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
www.myspace.com/hayden
Weight of the World
Hayden Lyrics
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But not for the clouds that follow you 'round
'Cause you believe the weight of the world
Is on the shoulders of a girl
It's just one of those days
Don't let me get into your way
'Cause you believe the weight of the world
Yah, you believe the weight of the world
Is on the shoulders of a girl
And you must do what you can to believe
That I have nothing up my sleeve
The lyrics to Hayden's song "Weight of the World" address a person who seems to be struggling with the weight of their own problems. The individual in question is not easy to find, appearing to be hidden away by their own thoughts and emotions. The clouds that follow this person around likely represent their negative mindset, which seems to weigh them down like an anchor tied to their feet.
The lyrics suggest that this person believes that the weight of the world is on their shoulders, specifically, on the shoulders of a girl. This can be interpreted as the person feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of life, feeling as though they have too many pressures weighing them down. The chorus seems to offer some solace to this person, with Hayden singing that it's just one of those days and that this person need not worry about getting in his way. The person can find hope by believing that nobody is hiding anything from them and by focusing on the present moment.
Overall, "Weight of the World" is a song about struggling with negative thoughts and feeling overwhelmed by various stressors. The lyrics suggest that the weight of the world doesn't have to be on one's shoulders alone and that it's important to trust others and focus on the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately you've been nowhere to be found
I haven't seen you around as of late
But not for the clouds that follow you 'round
It's obvious that something is wrong and you're carrying some kind of burden with you
'Cause you believe the weight of the world
Is on the shoulders of a girl
You feel like the entire world's problems are your responsibility to solve, even as a girl
It's just one of those days
You're having a bad day, and I understand that
Don't let me get into your way
I don't want to make things worse for you
'Cause you believe the weight of the world
Is on the shoulders of a girl
You continue to believe that everything is on you to handle, even as a girl
Yah, you believe the weight of the world
Is on the shoulders of a girl
Just to emphasize, you really do believe that everything is your responsibility
And you must do what you can to believe
That I have nothing up my sleeve
I want you to trust me when I say that I don't have any ulterior motives or hidden plans; I just want to help you
Contributed by Joshua D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.