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 Treeβs Lounge. Haydenβs 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 worldβwide critical acclaim.
The following year, a live concert double CD was released, Live at Convocation Hall, a glimpse, for the listener, into what makes Haydenβs appearances such a favourite among his ever devoted fan base. His natural rapport with the crowd, along with an honest demeanour, has continued Haydenβs 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 itβs collection of warm and memorable recordings. 2004 also heralded Haydenβs 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 β07, 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
My Parent's House
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We stayed in bed forever
The mail piled at the door
Time, we lost track of the hours
Pizza boxes tower
The floor beside the bed
It surely wasn't walking
Our friends thought we were dead
And I can't recreate those times we used to have
Without you they'll be bad
Let's meet next month at my parent's house they'll be
Away like they were then
Away like we were then
Time, you met someone new
Someone who likes you
Not like I liked you
Time, you ask him if he'll mind
Of course he'll surely mind
So just leave him for me
And will you meet me and we'll try to set things right
I want things to be right
And I bet we'll stay in bed for days and never leave
I never want to leave
We never have to leave
The lyrics to Hayden's song, "My Parents' House" embody a series of nostalgic memories of time spent with a former partner at his parents' house. The opening lines set up a scene where they stayed in bed forever, the mail piled up at the door, and their bodies were sore from something that surely wasn't walking. It's clear from this that they'd experience total immersion in each other's company, and time became meaningless. It was all about being together, and the idea of returning to mundane everyday life was unbearable.
The second verse deals with the end of their relationship, with the singer's former partner meeting someone new. They still have feelings for one another in spite of this, and the singer is hopeful that they can "set things right," possibly by recreating the times they shared together in his parents' home. The final lines of the song consider that they could stay in bed for days and never leave as they did before, which reveals a longing to rekindle the intimacy they once shared.
Overall, the song speaks of the longing for a deep emotional connection and a sense of home within another person. It reminds us of the transience of relationships, how intense and unforgettable moments can only be experienced temporarily, but how those memories and the experiences from those times in our lives stay with us.
Line by Line Meaning
Time, time when you stayed over
A flashback to the time when the singer's lover stayed over at their place for an extended period.
We stayed in bed forever
They spent most of their time in bed together, enjoying each other's company.
The mail piled at the door
They were too caught up in each other to care about mundane things like checking the mail or doing chores.
Time, we lost track of the hours
They were so wrapped up in their love for each other that they didn't care about the passage of time.
Pizza boxes tower
They spent their time eating pizza and enjoying each other's company rather than worrying about cleaning up after themselves.
The floor beside the bed
Their living space was cluttered with the remnants of their time spent together.
Time, our bodies sore from something
They were physically exhausted from their time spent together.
It surely wasn't walking
Their exhaustion wasn't from activity, but from something much more intimate.
Our friends thought we were dead
Their friends hadn't heard from them in a while and assumed the worst.
And I can't recreate those times we used to have
The singer is nostalgic for the times when they were in love and can't replicate those feelings now.
Without you they'll be bad
The singer believes that without their lover, any attempt at a relationship will be unsuccessful.
Let's meet next month at my parent's house they'll be
Planning to recreate their past, the singer invites their lover to meet at their parent's house that will be empty.
Away like they were then
The house will be empty, just like it was during their past rendezvous.
Time, you met someone new
The singer's past lover has moved on and met someone else.
Someone who likes you
The new person loves the singer's former lover.
Not like I liked you
The singer believes that their love for their former partner was stronger than the new love interest's.
Time, you ask him if he'll mind
The former lover is hesitant to leave their new partner, but still has feelings for the singer.
Of course he'll surely mind
The new partner will naturally be upset and jealous of the singer's former lover meeting up with them.
So just leave him for me
The singer asks their former lover to leave their new partner and be with them instead.
And will you meet me and we'll try to set things right
The singer wants to mend their relationship and make things right between them.
I want things to be right
The singer believes that they belong together and wants to make amends.
And I bet we'll stay in bed for days and never leave
The singer is looking forward to rekindling their love and spending days in each other's company.
I never want to leave
The singer wants to hold onto their love forever and never let go.
We never have to leave
They can spend all the time they want together, with nowhere to go to disturb their time together.
Lyrics Β© SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind