“Borderline” (Tame Impala)🎵—Review & Analysis

“Borderline” by Tame Impala — A Review and Analysis

In a drape of gauzy shades of gray, glitter, and gleaming floats one of Tame Impala's most powerful and humanizing songs: "Borderline" from the 2020 album The Slow Rush. Misted with melancholia and steeped in the discomfort of liminal realities, "Borderline" (particularly the single version) reverberates feelings often unexplored and undefined.

This raw yet delicate psychedelic pop piece remains my favorite Tame Impala song despite fierce first-place contenders like "New Person, Same Old Mistakes," "Let It Happen," and "The Less I Know the Better" (my introduction to the joy that is Tame Impala).

This review is my interpretation of what "Borderline" represents and how it expertly and creatively exposes the grating pains of uncertainty, indecision, and feelings of displacement. 

The Breakdown (Intro)

"Gone a little far...

Gone a little far this time for something..."

"Borderline" opens with immediate condemnation.

Artist Kevin Parker, the mastermind behind Tame Impala, wastes no time confessing the origins of his current mental state. He's gone "too far" for any number of things: fame, love, success, etc. This "going too far" could refer to drug use, romantic or sexual misadventures, music industry troubles, alcoholism, and more.

The song's ambiguity—a testament to its title—continually references a "high" that "came rushing." It could indicate a literal, drug-induced high that gave Parker cause for introspection or an intense emotional influx preceding a dark night of the soul. One thing is clear... the protagonist, who once knew the power of pleasurable emotions, now suffers from an absence of clear feelings. They've been stranded on a tightrope that doesn't teeter in any direction, forcing the protagonist into a place of continuous, discomforting suspense.

The "Ahhh" vocals at the very beginning and after the first iteration of the chorus evoke the protagonist's loneliness, questioning, and flirtation with despair on this emotional tightrope.

"We're on the borderline

Caught between the tides of pain and rapture."

These verses suggest existential instability; Parker longs to be sure of something, but a lack of knowledge or confidence renders him incapable of fully experiencing grief or joy. Thus, unable to "own" his feelings, he remains imprisoned in a liminal space where a transition is teased but not promised.

This also appropriately captures the hesitancy and uncertainty between lovers during the initial stage of attraction. The protagonist doesn't know if they can safely fall in love with someone they've been considering; will they be rejected? Does the other person feel the same way? It resonates with a later verse, where the protagonist sifts through agonizing and exhausting contemplations about life and romance.

Whatever happens, if the protagonist finally summons the courage to make a move, they will inevitably descend to pain or arise to "rapture." Unfortunately, circumstances are too murky to predict what will happen, and the protagonist is too worn out and insecure to make important determinations about their destiny.

The Chorus

"Will I be known and loved?

Is there one that I trust?

Starting to sober up

Has it been long enough?"

The full power of "Borderline" blossoms in the chorus. Its repetitive nature asserts an important fact about Kevin Parker's (and, by extension, the "protagonist's") condition; this is a relentless, seemingly endless tug-of-war between the self.

"Will I be known and loved? Is there one that I trust?"

Here, Parker wrestles with possible loneliness and a fear of never finding "the one." Perhaps he fears his romantic proclivities and shuns them to resist the potential sting of rejection. Whatever the case, it doesn't stop him from ruminating on the subject multiple times throughout the piece.

"Starting to sober up. Has it been long enough?"

After a "drunkenness" of emotions courses through the protagonist and the intoxicating stupor fades, the protagonist wonders whether the resultant "crash" will ever subside. Haven't they felt this way long enough? They just want to feel something concrete again, but their distant emotions' overwhelming, inebriating power seems like nothing more than a long-forgotten drink.

"Little closer, close enough."

The protagonist almost seems like they're asking for permission to encroach on something. An emotion, a job, or maybe a love interest. This verse enters a possible "call and response" dynamic, which highlights a conversation between two opposing sides of Parker: the dejected, wandering soul, desperate for love/success/happiness but reluctant to find or receive it, and his rationality ordering him to pull himself together.

The chorus spikes and falls melodically as Parker repeatedly rebukes himself, representing his borderline-like indecision. This becomes more apparent in the next verse...

"I'm a loser; loosen up

Setting free, must be tough."

