Everything Is Borrowed

Everything Is Borrowed
Studio album by The Streets
Released	15 September 2008 (UK) 7 October 2008 (US)
Genre	Alternative hip hop, electronica, breakbeat
Length	38:49
Label	679 Recordings, Vice Records
Producer	Mike Skinner
The Streets chronology
The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006) Everything Is Borrowed (2008) Cyberspace and Reds (2011)

Everything Is Borrowed is the fourth studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project The Streets. Released in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2008,^[1] and in the United States on 7 October 2008,^[2] Skinner describes the album as a "peaceful coming to terms album"^[3] and as containing "peaceful positive vibes" which stand in stark contrast to the previous album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living,^[4] which Skinner has described as a "guilt-ridden indulgence".^[5]

The album's eponymous first single, was released on 29 September 2008.^[6] In the months leading up to the album's release, "The Escapist" was offered online as a free download, accompanied by a music video.^[6] The video (directed by Ted Mayhem)^[7] follows Skinner as he walks 770 miles from Dover to a beach in France,^[8][9] a feat Skinner actually undertook.^[10] "Who Knows Who", a track Skinner recorded with the band Muse, was leaked in August 2008 and was initially believed by many to be a track from the upcoming album, until refuted by Muse.^[11]

During the recording of the album, Skinner states that he "threw away more music than is on the album now," as he was unhappy with the material recorded, but that "the album is a product of all the stuff I threw away, it was important to the album."^[12] Everything Is Borrowed is the penultimate album from The Streets; Skinner has said that he signed a five-record deal, and that he always envisioned a five-album box set.^[12] Eight music videos were made for the album, culminating with "On the Edge of a Cliff" being released on 7 April 2009 (videos were not made for "The Sherry End", "Alleged Legends" and "The Strongest Person I Know").^[13][14] "On the Flip of a Coin" was used in the 2018/19 video game Life Is Strange 2.

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	63/100[15]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[16]
Alternative Press	[17]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[18]
The Guardian	[19]
The Independent	[20]
musicOMH	[21]
NME	8/10[22]
Pitchfork	4.8/10[23]
Rolling Stone	[24]
Spin	8/10[25]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mike Skinner except 9 Mike Skinner & Tim Vigon

1. "Everything Is Borrowed" – 4:04
2. "Heaven for the Weather" – 3:27
3. "I Love You More (Than You Like Me)" – 3:45
4. "The Way of the Dodo" – 3:33
5. "On the Flip of a Coin" – 3:21
6. "On the Edge of a Cliff" – 3:04
7. "Never Give In" – 3:25
8. "The Sherry End" – 2:46
9. "Alleged Legends" – 3:12
10. "The Strongest Person I Know" – 3:03
11. "The Escapist" – 5:16
12. "To Your Face" (iTunes bonus track) – 3:35

Personnel

The Streets

• Mike Skinner – vocals, guitar (tracks 2, 4, 7), xylophone (track 2), bass (track 4), drums (track 4), keyboards (tracks 4, 7), bells (track 11)
• Johnny "Drummachine" Jenkins – bass (tracks 1, 7), drums (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11), percussion (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11), glockenspiel (track 1), acoustic guitar (tracks 1, 5, 6), piano (track 2), vocals (track 6), electric guitar (tracks 10, 11), recorder (track 10), triangle (track 10), xylophone (track 10)
• Kevin Mark Trail – vocals (track 11)
• Wayne Bennett – bass (tracks 5, 6), electric guitar (tracks 5, 6)
• Chris Brown – keyboards (track 2), hammond organ (tracks 2, 6, 9), rhodes (track 5), accordion (tracks 5, 9), wurlitzer (track 6)
• Eddie Jenkins – rhodes (track 3), piano (tracks 3, 6, 10)
• Laura Vane – vocals (tracks 1, 5, 6, 10)

