Noah Kahan was born in Strafford, Vermont and he attended Hanover High School in Hanover, New Hampshire. Kahan began writing songs at age 8 and uploaded them to SoundCloud where his music began to gain exposure.
At age 17, Kahan began working with school friend music producers (Cwenga Matanzima). This attracted the attention of his current manager Drew Simmons of Foundations Artist Management. His music also caught the attention of songwriters such as Dan Wilson known for his work with Adele, Scott Harris, Carrie Underwood, among others. Kahan deferred his admission to Tulane University to pursue his developing music career. Kahan has said that two career goals he wished for were to be verified on Instagram and to have a Wikipedia page.
Kahan cites some of his inspirations as Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, Counting Crows, Hozier, and Mumford and Sons.
In 2016, Kahan signed to Republic Records and he began working with producer Joel Little, known for his work with Lorde and Khalid, with whom he recorded six songs. Kahan released his first single "Young Blood" in January 2017 and gained over 9 million streams.
In September 2017, Kahan released "Hurt Somebody", the lead single from his forthcoming debut EP of the same name. "Hurt Somebody" was re-recorded later in 2017 featuring Grammy nominated artist Julia Michaels. "Hurt Somebody" was released in January 2018.
On April 8, 2019, Kahan announced his debut full-length studio album entitled Busyhead, and included the duet version of "Hurt Somebody" as well as two other singles "False Confidence" and "Mess". It was released on June 14, 2019.
On April 30, 2020, Noah announced on his Instagram that he would drop an EP at midnight. He then dropped "Cape Elizabeth." The album was recorded over one week at Kahan's friend Phin Choukas' home studio in Vermont exactly one week after the singer left New York City in March to avoid COVID-19. "Cape Elizabeth" was then released on May 1, 2020.
On June 17, 2021 Kahan announced his second full-length album titled "I Was/I Am". Five days later he announced the "I Was/I Am" tour. On September 17, 2021, the album was released. Throughout the summer leading up to the release of the album Kahan released “Part of Me”, “Godlight”, and “Animal” as singles ahead of the album drop. “Part of Me” was the only one of the three singles to be dropped before the album announcement.
Kahan opened for Ben Folds and Anderson East in the United States in February 2017 and then went on to open for Milky Chance in March 2017. Later opening on an East Coast tour with The Strumbellas that began on October 12, 2017, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and concluded on November 14, 2017, in Buffalo, New York. He performed at Billboard's Industry Night on November 16, 2017, at the Ludlow House in New York City, showcasing his pop-folk song "Fine". In April and May 2018, Kahan supported George Ezra on his North American tour and then directly after embarked on his own tour, headlining shows across Europe throughout May 2018. Kahan then embarked on a world tour in October and November 2018, with Dean Lewis joining him in support for the North American leg. He later opened for Dean Lewis on his tour of Europe in February 2019, then joining James Bay on his North American tour for the following month. Kahan toured for 'The Busyhead Tour', in which he headlined shows across North America from September to November 2019.
In October 2021, Kahan headlined his 'I Am / I Was Tour', with support from Blake Rose and Genevieve Stokes.
On July 8, 2022, Kahan announced a U.S. tour for the fall and released the single "Stick Season", which he had first teased in October 2020. Over the following two years, the song became a fan favorite, further growing in popularity on social media app TikTok. Kahan followed it up with the release of "Northern Attitude" on September 16.
On October 14, 2022, Kahan released his album Stick Season. According to early reviews of the album from AP News, "There’s irony there because these feel like songs both longtime listeners and newer fans will want to belt back to Kahan — not because they’re produced for stadiums or arenas, but because they’re full of nostalgic melodies that will resonate far beyond New England." Kahan wrote this album during the pandemic which he spent back home in Vermont. Stick Season leans more into the folk genre than the rest of his older music which were more pop sounding. Kahan says that in his album, Stick Season, he wanted to pay homage to the folk singers that he grew up listening to. He adds that his greatest goal as a songwriter is to write music that other people can relate to and to be able to throw that lifeline to someone.
On March 17, 2023, Kahan was featured on Joy Oladokun's single "We're All Gonna Die", which was also released as part of her April 2023 album, Proof of Life.
On June 9, 2023, Kahan released a deluxe version of Stick Season titled, Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever), which includes seven previously unreleased tracks.
Sink
Noah Kahan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So she only says goodnight
When she goes, she stops to look behind
And I'll sink
Oh, she sleeps with one eye closed
So she can tell when she's alone
Oh no, yeah, summer comes and goes
Oh, she's the sunset in the West
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she promises to write
I know it's harder if she tries
So I have grown to tell myself a lie
And I'll sink
Time slows to let me talk alone
High hopes don't last me very long
Winding roads, they never seem to stop
And I'll sink
Oh, she's the sunset in the West
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she's the path in which I tread
Oh, she's the shiver up my neck
Oh, she's the blood rush to my head
Oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Noah Kahan's song "Sink" is a melancholic ballad about a love that has slipped away. The lyrics explore the pain of separation and the struggle to move on from a relationship that ended too soon. The first verse establishes the inability of the singer to come to terms with the fact that his love is leaving him. He is stuck in a cycle of saying goodnight instead of goodbye, hoping that maybe his love will stay, but ultimately, she always leaves. He knows that he will sink without her.
