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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Dilapidated Heart
Hayden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I left you with so much sorrow.
You just faded and wore down.
I gave up on a tomorrow,
And then left you so unsound.

But giving up completely
Is not the way to treat me.
Dilapidated heart,

Why won't you take part?
Why?

I've left you alone for so long.
All that's there is webs and dust.
You know I would never steer you wrong,
If I thought this was only lust.

She came out of nowhere,
Took away all of my air,
And made me realize,
That both you and I died,
The last time we tried,
To let someone inside.

Dilapidated heart,

why won't you take part?
Why?

Overall Meaning

In Hayden's song Dilapidated Heart, the singer is addressing their own heart, which they have left alone for so long that it has become broken and worn down, just like an old, neglected house. The singer acknowledges that they gave up on the future, and that their heart has suffered as a result of their neglect. They also realize that completely giving up on something or someone is not the right way to go about life, and their heart deserves more than that.

The singer then reflects on a woman who came into their life and made them see the damage they have caused to their heart, and to past relationships. This realization prompts the singer to question why their heart won't take part, why it won't unite with someone else or become whole again. The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer is ready to try again but is stuck in a cycle, unable to move forward because of their unwilling heart. It is a reflective and introspective song that touches on themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Line by Line Meaning

I left you with so much sorrow.
I caused you a lot of pain by leaving you.

You just faded and wore down.
You were hurt so much that you became weak and broken.

I gave up on a tomorrow,
I lost hope for the future.

And then left you so unsound.
And I left you hurt and damaged.

But giving up completely
However, completely losing hope

Is not the way to treat me.
Is not a fair way to treat me.

Dilapidated heart,
My broken heart,

Why won't you take part?
Why can't you heal and start functioning again?

Why?
I don't understand why you won't heal.

I’ve left you alone for so long.
I have neglected you for a long time.

All that’s there is webs and dust.
My heart is empty and full of neglect and disuse.