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
Hollywood Ending
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you want it this way
Breaking us down a little bit at a time
Is it easier now that I'm not around
Oh is it time to draw the line
We don't have to pretend
(Another Hollywood ending)
Ya got your Hollywood ending
(Another Hollywood ending)
Leave it to me
To act like a fool begging you to come back When I had you I had everything
Now all I have is this photograph
There's nothing here to defend
It's not a Hollywood ending
(Another Hollywood ending)
It's not as bad as it seems
(Another Hollywood ending)
It's hard to give up your dreams
(Another Hollywood ending)
It's not a Hollywood ending
(Another Hollywood ending)
Well you don't have to go
Oh you don't have to go
You could've been the star of
My show anytime
No, you don't have to go
I called on the phone
Came by your home
To find out that you're not alone
Now we don't have to pretend
That it's a Hollywood ending
(Another Hollywood ending)
It's not as bad as it seems
(Another Hollywood ending)
It's hard to give up your dreams
(Another Hollywood ending)
All that glitters will fade
(Another Hollywood ending)
Just like the promise ya made
(Another Hollywood ending)
Just like the promise ya made
(Another Hollywood ending)
(Another Hollywood ending)
(Another Hollywood ending)
The lyrics to "Hollywood Ending" by Hayden explore the aftermath of a breakup, with the singer questioning whether the other person wanted the relationship to end "this way." He describes the pain of watching the relationship slowly fall apart and wonders if it's "easier" now that they are no longer together. The chorus then shifts to a commentary on Hollywood and the idea of the "Hollywood ending" -- the notion that any story can be wrapped up neatly with a happy conclusion. The singer recognizes that the other person has found their own Hollywood ending without him and that he must let go of his own dreams and move on from the relationship.
The second verse continues to emphasize the pain and loss the singer is experiencing, as he remembers a time when he had "everything" and is now left with nothing but a photograph. However, he insists that there is nothing left to defend and that the situation is not as dire as it might seem. The bridge then speaks to the idea of missed opportunities and the regret that often follows a breakup. The singer recognizes that the other person could have been "the star" of his show but is now gone.
Overall, "Hollywood Ending" is a melancholy take on love and the ways in which it can disappoint and leave us feeling lost. The chorus's repeated refrain of "another Hollywood ending" suggests that this is not the first time the singer has experienced heartbreak and that the pain is something that he has become all too familiar with.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you want it this way
Did you intentionally choose to break us down gradually?
Breaking us down a little bit at a time
Our relationship is deteriorating at a slow but steady pace.
Is it easier now that I'm not around
Has leaving me made your life less complicated?
Oh is it time to draw the line
Are you ready to end things completely?
We don't have to pretend
We can be honest with each other.
Ya got your Hollywood ending (Another Hollywood ending)
You got the perfect, happy ending that you desired.
Leave it to me
I always make a fool of myself.
To act like a fool begging you to come back
I begged you to return, which was foolish of me.
When I had you I had everything
I had everything I wanted when we were together.
Now all I have is this photograph
Now all I have are memories of our past together, captured in a photograph.
There's nothing here to defend
There's no justification for the way things ended.
It's not a Hollywood ending
We didn't have a fairytale ending.
(Another Hollywood ending)
You have already moved on and found another happy ending.
It's not as bad as it seems
Things are not as terrible as they appear.
It's hard to give up your dreams
It's difficult to let go of what you've always hoped for.
You don't have to go
You don't have to leave me for good.
You could've been the star of my show anytime
You were the most important person in my life.
I called on the phone, came by your home
I made an effort to reach out to you.
To find out that you're not alone
Only to realize that you have already moved on.
All that glitters will fade
Not everything that appears to be amazing is genuine.
Just like the promise ya made (Another Hollywood ending)
Your promises didn't last and you moved on to another perfect ending.
(Another Hollywood ending)
You have a tendency of going towards perfect endings.
(Another Hollywood ending)
You have a pattern of chasing happy endings.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JAMES MICHAEL, NIKKI SIXX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bastlake
i'm tempted to have this play at my funeral, no lyrics except the "DA DA DA DA DA DAAA" chorus, which everyone in attendance would be asked to sing along with as loud as they could and the trumpet would be played live
NorthWriter
For the "There are two cops outside my door" part I always pictured Dennis Franz and some other goofy-looking guy.
FishWhiskey
How did this song just get better?
missastro
yeah, he doesn't tend to play that one live. he played a lot of newer stuff here mostly, but played a few classics like Trees Lounge and Bad as They Seem
speakingfortrees
ladadadadada is a totally normal response to being instructed to kill three people.
clancy6969
hurry more hayden!
Faksakes
the best
Indiebue
Still listening.
Thrawn Naman
anyone know where theres a video for "in september"?
CPT ERBZ420
WoW lets just skip my fav on this album #8 Through the rads :(