Despite his fame and musical success, Parker, locked in this threshold state, tap dances between self-loathing and the truth: he is not a loser but a highly accomplished and gifted person. Unfortunately, one's achievements often pale in the bleak shadow of nihilistic questioning and fateful uncertainty. Parker knows he needs to "loosen up," but his inner darkness brands him as a loser.

He appears to continue the self-argument/discussion by admitting he's trying to set free, to which his more logical half replies, "Must be tough."

"Shoutout to what is done

R.I.P.

Here comes the sun."

As the protagonist mourns their circumstance and muddled emotions, their rational side repels this dismal outlook.

Rest in peace? Not yet. The sun is coming, if only you'll lift your gaze to see it.

I envision a downcast person standing in a dark room when this part plays. Weak sunlight faintly illuminates a set of curtains in front of them, but the person cannot perceive or trust this light in their current state. Thus, their optimistic (or realistic) self draws back the curtains for them, blinding their disenchanted half with the full force of the sun: the sun that was always there.

As "sun" echoes in the brief transition between the end of the first refrain and the start of the second set of verses, I imagine the protagonist being briefly overwhelmed by the light and beauty they couldn't see in their dark period while their optimistic half looks on, hopefully. Then the protagonist is thrust once more into a space of self-doubt, pondering again if they've "gone a little far."

Drugs or Dreamy Uncertainty?

Verses like, "I'm gonna have the strangest night on Sunday," and "There's gonna be a fight, gonna be a price to pay on Monday" insinuate substance experimentation and support the logic of the oft-mentioned "high" being a force of drug use. Additionally, in the album cut, Parker sings, "Rudy said it's fine; they used to do this all the time in college."

The single version contains these lyrics:

"How could I have known?

How was I to know this high came rushing?

I said, "'Come with me outside'"

I need to clear my mind, this weight is crushing

Do you see the light, oh

Coming from their eyes? Oh, no...

And I couldn't get away."

"Borderline" is considered a metaphor for many things, from Borderline Personality Disorder—supporting those conflicting statements in the chorus—to being a borderline addict, alcoholic, etc. Kevin Parker self-admittedly dabbles in acid, marijuana, and alcohol while composing, lending further credence to this being a song that, while still relatively ambiguous, captures the intense out-of-body experience common to hallucinogenic drug use.

Regardless of specific lyrics, "Borderline" clearly illustrates multiple inspirations behind its conception. It's a brooding piece that tackles existential worries through a soft, mildly seductive lens, inviting the listener to ponder their own ennui. The drugs are merely a gateway to locked-away emotions and thoughts most of us don't dare unleash... but this track lets the beasts run free.

The Instruments

"Borderline" is propelled by off-tune instruments that slowly dip and rise through their repetitive chord progression. At intervals, an ethereal flute injects psychedelic flairs of longing and detachment into the narrative while a deep, heavy bass line plods underneath.

The background vocals in both versions are excellent and help liven up an otherwise well-trodden (though never tedious or boring) song. As with most Tame Impala songs, "Borderline" lures listeners into a soothing yet highly engaging, synth-heavy experience.

Conclusion

Kevin Parker

Kevin Parker (Tame Impala) excels at crafting ambience-inducing music, weaving awe-inspiring hooks and melodies with frank yet emotional lyrics. Many of his songs, notably on 2015's Currents and The Slow Rush, transcend the boundary of beautiful sounds into a higher plane of being: experience. 

Masterfully wielding glittering synths, irresistible bass lines, and playful chord subversions, Parker's creations, while immediately recognizable per their unified style, always pique the ears' interest. There's no pretension here or unnecessary embellishments. It's just one man—a composer, arranger, recorder, singer, mixer, performer, and most importantly, human being—serving up mouthwatering morsels of feelings we often can't describe. 

"Borderline" is the perfect life change piece. It embodies the disrupted equilibrium inherent to being in a state of transition. Its breezy, atmospheric vocals usher the listener through the heart and mind of someone who no longer seems to have the energy to make a decision about their emotions or anything else. To cope, they (Parker) created a song recognizing and confirming their off-kilter, nigh-nihilistic feelings.

I'm not on the borderline with how I feel about this piece; it contains everything I could ask for in a song and is an exceptional example of what a truly talented musician can do.

Next time you're straddling two sides of fate, ease away from some of the pain and into a bit of rapture with this awesome track!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The album cut