Additional Musicians

• dirty pretty strings - string quartet (tracks 1, 11)
• Andy Love – vocals (track 1)
• Barnet Philharmonic Choir – backing vocals (track 2)
• Bob Dowell – Piano (track 2)
• Richard Wayler – vocals (track 2)
• Nick Marshall – guitar (track 2)
• Camilla Pay – harp (tracks 3, 5, 6, 10)
• Chris williams – flute (tracks 3, 9), whistle (track 3)
• Nick Marshall – double bass (track 3), acoustic guitar (track 10)
• Teddy Mitchell – backing vocals (tracks 3, 5), whistle (track 3)
• Gita Harcourt – violin (tracks 5, 6, 9)
• David Gino Jenkins – vocals (track 6)
• Jake Painter – trumpet (tracks 6, 9)
• Maria Payne – clarinet (tracks 6, 9, 10)
• Ed Harcourt – banjo (track 9), mandolin (track 10)

Charts

Chart performance for Everything Is Borrowed

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26]	55
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27]	64
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28]	28
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[29]	9
French Albums (SNEP)[30]	99
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[31]	58
Irish Albums (IRMA)[32]	19
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33]	19
UK Albums (OCC)[34]	7
US Billboard 200[35]	154

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Everything Is Borrowed"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[36]	Gold	100,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Thompson, Paul (29 July 2008), The Streets Announce LP Release Date, Fall Tour, Pitchfork Media, archived from the original on 30 July 2008, retrieved 29 July 2008
2. Stanislawski, Ethan (28 August 2008), Mike Skinner talks about the legacy of the Streets, Prefix Magazine, retrieved 4 September 2008
3. Thompson, Paul (5 June 2008), Mike Skinner Names LP, Declares End of the Streets?, Pitchfork Media, archived from the original on 7 June 2008, retrieved 5 June 2008
4. "The Streets name new album – but reveal their days are numbered", NME, 2 June 2008, retrieved 5 June 2008
5. Michaels, Sean (2 June 2008), "The Streets announce final album", The Guardian, London, retrieved 16 July 2008
6. "The Streets offer new track as free download today (July 30)", NME, 30 July 2008, retrieved 4 August 2008
7. Get your free download from Birmingham's The Streets, Sunday Mercury, 30 July 2008, archived from the original on 14 September 2008, retrieved 4 August 2008
8. Mike Skinner films epic trek through France, London: The Observer, 10 August 2008, retrieved 27 August 2008
9. Michaels, Sean (31 July 2008), "The Streets release new material ... and ruin Reeboks", The Guardian, London, retrieved 4 August 2008
10. Thompson, Paul (19 May 2008), Mike Skinner Walking to France for New Streets Video?, Pitchfork Media, archived from the original on 1 August 2008, retrieved 4 August 2008
11. Milton, Jamie (4 August 2008), Muse: 'Collaboration with the Streets Result of a Late Night Jam Session', Gig Wise, retrieved 4 August 2008
12. Skinner to release one more album, BBC, 12 August 2008, retrieved 13 August 2008
13. From the Ladle to the Grave, The Streets, 4 July 2009, retrieved 5 May 2009
14. Everything Is Borrowed- The Videos, The Streets, 4 July 2009, retrieved 5 May 2009
15. "Reviews for Everything Is Borrowed by The Streets". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
16. John Bush (15 September 2008). "Everything Is Borrowed - The Streets | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
17. What matters is that Everything Is Borrowed is enough of a triumph that despite all evidence to the contrary, you'll be convinced the world is indeed a beautiful place. [Dec 2008, p.153]
18. "Music Review: everything is borrowed, by The Streets". Entertainment Weekly. 8 October 2008. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008.
19. Sullivan, Caroline (12 September 2008). "CD: Urban review: The Streets, Everything Is Borrowed". The Guardian. London.
20. "Album: The Streets, Everything is Borrowed (Sixsevenine) - Reviews, Music - the Independent". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 September 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
21. "The Streets - Everything is Borrowed | album reviews | musicOMH". Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
22. "The Streets". NME. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
23. "The Streets: Everything Is Borrowed Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchforkmedia.com. 6 October 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
24. "Album Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
25. "The Streets, 'Everything Is Borrowed' (Vice)". SPIN. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
26. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 269.
27. "Austriancharts.at – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
28. "Ultratop.be – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
29. "Danishcharts.dk – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
30. "Lescharts.com – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
31. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
32. "Irish-charts.com – Discography The Streets". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
33. "Swisscharts.com – The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
34. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
35. "Artist Chart History – The Streets", Billboard, retrieved 21 February 2009
36. "British album certifications – Streets – Everything Is Borrowed". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 September 2022.