The Catcher in the Rye: Troubled Mind

As I am listening to some music right now, I am hearing a song named “Troubled Mind” by the bluegrass group Yonder Mountain String Band. The chorus goes like this, “By the looks I get seems I am the last to know
Apologetic eyes follow me everywhere I go
I swear I'm twenty-twenty but I never saw the signs
And now I sit alone and try to ease my troubled mind.” You may not have heard it because Yonder Mountain String Band is not all that popular especially among the youth of today’s world. You may be asking yourself right now what all this has to do with literature. Well as I was listening to it, I could not help but think of my dear pal Holden Caulfield from the novel The Catcher in the Rye. Although the song is about the lead singer’s girlfriend breaking up with him, I think the chorus also relates to Holden’s situation in the book. In the song, the singer is very upset and confused about his beloved woman leaving him. I believe Holden relates more to strictly the chorus. The chorus obviously literally speaks of the lead singer’s girlfriend, but I think that I have found a deeper meaning. I think the first line speaks of Holden’s naivety of the fact that he is so harsh, general, and for the most part, a “phony.” I believe that most of the people who are close to Holden realize this, but they never actually address it. The second line of the chorus goes along with my thoughts on the first line. When I say the people that are close to Holden, I mainly mean Mr. Antolini. There are a few other exceptions, but it is mainly Mr. Antolini that I speak of. I think the third line is the opposite of Holden’s actions because he never realizes what he thinks of in his own mind. Finally, the last line represents the end of the novel when Holden is being psychoanalyzed in the hospital.