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
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In Field & Town
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cruel and weary are just some words I'd use for how
I see us around this uptight town
With emptiness just weighing us down
But when we think of leaving out of the rush and into the slow
The clouds let go of the sun and show
This city like she took off her clothes
And now you know how we feel
We're like spokes in a wheel of a bike in some field
Or we're riding along
Through the streets before dawn, with no sense of what's right, or wrong
Take it easy, it's what we need to do right now
Cool and breezy are not the words I'd use for how
I see us around this uptight town
With electronics just weighing us down
And now you know how we feel
We're like spokes in a wheel of a bike in some field
Or we're riding along
Through the streets before dawn, with no sense of what's right, or wrong
The song "In Field & Town" is a contemplative ballad by Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden. The song emphasizes the need to slow down and relax, to take it easy, and to escape the fast-paced city life that often leaves people feeling exhausted and emotionally drained. The lyrics paint a picture of an urban environment that is cruel and weary, where the use of electronics weighs heavily on people's souls, and emptiness is an ever-present force. The writer encourages us to think of leaving this uptight town and venturing into the countryside for a little peace and quiet.
The song talks about the beauty of nature, illustrated with vivid imagery of a city slowly revealing itself after the clouds clear, with the cool breeze of the countryside acting as a welcome respite to the oppressive heat of the busy city streets. The song's chorus repeats the metaphor of being like spokes in a wheel, which symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and the need for balance. The song concludes that riding through the streets before dawn is an enticing experience full of endless possibilities, where people can forget about what is right or wrong and just enjoy the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Take it easy, it's what we need to do right now
We should relax in this moment
Cruel and weary are just some words I'd use for how
The situation is oppressive and exhausting
I see us around this uptight town
The place we're in is tense
With emptiness just weighing us down
We're burdened by a sense of meaninglessness
But when we think of leaving out of the rush and into the slow
If we slow down and contemplate leaving, we may find peace
The clouds let go of the sun and show
Nature reveals beauty when we pause to notice it
This city like she took off her clothes
The city is stripped bare and exposed
And now you know how we feel
We're sharing our emotions with you
We're like spokes in a wheel of a bike in some field
We're all connected, like parts of a bicycle wheel
Or we're riding along
We're going on a journey
Through the streets before dawn, with no sense of what's right, or wrong
We're exploring without expectations or judgments
Cool and breezy are not the words I'd use for how
The environment is not relaxed and refreshing
With electronics just weighing us down
We feel weighed down by technology
Contributed by Austin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.