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
Better Off Inside
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you open your eyes when you first saw me?
First saw me
It's funny how things make sense when your lonely
It's funny how you want more when your happy
I'm coming over, will you open the door for me
I'm better off inside
In your eyes, I see you in disguise
You're talking backwards, telling lies
Telling lies
It's funny how things make sense when your lonely
It's funny how you want more when your happy
I'm coming over, will you open the door for me
I'm better off inside
Hayden's song "Better Off Inside" opens up with a repeated question "Did you open your eyes when you first saw me?" The question signifies the beginnings of a new relationship or encounter, and the sense of vulnerability and uncertainty that comes along with it. This sense is further explored in the following stanza, which highlights the paradoxical nature of human emotions. It is during times of loneliness that we start seeing things clearly, and desire companionship even more. The constant shift in moods from happiness to sorrow and its effects on our decisions are wonderfully captured in the line "It's funny how you want more when you're happy."
As the song continues, the lyrics make clear that the persona believes that they are better off inside – physically, metaphorically, or emotionally – and the person they are talking to or about is disguised or pretending. The second repeating line of "In Your eyes, I see you in disguise" suggests that they can see through the façade of the person they are addressing, but the communication is not transparent or genuine.
Overall, "Better Off Inside" is a song about the fragility of relationships and the different aspects that shape it. It brings out the idea of loneliness, how we can be happy and still desire something more, the idea of masks and facades, and the necessity of having self-worth and awareness. The song displays a sense of introspection that is relatable to individuals who have gone through similar bouts of loneliness, and it encapsulates the ideas that come with searching for human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you open your eyes when you first saw me?
Did you truly look at me when we first met or were you distracted by something else?
It's funny how things make sense when you're lonely
When you're feeling alone, even things that seem strange or confusing can start to make sense or seem reasonable.
It's funny how you want more when you're happy
When you're content or satisfied, you may start to think about what you could have or do to make things even better.
I'm coming over, will you open the door for me
I'm coming to see you, but it's up to you whether or not you let me in.
I'm better off inside
I feel safer and more comfortable being indoors or staying to myself.
In your eyes, I see you in disguise
When I look at you, I sense that you may be hiding or not showing your true self.
You're talking backwards, telling lies
You're not being honest with me or communicating in a straightforward way.
Telling lies
You're not being truthful or honest about something.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind