Denver Haircut
The Hold Steady Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

He shaved his head at the airport
In a bar at the end of the concourse
He said you're kind of catching me at a transitional time
I'm a bright light burning into a dark horse

She said I'll strap on the saddle
And I'm sorry but this city's a cesspool
I've kissed and I've cackled with half of these jackals
Still couldn't get any jet fuel

Walked her out to the taxis
Took her out to some parties
Found a man with a handful huddled over some car keys
It doesn't have to be pure
It doesn't have to be perfect
Just sort of has to be worth it

A Residence Inn at the top of the exit
You pay the admission and here's what you get

The stench of death in the credits
The montage set to the time of your life
A shot in the dark in a bar that's too bright
A window sucking up all the available light, right?

And a clock on the bed stand with a cord to connect it
Liberty and Justice into Master of Puppets
Rolling off of the mattress
Waking up on the carpet
It shouldn't have to be perfect

He said he can't read the paper
It's not worth the trouble
Finds out about funerals from the blasts of the bugles
Wherever he goes he always orders the usual
He likes to see what they'll bring him

In five hours on the carpet
He visits six different planets
On a spaceship shaped like a Gibson Marauder
The pilot kinda looked like Kirk Hammett

While he was floating in space that chick took his wallet
Wasn't really a date
Wasn't sure what to call it
That same stupid feeling but he likes his new haircut

It doesn't have to be pure




It doesn't have to be perfect
Just sort of has to be worth it

Overall Meaning

The Hold Steady's song "Denver Haircut" tells a story of a man transitioning into a new phase of his life, as well as a woman he meets in Denver who is trying to escape the city's negative influences. The opening lines refer to the man's decision to shave his head at the airport bar, and his acknowledgment that he's going through a transitional period. The lyric "I'm a bright light burning into a dark horse" suggests that he is passionate and full of potential, but perhaps has not yet fully realized his path.


The woman he meets expresses frustration with the city and the people in it, remarking that it is made up of "half of these jackals." Despite her best efforts to leave, however, she is still unable to escape the negative aspects of Denver. The song transitions to the two of them spending time together, going to parties and connecting with new people. They find themselves in a seedy motel and, while the details of their night are not explicitly stated, it is clear that they are looking for something meaningful and willing to take a chance on each other.


The overall message of the song seems to be that even in difficult or uncertain times, it is important to value experiences that may not be perfect but are worth the effort. The repeated refrain of "it doesn't have to be pure, it doesn't have to be perfect, just sort of has to be worth it" emphasizes this idea. The song is a snapshot of two people trying to figure things out, looking for connection and meaning amidst the chaos of life.


Line by Line Meaning

He shaved his head at the airport
He changed his appearance by shaving his head right before boarding a flight at the airport.


In a bar at the end of the concourse
He presumably went to a bar located near the end of the terminal where his flight was departing from.


He said you're kind of catching me at a transitional time
He admitted that he was going through a time of change and flux which the other person happened to catch him in.


I'm a bright light burning into a dark horse
He sees himself as a beacon of brightness against the backdrop of obscurity or uncertainty, and that quality makes him stand out.


She said I'll strap on the saddle
She insists on taking the reins and being in control of their situation.


And I'm sorry but this city's a cesspool
She expresses regret that they are in a city that is unclean, corrupted and possibly dangerous.


I've kissed and I've cackled with half of these jackals
She has interacted with many of the people around them, but she doesn't respect them.


Still couldn't get any jet fuel
Despite her efforts to have a good time, she couldn't get high enough, both figuratively and maybe even literally.


Walked her out to the taxis
He escorted her to the cab stands outside the bar.


Took her out to some parties
They went to various gatherings or soirées in different parts of the city together.


Found a man with a handful huddled over some car keys
They came across a man who was clutching some car keys tightly, possibly trying to keep them from someone else getting them.


It doesn't have to be pure
He doesn't require something to be of perfect quality or without any blemish or flaw to appreciate it.


