my "nerd" stage The Cure, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen became the soundtracks of my youth. In the 90's I was all about Bjork and the Smashing Pumpkins."
Today, Christa continues to draw inspiration from her idols Kate Bush, Radiohead, The Cure, and her Dad, Fred Borden, the secret poet. Her creative influences span the media, film, art, sculpture, fiction and her own life. "Brooklyn's MGMT, Bertolt Brecht, DaVinci, Deepak Chopra, Robin Sharma, Don Miguel Ruiz, Leonard Cohen, Anne Rice, Patricia Cornwell, and Maurice Sendak. Songs, books, films, or pieces of art, all find a place to plant seeds inside my ever-creating mind." Her songwriting paints a picture and invites you to step through the looking glass into the heart and mind of the matter and comes from a place of survival and truth.
In addition to her powerful, sometimes self effacing lyrical honesty, it was also her voice that brought her to the attention of iconic music producer Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, Bryan Adams & others) and one of musics most acclaimed songwriter-producers, Jeff Trott, (Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Counting Crows, & others) Clearmountain mixed 6 of the tracks on the CD. Trott, who produced those same 6 tracks, describes his time in the studio with Christa - "Positive energy! It's such a rarity nowadays but it's the driving force behind Christa Borden. You mix that with a tremendously powerful and expressive voice and you can't go wrong. For me, to work with this type of artist is a dream because she's not afraid to try anything. It's so refreshing to collaborate with someone who is so fearless."
"I have struggled fiercely to find out where I fit in, who I am and why I am so haunted by my own actions. I have finally discovered that building your own empire is the only way to still that struggle. Igniting an inner dialogue that forces me to evolve everyday has helped me find who I am and taught me to accept life's unexpected twists and turns with a smile - and then pour my heart and the words and lessons I've collected out onto the piano and see what takes form."
The form it took - I Rhyme With Orange - will renew your faith in intelligent pop. Artfully penned lyrics befriend infectious rhythms and melodies, making her an artist to watch. The songs really do have an intimate, confessional quality even though the production is big. Consume a dose of sweet, raw heartache in her mega ballads "Drowning" and "Homesick". Like many of the songs on the debut, "Cut Me Loose" is nothing short of a Rock ballad anthem with a resonating guitar solo that will make you hit 'repeat.' "Empty Bottles" and "Tonight" skillfully ride the edge between catchy pop sounds and classic rock riffs. "I Will Wait" delivers a powerful full-band chorus, dripping with attitude and honesty. This is not your average pop-rock album. I Rhyme With Orange is a tasty dish with a full serving of musical and poetic nutrients in every song.
Drowning
Christa Borden Lyrics
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The lyrics in Christa Borden's song "Drowning" describe two people who are struggling to hold onto a relationship that is slowly falling apart. The singer is trying to mend the "fences" they have broken and fix the "bridges" they have bent. They are haunted by "the words unspoken" and in the "late night hours" they lay awake, afraid that they will never break the spell that they are under.
Despite their efforts, the two are unable to save their relationship. They are "drowning together," dragging each other down the more they struggle to stay afloat. The chorus repeats the word "drown" several times, emphasizing their sense of suffocation and inescapable fate.
The second verse highlights the root of their problems: one partner is running from the truth that they are denying. They may be lying to themselves and to their partner, even though they are trying to make things work. The singer understands that this dynamic is toxic, and that their partner cannot love them until they learn to love themselves.
The final verse shifts the focus to the singer's own healing process. They have "picked up the pieces" of their relationship, both the ones their partner left behind and the ones they found within themselves. They remain hopeful that one day their partner will be better too, and that they can give back what belongs to them. However, the ending is bittersweet, as the repeated refrain of "drown" suggests that they are still struggling to find their way out of the water.
Overall, "Drowning" is a poignant and relatable reflection on the complexities of relationships and the difficulty of letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm working on me
I am trying to improve myself
Trying to mend those fences
Attempting to repair broken relationships
I've broken
I have caused damage
Bridges I've bent
I have strained relationships
And the words unspoken
Feelings that have not been communicated
In the late night hours
During the dark hours of the night
We lay awake
We cannot sleep
Scared to death
Terrified
We'd never break
We would never overcome
The spell we're under
The emotional influence has on us
Line after line
Problem after problem
We're drowning together
We both feel overwhelmed and helpless
Dragging each other down
We are hindering each other's progress
The more we struggle
The harder we try
The more we drown.
The more we feel overpowered
You're running from truth
You are avoiding reality
That you're denying
That you are refusing to accept
That's a problem
That is problematic for us
It sounds good to you
It appears appealing to you
But you know you're lying
You understand that you are dishonest
Even tho you're trying
Despite your efforts
I know you can't love me
You cannot love me
If you don't love you
Unless you love yourself as well
And it makes me sick
It creates disgust in me
Nothing I can do
I am powerless here
I'm picking up the pieces
I am trying to repair the damage
That you tried so hard to find
Things that you have lost
Some of them are yours and others
Some of them belong to you and others belong to me
That I found are mine
Things that I discovered belonged to me
I hope that one day
I wish for a better future
You'll be better too
You will be in a better place as well
And when that day arrives
At the time that it occurs
I will give them back to you
I will return what is rightfully yours
We were drowning together
Together we were failing
Dragging each other down
We only hampered each other's progress
The more we struggled
The harder we persisted
The more we drowned
The more we felt helpless
Drown
The overall state of hopelessness
Lyrics © OLE MEDIA MANAGEMENT LP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind