A Look Inside Noah Kahan's "Stick Season" Song
On June 6, 2022, Noah Kahan posted a TikTok with the caption, “Writing the best song ever then realizing it might not get the right exposure cuz I don’t know how to use this clock app.” Little did he know, the Vermont native would take over the entire app.
Noah Kahan first posted a teaser of his song “Stick Season” on TikTok out of curiosity about the platform. Out of what he explains as “insecurity,” he almost deleted the video off of TikTok, until about twenty minutes later when it blew users out of the water. The folk-pop singer-songwriter was absolutely shocked at how quickly a snippet of a song could go viral. From there, he released the song “Stick Season” in July of 2022 due to popular demand. After its release, “Stick Season” was ranked #14 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. A few months later, another thirteen songs were released alongside “Stick Season” for his biggest album yet.
Thousands of TikTok users made videos to the teaser of his song—many of which resonated with the lyrics based on individual experiences. But what does “Stick Season” actually mean? Noah Kahan wrote this song describing a specific time of year in Vermont when all of the leaves are off the trees. It’s gray, cold, and that awkward time before the snow falls. This song has much more meaning as the lyrics go on, so let’s break some of them down.
“As you promised me that I was more than all the miles combined
You must have had yourself a change of heart
Like halfway through the drive
'Cause your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign.”
Kahan expresses here that driving in New England is very spaced out from place to place. He stated in an interview with “Genius,” “One turn can take you to a different life,” emphasizing how someone you love can grow further and further away from you.
“So I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad
That I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from Dad
No, I am no longer funny 'cause I miss the way you laugh
Once called me forever now you still can't call me back.”
This verse hits home for both Kahan and his fans, as his family has a genetic predisposition to depression. Kahan explains how he’s taken this drive for achievement and success in hopes that the sadness will go away. However, he knows that regardless of how many accolades you receive, that sadness is still there and needs to be dealt with.
“Oh, that'll have to do
My other half was you
I hope this pain's just passing through
But I doubt it.”
These lyrics are the bridge of the song, when Noah dives into how this pain is part of the heartbreak stage. It feels as though it is never going to end. However, it will, and it circles back to the “Stick Season” of Vermont turning into a snow-filled winter.
With over 777.1K followers on TikTok, Kahan truly has his previous fans and hundreds of thousands of new ones in a chokehold.
Our top songs from his album:
All My Love
She Calls Me Back
Northern Attitude
New Perspective
The View Between Villages