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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Let's Break Up
Hayden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I suppose there's nothing more between us
When all we do is fill the room with sadness
Let's get it out to find the words to make up
Let's Break up

If you're going to leave me
Don't be teasing
You need to take a stand

If you're going to mess up
Then give me a heads up
I need to make some plans

When I came home, the road washed me to your shore
But the key was not where we once left it before
So i walked around, till some clown came out of your door
This is war

If you're going to leave me
Don't be teasing
You need to take a stand
If you're going to mess up
Then give me a heads up
I need to make some plans

If you're going to leave me
Don't be teasing
You need to take a stand
If you're going to mess up
Give me a heads up
I need to make some plans

I was a half glass
And you were a sad-sack
Together we're no good
I'd like to go back

Back to our last laugh
I'd like to think we could

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hayden's song "Let's Break Up" speak of a relationship that has run its course, and the two people involved are struggling to find a way to end it without causing too much pain. The opening lines suggest that there is nothing left between them and that being together only brings sadness into the room. The singer suggests that they should try to get past this and find the words to make up, but ultimately decides that breaking up is the right choice.

The second stanza adds a layer of complexity to the situation, as the singer comes home to find that their partner is not there and the key is missing. They begin to feel angry and resentful, as though this other person is intentionally dragging things out and not making a clear decision. The lines "This is war" suggest that the singer is feeling defensive and ready to fight back against whatever their partner is planning to do.

The repeated lines of the chorus add emphasis to the importance of communication and taking responsibility in a breakup. The singer wants their partner to be honest and clear about their intentions, instead of stringing them along or making things harder than they need to be. The final lines of the song reflect a longing for things to go back to the way they were, when they were happy together and could share a laugh. But ultimately, they recognize that this isn't possible and that it's time to move on.

Line by Line Meaning

I suppose there's nothing more between us
There seems to be no affection left between us

When all we do is fill the room with sadness
Our relationship is gloomy and depressing

Let's get it out to find the words to make up
Let's communicate honestly to fix our relationship

Let's Break up
We should consider ending our relationship

If you're going to leave me
If you're going to end things between us

Don't be teasing
Don't play games with me or lead me on

You need to take a stand
You must make a clear decision

If you're going to mess up
If you're planning on causing problems

Then give me a heads up
Warn me ahead of time

I need to make some plans
I need to prepare myself for whatever happens

When I came home, the road washed me to your shore
I returned home and found myself at your doorstep