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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Home By Saturday
Hayden Lyrics

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You're the one thing that I'm leaving
That will come to my mind dreaming
All along the highway speeding
And up in the air as far as I fly

You're the first thing I'll be thinking
When I'm taking off and landing
In the cities that I'm playing

To the people I won't ever know

This is the last time out for me
I don't want to find out we
Drifted apart or lost our way
I'll be home by Saturday

Last night in New York City
I met a girl almost as pretty
And if I had one more whiskey
Everything would have all just slipped away

This is the last time out for me
I don't want to wait and see
If while away you've been untrue
Have you found somebody new
And if I'm wrong then don't you stray
I'll be home by Saturday

You're the one thing that I'm leaving
That will come to my mind dreaming

All along the highway speeding
And up in the air as far as I fly

Overall Meaning

Hayden's song Home by Saturday is a melancholy track about a musician who is leaving home to go on tour. The lyrics are filled with nostalgic musings of the person he is leaving behind - the one thing that will come to his mind when he's out on the road - and the fear of losing connection with that person. He's aware that distance could create an emotional gap, so he wants to make sure that person is aware of his dedication to their relationship. The singer thinks about this person everywhere he goes, whether he's on an airplane or driving along the highway. The lyrics capture a sense of longing, regret, and profound need to reconnect with home.

The second verse talks about an evening where the singer meets another person, almost as attractive as the one he's leaving behind. His resolve is weak, and he considers the possibility of letting go of his existing relationships. But he reminds himself of the reason for his tour and the meaning of his departure. The chorus reflects his concern about the unknown future and possibilities of his partner's infidelity – but he's confident that he will be back home and will confront whatever is there when he returns.

Overall, Home by Saturday is a relatable song that paints a picture of a deeply emotional experience of leaving home behind for tour. It's about hope, fear, love, and everything that a person may feel when they have to spend time apart from their loved ones.

Line by Line Meaning

You're the one thing that I'm leaving
You are the only thing that I will be leaving behind

That will come to my mind dreaming
I will be dreaming about you often

All along the highway speeding
While I am driving fast on the highway

And up in the air as far as I fly
And even when I'm high up in the air, flying away

You're the first thing I'll be thinking
You will always be the first thing on my mind

When I'm taking off and landing
Even as I depart and arrive in different cities

In the cities that I'm playing
As I perform in different cities

To the people I won't ever know
To strangers I will never meet again

This is the last time out for me
This is my final trip

I don't want to find out we
I don't want to discover that

Drifted apart or lost our way
We have separated or lost our connection