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
Between Us To Hold
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been sick for days, and we were stuck inside
And I held your arm as you hit the string
I pressed your fingers down and started to sing
And our heater was shaking cause the city was cold
And my favorite guitar was between us to hold
And I held your arm as you hit the strings
The lyrics of Hayden's song Between Us to Hold paint a beautiful picture of a tender and intimate moment shared by two people who have been forced to stay in and battle an illness. The singer of the song has taken it upon themselves to teach their partner how to play guitar, and the lyrics convey a sense of closeness and security as they hold their partner's arm and guide them through the chords. The shuddering of the heater and the coldness of the city outside serve to heighten the intimacy of the moment, making it feel as though the two people are alone in the world and lost in their own little world of music.
The fact that the guitar is referred to as "my favorite guitar" suggests that music is an important part of the singer's life, and perhaps even an escape from the illnesses that have been keeping them cooped up indoors. By teaching their partner how to play, they are not only sharing their passion with someone they care about, but also building a deeper connection between them. The repetition of the lines "And I held your arm as you hit the strings/I pressed your fingers down and started to sing" reinforce the sense of physical and emotional closeness between the two characters, and the gentle melody of the song serves to underscore the intimacy of the moment.
In summary, Hayden's Between Us to Hold is a beautiful portrait of a quiet, tender moment shared between two people in a time of sickness and isolation. As they bond over music, the singer teaches their partner how to play guitar, building a connection that is both physical and emotional in nature.
Line by Line Meaning
I taught you to play guitar last night
I spent time with you teaching you something new and exciting, which brought us closer together.
We've been sick for days, and we were stuck inside
We've been unwell and unable to do much, which made spending time together all the more important.
And I held your arm as you hit the string
I supported you physically and emotionally as you learned and played music.
I pressed your fingers down and started to sing
I guided you in the process of playing guitar and shared my love of music with you.
And our heater was shaking cause the city was cold
Despite the external conditions, we were able to create warmth and comfort for each other through our shared experience.
And my favorite guitar was between us to hold
The guitar became a symbol of our connection as we both held it and learned together.
And I held your arm as you hit the strings
Our physical closeness and shared experience of making music strengthened our bond.
I pressed your fingers down and started to sing, sing
Together, we created something beautiful and meaningful through music and our connection with each other.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind