Hayden is Paul Hayden Desser (born February 12, 1971), a Canadian singer-so… Read Full Bio ↴Hayden is Paul Hayden Desser (born February 12, 1971), a Canadian singer-songwriter from Thornhill, Ontario. His early works are a largely eclectic mix of genres from grunge to alternative country, as demonstrated by his first full album, Everything I Long For, released in 1995. Since then his work has become progressively more refined.

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.

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Carried Away
Hayden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't be scared to leave him
You've been sad all season
You should think of something to say
Maybe you could tell him

That from the day you met him
You've been liking him less and less
And things have got to change

Cause if they stay the same

You'll both get carried away
He might really love you
And be crushed by the news
Then you can take back everything you said

And if he feels the same way
Has been waiting to say
The same things, but on a different day
You'll go your separate ways

And all your days with him will fade

Or be carried away
La la la

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hayden's song "Carried Away" talk about the end of a relationship that is reaching its expiration date. The singer encourages the person he is addressing in the song not to be afraid of leaving their partner as they have been sad for too long. He goes on to suggest that the person should tell their partner that they have been falling out of love with them since the day they met. He believes that if they don't speak up, they'll both get carried away in the relationship and end up with nothing but regrets.

The song's message is that it's better to face the truth and be honest than to continue pretending that everything is okay. The singer believes that if they speak their truth, they can prevent themselves and their partner from getting hurt down the line. He reminds the person that their partner might be hurt by the news, but they will recover, and the person can take back everything that they said. However, if their partner feels the same way, the end of the relationship is inevitable, and it's better to part ways before they get carried away by something that no longer makes them happy.

Overall, "Carried Away" is a poignant plea for honesty and speaking up about one's feelings to avoid deeper heartbreak in the future. Hayden's delivery and lyrics make this a relatable message for anyone who has experienced the end of a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't be scared to leave him
Do not fear to end the relationship with him

You've been sad all season
You have been unhappy throughout the season

You should think of something to say
You should come up with something to tell him

Maybe you could tell him
Perhaps you could say to him

That from the day you met him
That from the day you first encountered him

You've been liking him less and less
You have been developing less affection for him over time

And things have got to change
And things must shift

Cause if they stay the same
Because if they remain unchanged

You'll both get carried away
You will both be swept up

He might really love you
He may genuinely adore you

And be crushed by the news
And be devastated by the revelation