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 Tree’s Lounge. Hayden’s 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 world–wide critical acclaim.
The following year, a live concert double CD was released, Live at Convocation Hall, a glimpse, for the listener, into what makes Hayden’s appearances such a favourite among his ever devoted fan base. His natural rapport with the crowd, along with an honest demeanour, has continued Hayden’s 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 it’s collection of warm and memorable recordings. 2004 also heralded Hayden’s 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 ‘07, 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
Bass Song
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't leave the house at all
They assumed from the lack of prints in the snow
That I had been away for some time
But I was upstairs
And I couldn't hear them
With my headphones on, recording a song
And walked inside, beneath me as I played on
Unaware of what was going on
As my song began to fade
I heard whispering and then I couldn't breath
They were walking up the stairs
Towards me as I looked for something to try and scare them away
And I couldn't find shit
So I grabbed my bass guitar by the neck and held it above me
And hid by the top of the stairs and that's where I was found
5 days after I hit the ground
The lyrics above are from the song "Bass Song" by Hayden. The song tells the story of a person who is home during a snowstorm, sitting upstairs with headphones on, recording a song. People break into the house, and the person, unaware of what is going on, continues playing their song until they hear whispering and realize someone is coming up the stairs. The person tries to find something to scare the intruders away, but in the end, they are forced to hide and defend themselves with a bass guitar, which also serves as the song's title.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of fear and panic as the singer struggles to defend themselves against unknown intruders. The lack of prints in the snow outside suggests that the person had been isolated for some time, adding to the sense of vulnerability and isolation. The fact that the person is upstairs and unable to hear what's going on until it's almost too late further contributes to the tension and suspense in the song.
Overall, "Bass Song" is a haunting and intense track that tells a gripping story of survival and perseverance. Hayden's vocals, paired with the haunting melody and pulsing bassline, create a sense of unease and fear that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The day after the storm
Refers to a time of physical or emotional turbulence
I didn't leave the house at all
The singer was withdrawn and isolated
They assumed from the lack of prints in the snow
Others made assumptions about the singer's absence
That I had been away for some time
Assumption of prolonged absence
But I was upstairs
The artist was actually present but hidden away
And I couldn't hear them
The singer was actively blocking out the outside world
With my headphones on, recording a song
The singer was focused on their creative process
They broke my windows
An intrusion into the artist's personal space
And walked inside, beneath me as I played on
The assailants were not aware of the artist's presence
Unaware of what was going on
The assailants were not knowledgeable of the situation
As my song began to fade
The singer's creative flow was interrupted
I heard whispering and then I couldn't breath
The artist began to experience panic and anxiety
They were walking up the stairs
The assailants were making their way towards the singer
Towards me as I looked for something to try and scare them away
The singer was seeking a form of self-protection
And I couldn't find shit
The singer was not successful in their attempts to find protection
So I grabbed my bass guitar by the neck and held it above me
The artist used what was available to defend themselves
And hid by the top of the stairs and that's where I was found
The artist was discovered in a state of defense
5 days after I hit the ground
The experience was traumatic and the singer's perception of time had been distorted
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vend Erre
Wow, this is really good.
Felipe Donati
amazing..
JPNVAN8897
dang this song is so chill
manonthedollar
Check out the rest of his Skyscraper National Park album, if you haven't already. It's by far my favorite album by Hayden.
JayEdom
whats this song about a murder?? did it really happen??
JayEdom
shit man i had a dream about it happening to mer but maybe it was me thinking of the art in my mind putting it to my own view i guess thats what good art can do
Michael Scott
+JayEdom it wasnt about murder. it was about a break in that actually happened to him some years ago. saw him live and he explained the story. pretty damn crazy.
Marcelo Mello
Only 12 views? What a pity...