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 Treeโs Lounge. Haydenโs 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 worldโwide critical acclaim.
The following year, a live concert double CD was released, Live at Convocation Hall, a glimpse, for the listener, into what makes Haydenโs appearances such a favourite among his ever devoted fan base. His natural rapport with the crowd, along with an honest demeanour, has continued Haydenโs 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 itโs collection of warm and memorable recordings. 2004 also heralded Haydenโs 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 โ07, 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
The Van Song
Hayden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Onto your front door where we talked
You went up the stairs as I watched you walk
I watched you walk
And on the bus before that they looked at us
Some of them happy, some of them lost
Some of them liked us, some of them not
And the day before that was the one we met
You were sisters, I was with friends
I was so lonely, you were so mad
Yah, you were so mad
You were so mad
And we did it for the lovers who were blind
And we did it for the others left behind
With each other, we recovered in the night
And a week before that I drove all day
To the Capital City
Looking for a van for me
A van for me
For you and me
The Van Song, written by Canadian musician Hayden, tells a story of a relationship that has been through ups and downs but has ultimately found solace in each other's company. The song takes the listener on a journey through different moments in time, highlighting different experiences that have led the couple to where they are now.
The first verse of the song takes place on the way home, where the rain has washed the couple up to the front door where they have a conversation before parting ways. The second verse talks about a bus ride they took before, where they were the subject of scrutiny from their fellow passengers. Despite this, the couple stayed strong and continued on their journey together. The chorus reflects on the love they share and how it has helped them through tough times. The bridge recounts a time when Hayden was on a solo mission to find a van, the symbol of freedom and escape that he and his partner dreamed of sharing together.
Hayden's poignant lyrics reflect the theme of nostalgia and memory, as he sings about past moments that have played a part in shaping the couple's journey. The song also shows the importance of love and companionship, and how it can help overcome life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
On the way home the rain just washed us up
We were caught in the rain while heading home.
Onto your front door where we talked
We ended up at your house and had a conversation.
You went up the stairs as I watched you walk
I observed you walking up the stairs.
And on the bus before that they looked at us
People on the previous bus ride were watching us.
Some of them happy, some of them lost
Some of the people seemed happy while some of them seemed lost.
Some of them liked us, some of them not
There were people on the bus who liked us and some who didn't.
And the day before that was the one we met
The day before the bus ride was the day we met.
You were sisters, I was with friends
You and your sister were together while I was hanging out with my friends.
I was so lonely, you were so mad
I was feeling lonely, and you appeared angry.
And we did it for the lovers who were blind
We did it for people who were in love but unaware of it.
And we did it for the others left behind
We did it for people who were left behind in life.
With each other, we recovered in the night
We found solace in each other's company during the night.
And a week before that I drove all day
A week before we met, I spent the whole day driving.
To the Capital City
I traveled to the capital city during that day.
Looking for a van for me
My purpose for going to the city was to find a suitable van for myself.
A van for me
I needed the van for my personal use.
For you and me
But also for the two of us to use together.
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.