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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Skates
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Department store center, I saw a man enter
He was middle-aged, deep lines on his face
Tight mouth and eyes glazed
Eyelids just half-raised
And I looked at him, he looked at me
He looked so sad, I had to see
What had he been through before me seeing him
In the store I worked for that year, that year
Ice skates he asked for, in the middle of summer
He wanted a good pair, the price he did not care
I looked for his size, our best pair he tried
Custom back and sides, excitement in his eyes
I asked are you a pro, he looked sad and said no
These skates are my last hope
Without them I cannot cope
And he said my wife, she drowned this summer
Behind our house, the river took her
I cannot swim, I need to find her
I will wait till it freezes over
And then I will skate, as far as it takes
I will skate as far as it takes, to bring her back home
To bring her back home, to bring her back home
Back home
The song "Skates" by Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden tells a heartwarming story about a man who buys a pair of ice skates in the middle of summer. As the singer, who works in a department store, helps him look for a pair, he starts noticing something deeply sad in the man's eyes. His curiosity sparked, he asks the man why he needs the skates, and it is then that the man reveals his tragic loss. His wife drowned in the river behind their house and he is unable to swim to find her. But as soon as the river freezes over, he hopes to skate as far as he can to bring her back home.
Hayden's lyrics here are poignant and emotive, with the narrative unfolding in a way that is both delicate and deeply moving. The singer's simple questions and the man's answers convey so much within the short space of the song. The man's sadness, determination, and love for his wife are all palpable, and Hayden captures it all with lyrical finesse.
The song is not just about a man's tragic loss and his attempt to bring his wife's body back home. It can also be interpreted as a story about the power of the human spirit and the lengths people will go to keep love alive. It is a song about resilience, hope, and determination in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was younger, a part-time job worker
During my youth, I had a job at which I worked only part-time
Department store center, I saw a man enter
At a department store I worked at, I observed a man come in
He was middle-aged, deep lines on his face
This man was of middle-age and had wrinkles on his face
Tight mouth and eyes glazed
He had a hard expression on his face and his eyes were unfocused
Eyelids just half-raised
His eyelids were only slightly open
And I looked at him, he looked at me
I made eye contact with him and he did the same
He looked so sad, I had to see
His expression conveyed such sorrow that I felt compelled to know more
What did he want, what could it be
I was curious about what he was seeking
What had he been through before me seeing him
I wondered what experiences led him to come into the store at that moment
In the store I worked for that year, that year
This event took place at the store where I was currently employed that year
Ice skates he asked for, in the middle of summer
The man requested ice skates during the summertime
He wanted a good pair, the price he did not care
He desired high-quality skates and was willing to pay any price
I looked for his size, our best pair he tried
I searched for skates that would fit him well and he tried on the best pair we had
Custom back and sides, excitement in his eyes
He was thrilled to find a pair of skates with unique features
I asked are you a pro, he looked sad and said no
I inquired if he was a professional skater, but he responded with sadness that he was not
These skates are my last hope
He revealed that these skates represented his final chance
Without them I cannot cope
He stated that he would be unable to handle his circumstances without the skates
And he said my wife, she drowned this summer
He explained that his wife had drowned earlier that summer
Behind our house, the river took her
The river behind their house was where his wife had met her untimely fate
I cannot swim, I need to find her
He admitted to not being able to swim and expressed a strong desire to locate his wife's body
I will wait till it freezes over
He planned to postpone his search until the river was frozen over
And then I will skate, as far as it takes
Once the river was frozen, he would use the skates to travel a great distance
I will skate as far as it takes, to bring her back home
His goal was to find his wife's body and bring her back to their house
To bring her back home, to bring her back home
He repeated his desire to return his wife to their home
Back home
The idea of bringing his wife's body back to their home was prominent in his mind
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Hayden Desser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind