To me, Noah Kahan is much more than an artist. He is a poet, a voice for anyone who has lost, loved and lived, and just a genuine, good guy. Noah Kahan was first introduced to me during a time when I was questioning everything in my life. His album “Stick Season” had been out for a few years, but it had provided reassurance when I most needed it. At the time, one of my closest friends was battling cancer, so Kahan’s lyrics were not simply words on a page; they were reassurance that everything would be okay. His songs meant as much to my friend as they meant to me, as for the first time in a long time, I was able to feel seen and understood in a way I had never been before. When “The Great Divide” was released nearly a week ago, I had sat in bed and counted down until the clock hit midnight. The first notes of the End of August brought tears to my eyes, and I felt a calmness and peace I had been searching for. By now, I have listened to the album dozens of times, and it is not because I am a fangirl; it’s because his music is authentic and speaks to me in a way that I haven’t been able to express before. With that being said, here is a list of each song from the album (including the deluxe) and how it healed me this time around:
End of August
“Oh, everythin’ you see out here will die.
Oh, it’s a matter of time.”
To me, this song was the beginning of the feeling of closure. The piano and the sound of the earth give me a sense of calm I have been needing, and the combination of lyrics about growth, memories and change means more to me than anyone could understand.
Doors
“Have you ever shared some closeness
So exposed, to have it spit back by someone?”
This next track is for those who have trust issues that never wanted to open up until someone insisted they did, only for them to talk away the second they saw everything. This song has been extremely relatable to me as I am in a relationship with someone I genuinely care so much about, and not self-sabotaging or trying to find something wrong is harder than I had thought.
American Cars
“Make the house a home.”
The lyrics in this song paint a story about the weight of leaving people behind in a way in which coming back means repairing something heavy. It shows that no matter how far a person goes, there will always be a weight on their shoulders and memories in the back of their mind.
Downfall
“You said I think that we had everything and ’til now, just didn’t know it.”
This song is for those who hope that someone you loved (or thought you loved) is doing well, while also hoping they are suffering because of how much they hurt you. It grapples with the idea that you can care so much for a person and want them to succeed while also wanting them to receive the same treatment they gave you.
Lighthouse
“I still hear your name from some of the local guys
Said they always placed you for the leaving type.”
The wreckage of you is a large part of this song, as it is about a person who wants what is best for someone despite the overarching narrative that they are a bad person. They saw the light and want other people to see it as well.
Paid Time Off
“Someone told us there’s a world out there, but we don’t care enough to drive that far.”
For the people who got away and for the people who stayed, these lyrics are about someone who craves stability so badly but continues to run away.
Staying Still
“Never mind, never mind, oh, forget about it
I’ll be good, I’ll be fine, I can laugh about it.”
This song has been interpreted in many ways. From the kids who were raised in families where fights were never talked about and you had to move on and pretend everything was fine, for those who only forgave to keep someone in their lives when they didn’t deserve it, or for those who grew up learning how to carry everything quietly, this song is about finding the strength to step back, create distance and break the cycle.
The Great Divide
“We ain’t friends,
We’re just morons who broke skin in the same spot.”
This is one of the songs that dives deeper into issues of mental health, as it talks about the guilt of being misunderstood. It’s talking about how a person deserves to be happy after all of the trauma they have been through.
Haircut
“You told me, ‘If a lie turned true, a lie it would still be’”
Paying tribute back to his home in Strafford, Noah Kahan talks about how he thinks people from his hometown perceive him after his fame. The song is about knowing you are more than what other people say, about asking for help and that moving on isn’t a bad thing.
Willing and Able
“And I’ll say, ‘I love you,’ and mean it this time
Say, ‘I’m sorry,’ for everything else.”
Written about how you can share the same parents but have a different relationship because of the trauma and pain you went through, these lyrics show how, despite growing up, you are united by the pain of never fully understanding each other, but will remain a support system.
Dashboard
“Look at you go, crossin’ state lines with your shadow
Tryna run away
Change your zipcode.”
For the long-distance children or the ones who got out, this song resonates with me as it is something I did when I left for college. It pays tribute to the pain and nerve it took to leave a situation you did not want to be a part of.
23
“I can still see the people around me change shape
Speak their minds and pretend they were misunderstood.”
Made for those who wanted their dad to be just a dad, when in reality, you cannot change him or his ways. This can be meant to anyone else in a family, but it’s about changing your perspective to remember the good things and not the bad ones about a person.
Porch Light
“And I’ll pray for you, be in pain for you.”
Grieving a person who no longer exists, but not because they passed, but because they changed, can be something that is hard to grasp. In this song, Noah Kahan describes this feeling of missing someone who is not a part of your life anymore, but still wishes they would come back.
Deny Deny Deny
“You said you got a guilty conscience, but I ain’t ever seen it
And I’m well-prepared to never meet him.”
Those who have dealt with the constant denial, guilt trips, and anger can find this song relatable, as it shows the weight of not accepting or taking accountability for something. It seems as if those who have listened to the song relate it to narcissistic parents or parents who did not give enough love to their own families, but in my eyes, I think it can relate to anyone and everyone.
Headed North
“And it’s gone to shit without you
It was shit before, but at least I had you.”
Relatable to people who are actively trying to become better, but the struggle is changing because the person you want to be by your side throughout the process is gone.
We Go Way Back
“I can’t make myself whole, most days I’d be lucky just to get half.”
An anthem to those who have finally fallen in love with themselves and who they have become, these lyrics are a tribute to how they used to be at war with themselves but finally found the clarity to move on. It can also be for those who have finally found their person or are missing something they once knew from a long time ago.
Spoiled
“‘Cause where I’m from and what I’m worth have gotten too damn intertwined.”
Written for his future children, Noah Kahan talks about how making mistakes isn’t a bad thing; in fact, it helps you become a better person. He wants his children to look up to him, something he wasn’t able to do with his own dad, so he wants to set a good example.
All Them Horses
“I’ve crossed the county line, I cannot go back
I’m always on my own.”
If you have been on the outskirts of a friend group, moved away to get away or been the second option, these lyrics catch the essence of getting out to make a better life for themselves that is not filled with guilt from anyone.
A Few Of Your Own
“Tell me, love, if the devil ever comes
To make good on the debts that I owe.”
One of the happier songs on the album, this talks about the happiness of being alive and how important it is to take every opportunity you get. At the same time, the lyrics show how hard it is to love someone but have to let them go because it’s what’s best.
Orbiter
“I’m an astronaut, you’re the Moon
I stare at you, I sing to you.”
Taken in many different regards, this song is about how fame can make someone feel like an outsider and about love being an anchor while everything else sounds familiar.
Dan
“Before the moment tries to disappear
Don’t the sky look pretty up here?”
An ode to his best friend, Dan, this song is a eulogy to the friendship they shared and how grateful Noah Kahan is to have him in his life. The lyrics express the memories and friendship they ha,d which has been an anchor and a guiding light in the highs and lows of each other’s lives.