Combining elements of both rock and folk music, along with disturbingly personal sentiments, dark humor, and a voice able to channel both the falsetto highs of Neil Young and the wavering raspy low tones of Leonard Cohen, Toronto's Hayden Desser has spent his career creating uniquely affecting music.
The critically-acclaimed musician first appeared in the early '90s armed with only his four-track tape recorder, his unexpectedly low vocal range, and an extremely detuned guitar. Going simply by the name Hayden, he recorded his self-released cassette, In September, in 1994, and much of the material included evolved into his first proper LP, 1995's Everything I Long For. Initially self-released on his own Hardwood Records, the debut disc toed the line between beautiful and horrifying, touching on simple details of human interaction as well as delving into macabre tales that still retained an oddly personal edge. After a year of touring Canada, E.T.I.L.F. was picked up by Outpost Recordings (Geffen) and was released worldwide in early 1996. Tours of the U.S., Europe and Japan took up most of 1996, as well as writing and recording the title track to the Steve Buscemi-directed Treeβs Lounge. Haydenβs second full-length record. The Closer I Get (1998) was recorded in Toronto, Bearsville, N.Y., Seattle and Los Angeles. After another year of touring, Hayden closed the book on chapter one of his musical endeavors.
The next couple of years went by without any performances, but during 2000, Hayden began writing and recording in his Toronto home. The self-produced collection of songs was titled Skyscraper National Park and was released in 2001 to worldβwide critical acclaim.
The following year, a live concert double CD was released, Live at Convocation Hall, a glimpse, for the listener, into what makes Haydenβs appearances such a favourite among his ever devoted fan base. His natural rapport with the crowd, along with an honest demeanour, has continued Haydenβs reputation as a unique and charming performer.
In 2004, Hayden released his 4th studio album. Elk-Lake Serenade continued in the direction of Skyscraper with itβs collection of warm and memorable recordings. 2004 also heralded Haydenβs return to the road with several tours that took him as far as Australia and New Zealand.
After a long period of writing and recording, Hayden returned in early 2008 with his 5th full-length studio record. In Field & Town is his most musically diverse and textured record to date. It captures his penchant for self-referential fiction and emotionally heavy songs and laces them with sharp hooks and smart lyrics. After supporting The National in Europe in November of β07, Hayden completed a sold-out theatre tour of Canada as well as spring and fall North American tours supporting Feist. In Field & Town was released on Fat Possum in the U.S.A. and November saw the release in Europe via the Affairs of the Heart label, combined with Nov./Dec. dates in the UK, France, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Germany.
www.hardwoodrecords.com
www.myspace.com/hayden
Bad as They Seem
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things are as bad as they seem
She is only sixteen
That's why she's only a dream
Woman of my dreams
Lives right down my street
Has a daughter who's sixteen
That's why she's only a dream
What do I do this for?
Got to get out some more
Go down to the grocery store
Meet someone I'll adore
Someone who'll make me laugh
Someone to be my better half
Keep me warm under the sack
Share with me my midnight snack
House of my dreams
Things are as bad as they seem
My parents' house I'll stay for free
Until I'm at least forty-three
What do I do this for?
Got to get out some more
Go down to the grocery store
Meet someone I'll adore
Someone who'll make me laugh
Someone to be my better half
Keep me warm under the sack
Share with me my midnight snack
The lyrics of "Bad as They Seem," a song by the Canadian musician Hayden, are a reflection on the singer's inability to form meaningful relationships. He seems to be stuck in a dream-like state, imagining women who are unattainable because they are either too young (the girl of his dreams is only sixteen) or already taken (the woman of his dreams has a sixteen-year-old daughter). The repetition of the phrase "things are as bad as they seem" suggests a deep sense of pessimism and resignation, as if the singer has given up on ever finding love.
The chorus offers a solution to this problem: the singer needs to "get out some more" and meet someone new. He fantasizes about finding someone who will "make [him] laugh" and be his "better half," someone with whom he can share simple pleasures like a "midnight snack." However, even the idea of leaving his parents' house, where he is staying rent-free until he is at least forty-three, seems daunting to him.
One possible interpretation of this song is that it is a reflection of the anxieties and uncertainties of young adulthood. The singer is portrayed as a somewhat hapless figure who is struggling to find his place in the world. His dreams of love and companionship are constantly at odds with his insecurities and fears of rejection. Despite this, the song has a wistful quality that suggests a lingering sense of hope, even in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl of my dreams
There's a girl that I dream about
Things are as bad as they seem
But unfortunately, things aren't going well for me right now
She is only sixteen
The girl I dream of is only 16 years old
That's why she's only a dream
So, I can't do anything about it and she remains only a dream
Woman of my dreams
There's another woman I dream of
Lives right down my street
She lives close to me, just down the street
Has a daughter who's sixteen
However, she has a daughter who is also 16 years old
That's why she's only a dream
So again, I can't pursue her and she just remains a dream
What do I do this for?
I question myself why I'm living this way
Got to get out some more
I need to get out and meet new people
Go down to the grocery store
Maybe I'll start by going to buy groceries and try to meet someone there
Meet someone I'll adore
Hoping to meet someone I will fall in love with
Someone who'll make me laugh
Someone who can make me laugh and be happy
Someone to be my better half
Someone who can complete me and make me feel whole
Keep me warm under the sack
Someone who can keep me warm and be intimate with
Share with me my midnight snack
Someone to share things with, even something as simple as a midnight snack
House of my dreams
I also dream of a perfect house to live in
Things are as bad as they seem
But it seems like it's not going to happen anytime soon
My parents' house I'll stay for free
So for the time being, I'll have to stay with my parents as it's a free place to live
Until I'm at least forty-three
I'll probably have to keep living there until I'm 43 years old at least
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sarahdiane24
Girl of my dreams
Things are as bad as they seem
She is only 16
That's why she's only a dream
Woman of my dreams
Lives right down my street
Has a daughter who's 16
That's why she's only a dream
What do I do this for
Got to get out some more
Go down to the grocery store
Meet someone I'll adore
Someone who'll make me laugh
Someone to be my better half
Keep me warm under the sack
Share with me my midnight snack
Job of my dreams
Things are as bad as they seem
Working where I did at 14
Making less pay it seems
What do I do this for
Got to get out some more
Go down to the grocery store
Meet someone I'll adore
Someone who'll make me laugh
Someone to be my better half
Keep me warm under the sack
Share with me my midnight snack
House of my dreams
Things are as bad as they seem
My parents' house I'll stay for free
Till I'm at least 43
@vanleeuwenhoek
At home; 40; listening to this; still alone; grass is cut.
@garnetthenry1840
Was a great time for music, this is probably how the people felt in the 80s after the 70s, it got back to perfection in the early 90s and now it's just souless I guess
@bernwardhusistein6693
lol
this is awesome!
you made me smile
I hope all is good
take care
@brietebank9582
Cheers buudy....teenage angst has paid off well..
@tombutler3569
A parent's house I'll stay for free. Until I'm at least 43.
@mikemangov2842
Gonna frame this comment.
@astaboy
My favorite artist who no one's ever heard of.
@LV-Mokie
So true!
@mrjackson9992
So true. This was my favourite song and artist in grade 12 back in 1996.
@MurphmanCometh
He signed my baseball cap at Lollapalooza in 1993