Everything I Long For


Everything I Long For is the debut album by Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden. It was initially released in Canada on Hardwood Records. It was later re-released in 1996 on Sonic Unyon, and internationally on Outpost Recordings/Geffen Records. A 12" vinyl version was also released in 1996 on Hardwood/Genius Records.
The song "Assignment in Space with Rip Foster" is an alternative title to the children's novel Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet by Harold L. Goodwin. Assignment in Space with Rip Foster is also attributed in the liner notes of Hayden's debut album, In September, as the recording studio where he recorded part of that album.

Bad as They Seem

The song "Bad as They Seem" was released as a single, and the music video received some play on MuchMusic and MTV's 120 Minutes. The lyrics are from the point of view of a young twenty-something man in a hopeless situation: working a dead-end job, still living at his parents' home, infatuated with a 16-year-old "girl of dreams", and possibly infatuated with the girl's mother, as well. The man wishes for a life where he can go out and meet someone to be his "better half". The hopeless and depressing nature of the song is reiterated with each verse, which states that "things are as bad as they seem". The third verse of the song is absent from the album's reissues.
In the music video, the 16-year-old girl is wearing a T-shirt for Smoother, a rock band contemporary to Hayden at the time of this release, who were also on the Sonic Unyon label.
At the time of writing the song, Hayden was in his early twenties. While touring to promote his 2008 album In Field & Town, at the age of 36, Hayden modified the lyrics, changing "Girl of my dreams She is only sixteen" to "Girl of my dreams She is only twenty-three".

Track listing

All songs written by Paul Hayden Desser.
  1. "Bad as They Seem" – 3:31
  2. "In September" – 2:38
  3. "We Don't Mind" – 4:35
  4. "Tragedy" – 3:57
  5. "Stem" – 1:47
  6. "Skates" – 7:18
  7. "I'm to Blame" – 2:25
  8. "Assignment in Space with Rip Foster" – 2:37
  9. "Driveway" – 4:20
  10. "Hardly" – 4:13
  11. "You Were Loved" – 2:48
  12. "When This Is Over" – 4:00
  13. "My Parent's House" – 4:35
  14. "Lounging" – 4:27

    Original track listing

This is the track listing of the original 1995 Hardwood Records release, which is now out of print.
  1. "Bad as They Seem" – 4:34†
  2. "In September" – 2:38
  3. "We Don't Mind" – 4:35
  4. "Tragedy" – 3:57
  5. "Stem" – 1:47
  6. "Skates" – 7:18
  7. "I'm to Blame" – 2:25
  8. "Assignment in Space with Rip Foster" – 2:37
  9. "Driveway" – 4:20
  10. "Hardly" – 4:13
  11. "You Were Loved" – 2:48
  12. "When This Is Over" – 4:00
  13. "Bunkbed" – 4:14
  14. "I Almost Cried" – 3:33
  15. "My Parent's House" – 4:35
  16. "Lounging" – 4:27
  18. Kraft Dinner & Poledo's Club Sandwich

    Personnel