In the chorus, Kahan sings about the things he loves and misses about his partner. The sunset in the West, the feeling of safety when he sleeps next to her, and the hope that their relationship can be saved are all things that make him feel like he's sinking without her. He promises that for her, he would never sink again, but it's clear that the pain of her absence is too much to bear.
The second verse shows the singer trying to move on but failing to do so. He's holding onto false hope that she'll write to him, but he knows deep down that it's unlikely. Time is moving slowly, and he's struggling to keep his spirits up. He feels like he's on an endless journey with no end in sight.
Overall, "Sink" is a heartbreaking song about the pain of loss and the struggle to move on from a relationship that meant everything to the singer. Kahan's powerful yet vulnerable vocal delivery perfectly captures the raw emotions of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, she hates to say goodbye
She dislikes leaving and never really leaves, only says goodnight
So she only says goodnight
She prefers to say goodnight instead of goodbye
When she goes, she stops to look behind
When she leaves, she turns around to take one last look
And I'll sink
I will feel lost and helpless after she leaves
Oh, she sleeps with one eye closed
She sleeps with one eye open, aware when she is alone
So she can tell when she's alone
She can sense when she's by herself
Oh no, yeah, summer comes and goes
Time passes quickly
But I'll sink
I'll still be stuck and lost
Oh, she's the sunset in the West
She's beautiful like the sunset
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
She comforts me, lets me relax
And though the ship can be saved yet
Even though the situation can be fixed
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
I wouldn't let myself feel so helpless again for you
Oh, she promises to write
She says she'll keep in touch but it's hard for her
I know it's harder if she tries
It's difficult for her to make promises to write
So I have grown to tell myself a lie
He lies to himself to avoid disappointment
Time slows to let me talk alone
Time moves slowly when he is lonely
High hopes don't last me very long
He doesn't hold onto hope for very long
Winding roads, they never seem to stop
He feels like he's on an endless journey
Oh, she's the path in which I tread
She's the way he goes, what he follows
Oh, she's the shiver up my neck
She causes him to feel a strong emotion
Oh, she's the blood rush to my head
She gives him a feeling of excitement
Oh, for you, I would never sink again
He wouldn't let himself feel helpless again for her
And oh, I would never sink again
He wouldn't let himself feel lost again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
He wouldn't let himself feel helpless again for her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Noah Kahan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yourfavoritepessimisticexi8041
Oh, she hates to say goodbye
So she only says goodnight
When she goes, she stops to look behind
And I'll sink
Oh, she sleeps with one eye closed
So she can tell when she's alone
Oh no, yeah, summer comes and goes
But I'll sink
Oh, she's the sunset in the west
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she promises to write
I know it's harder if she tries
So I have grown to tell myself a lie
And I'll sink
Time slows to let me talk alone
High hopes don't last me very long
Winding roads, they never seem to stop
But I'll sink
Oh, she's the sunset in the west
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she's the path in which I tread
Oh, she's the shiver up my neck
Oh, she's the blood rush to my head
Oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
@olivia6485
I’ve just listened to all his songs whilst studying and omg I’ve come to the conclusion that he has NO bad songs!
@hadasa2275
100% legit.His music touches the heart and soul❤
@olivia6485
Sam Gustavo he’s underrated, but I love him being our lil secret
@jeanav
@Olivia • | Obviously we appreciate him being our lil secret, although I truly home he gets more recognition. Then we can look back on these days and know that we were here for it all ☺️❤️
@olivia6485
A J Yeah I know, I’m just so shocked as to how underrated he is, smh
@jof6619
SAME RIGHT HERE!
@yourfavoritepessimisticexi8041
Oh, she hates to say goodbye
So she only says goodnight
When she goes, she stops to look behind
And I'll sink
Oh, she sleeps with one eye closed
So she can tell when she's alone
Oh no, yeah, summer comes and goes
But I'll sink
Oh, she's the sunset in the west
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she promises to write
I know it's harder if she tries
So I have grown to tell myself a lie
And I'll sink
Time slows to let me talk alone
High hopes don't last me very long
Winding roads, they never seem to stop
But I'll sink
Oh, she's the sunset in the west
Oh, she's sleep when I need rest
And though the ship can be saved yet
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
Oh, she's the path in which I tread
Oh, she's the shiver up my neck
Oh, she's the blood rush to my head
Oh, for you, I would never sink again
And oh, for you, I would never sink again
@q.l.1363
I love your name
@trrace
"She's the sunset in the west, "🌻 Noah's vocals make me fall in love ❤
@user-zh1kp8dr8r
2:42
"Noaaaahhhh never sink again"