It doesn't have to be perfect
He doesn't expect or demand anything to be absolutely ideal, he is content with things being good enough.


Just sort of has to be worth it
He values experiences that are still meaningful or valuable, even if they're not perfect, as long as they're worth the effort or expense.


A Residence Inn at the top of the exit
They ended up staying at a hotel near the exit ramp of the highway.


You pay the admission and here's what you get
The price of the hotel room grants you access to certain amenities or features offered by the hotel chain.


The stench of death in the credits
There is something morbid or unsettling about how their night or experience is ending.


The montage set to the time of your life
The night they spent together is being put together like a film montage set to a catchy and upbeat tune like 'The Time of Your Life'.


A shot in the dark in a bar that's too bright
They took a chance or made an unexpected move while in a bar that was excessively illuminated, giving the whole situation a surreal or artificial feel.


A window sucking up all the available light, right?
There was a window in the hotel room that took in so much light that everything seemed to look brighter.


And a clock on the bed stand with a cord to connect it
Next to the bed is a clock that needs to be plugged into an outlet to work.


Liberty and Justice into Master of Puppets
The TV was playing commercials where emotionally charged imagery, like American heritage, is being used to sell a heavy metal album, like Metallica's 'Master of Puppets'.


Rolling off of the mattress
He got out of bed, perhaps just waking up or maybe he lost balance while on it.


Waking up on the carpet
He found himself sleeping on the floor instead of the mattress.


It shouldn't have to be perfect
He emphasizes the idea that the experience isn't something to fret about, nor is it supposed to be without flaws or issues.


He said he can't read the paper
He doesn't make an effort to read printed news or current events.


It's not worth the trouble
He believes that keeping track and staying informed on the happenings around the world is too much of a hassle or inconvenience.


Finds out about funerals from the blasts of the bugles
He only hears about people passing away through military funerals, where bugle players are tasked to perform 'Taps'.


Wherever he goes he always orders the usual
He tends to stick with what he knows or what he's comfortable with, and plays it safe by not trying anything new, great or different.


He likes to see what they'll bring him
He has a certain curiousity or delight in seeing or finding out what the servers or bartenders will bring him, perhaps because he doesn't care to make the decision himself.


In five hours on the carpet
In the span of five hours, he's just laying on the floor of the hotel room.


He visits six different planets
His mind wanders or travels to different places or experiences, like separate planets far away from each other.


On a spaceship shaped like a Gibson Marauder
His imaginative journey takes the form of a spaceship that resembles a specific guitar model called the 'Gibson Marauder'.


The pilot kinda looked like Kirk Hammett
The person in charge of piloting the spaceship also happened to bear a physical resemblance to the lead guitarist of Metallica, Kirk Hammett.


While he was floating in space that chick took his wallet
While his thoughts were transcending into space, the woman took his money and possibly other possessions without him noticing.


Wasn't really a date
It wasn't clear if the evening was just a casual encounter or a formal, romantic date.


Wasn't sure what to call it
The nature and definition of their time spent together is ambiguous, and it wasn't easy to give it a proper name.




Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Craig A Finn, Steve Selvidge

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Zap Rowsdower

Wow. Those lyrics just make me happy, so brilliant.

Through the Tubes Reviews

Yes! So excited for a new Hold Steady album with Franz back in the mix. Craig's solo stuff has been nice, but nothing beats having the gang back together!

Misd Mea Culpa

Damn!! Those lyrics are genius level man good job 💖

Matt McMahon

Great way to start the day - a new Hold Steady drop! Fantastic guys

JakEnglish

Fell in love with Craig through the song Jester and June, and to hear his voice here was an unexpected delight. Cheers!

Rob Porter

Oh boy, I’ve been waiting for this since they played it in London in March. What a tune!

Shoof_

Amazing sound! Great album lads, gonna listen more of you, it better be as good as this one!

Media Monarchy

I keep fallin' more in love with each song...

Ben Weekes

So good! Thanks for this!

Mary Valletta Keith

Best poetry I've heard since Bukowski.

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