'Stick Season' by Noah Kahan - Lyrics & Meaning

Serving as both the lead single and the title track for his third studio album, Noah Kahan’s 'Stick Season' has made waves on both social media and the charts since its release on July 8, 2022.

However, that was not the first time it found itself in the limelight.

Eventually topping the charts in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands – as well as securing a spot in the Top 10 in Canada, New Zealand and the US – 'Stick Season' saw moderate success before it ever hit streaming services, first garnering a great deal of attention via TikTok.

On October 28, 2020, Kahan shared a video of himself fiddling around with 'Stick Season' and its lyrics, seemingly working on the soon-to-be hit song. Much to his surprise, folk fans couldn't get enough, taking to the comment section to express just how much they loved the oh-so catchy tune.

“Please put this on Spotify, I'm begging,” one fan exclaimed.

“If this hit Spotify it would save 2020,” another argued.

“Um, hello, please release this so I can listen to it on repeat forever,” a third begged.

While Kahan was concerned as to whether or not a song written about his home state of Vermont would connect individuals all across the globe, the overwhelmingly positive response to his TikTok teasers ultimately led to the release of 'Stick Season' several months later.

Since then, the track has garnered the attention of artists across genres of music, with stars like Zach Bryan, Olivia Rodrigo, Maisie Peters and more going so far as to release covers of the chart-topping hit.

'Stick Season' is arguably the best example of Kahan’s rootsy sound.

It served as the overall basis and eventual title track for his third studio album, featuring a great deal of acoustic noodling underneath his enchanting vocals.

While the track is focused on the loneliness he feels in his hometown, 'Stick Season' is an upbeat, singalong song nonetheless.

It marks a turning point for the Grammy-nominated artist as he dives further into the folk and Americana genres, as opposed to the pop tunes that he was known for beforehand.

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
Because your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign
Kept on drivin' straight and left our future to the right
Now I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can't face
And memories are somethin' even smoking weed does not replace
And I am terrified of weather 'cause I see you when it rains
Doc told me to travel, but there's COVID on the planes

In the first few lines, the narrator is reflecting on a long distance relationship and the times that his significant other expressed how much he meant to her, only to end the relationship due to the struggles of being apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halfway through the first verse, Kahan uses a play on words when it comes to the direction he was driving – utilizing the words straight, left and right all in the same line – alluding to the fact that his partner has moved on and left him behind.

While the first four lines detail the demise of the relationship as a whole, the following four lines highlight the narrator’s response to the split, beginning by reflecting on his feelings of both anger and blame.

“The blame that I can't face” focuses on Kahan’s sense of guilt when it comes to the long distance relationship, as he was stuck in Vermont during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using marijuana to try and forget about all of the memories he had with her, the narrator is still reminded of his ex-lover in even the simplest things, such as rain, exemplified in line seven.

In the final line of verse one, the “doc” is seemingly a therapist, telling Kahan to leave Vermont and travel to be with his significant other, or lack thereof. Given the fact that 'Stick Season' was written in the peak of the pandemic, traveling was impossible, ultimately highlighting the feelings of loneliness and depression that the narrator is feeling throughout the song.

And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks
And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed
And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim
I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
That I might not have, but I did not lose
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do

The chorus focuses on Kahan’s hometown of Strafford, Vermont, as well as how it reminds him of this past relationship.

Beginning by admitting that he loves his home state regardless, the narrator talks about how it is currently "stick season,” a popular term in New England that describes the period of time between Halloween and the first snow.

During this period where the narrator is lonely and depressed, he is struggling with the breakup, despite how long ago it might have been. The line “I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed” implies that the pair split a while ago, though, it still feels raw to Kahan, using alcohol to cope with the heartbreak, in addition to the marijuana mentioned in verse one.

Moving onto the final four lines of the chorus, the narrator talks about how his ex-lover is at the forefront of his mind. However, it is a much more romanticized version of her.

Given that he views his past partner through rose-tinted glasses, this might not have been the individual that he was in a relationship with, but because of this, it wasn't the individual that he eventually lost as well, ultimately healing his wounded heart.

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
You once called me forever, now you still can't call me back

Verse two begins with Kahan explaining how achieving dozens and dozens of accolades is a way to mask his loneliness and depression, something that his father also happened to struggle with, hence the lyrics “the darkness I inherited from dad.”

The last two lines are a callback to his significant other, revealing that they are no longer on speaking terms. With nobody to laugh at his jokes or give him a call, the narrator is highlighting the loneliness he feels to close out verse 2, prior to repeating the chorus once again.

Oh, that'll have to do
My other half was you
I hope this pain's just passin' through
But I doubt it

In between the final two choruses, there's an interesting bridge where Kahan is questioning whether or not he will ever be healed from this heartbreak.

The line “I hope this pain's just passin' through” followed by the line “but I doubt it” exemplifies this perfectly, explaining that he feels as though his depression will never go away, at least as long as he remains in his hometown.

While the origin of 'Stick Season' can be found by scrolling to the bottom of Kahan’s TikTok profile, he also opened up about how it came to be in an interview with Grammy.com in October 2023.

“I wrote the song in 2020, and I posted the first verse and the chorus the next morning. It was kind of an awkward time, because I had another album [I Was / I Am] coming out right after that video was posted, and I had to promote that, and people were like, ‘What about that other song?’ I'd be at shows and people would be like, ‘Play 'Stick Season,'" the Vermont native gushed, explaining that the social media success and overwhelmingly positive response is what caused him to start playing the song onstage.

He continued, “I started to play it live, which is really what stoked the fire in terms of us realizing that it could be a big song. I played it in Syracuse, New York – and we hadn't posted any snippets besides what I would do on my Instagram Lives, or I'd perform it here and there on social media – and everyone in the room knew every single word to it. That was the song that got the biggest reaction all night, and it was a song that wasn't even out yet. That definitely opened my eyes to the desire for that song to be out in the world."

Talking to his team afterwards, saying: "I think this song is gonna be around for a long time," he finally realized that folk was his genre, as opposed to the pop music that he had been releasing previously.

“It took this one song – and playing it the way that I wanted to, and having people really respond. It opened my eyes to the audience that I didn't realize was there," he explained. "It also opened my eyes to that confidence in myself that really comes through in this kind of songwriting. It let me look at folk music and storytelling as a bigger focus in my life instead of something that I did for fun or in the privacy of my home,” he concluded passionately.

As we know now, 'Stick Season' set the scene for a full-length album that was to come, with two extended editions that featured collaborations with some of the biggest stars of 2024, including Post Malone, Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves, Hozier and beyond.

With a newfound love for folk music – and perhaps dipping his toes into the country scene after collaborating with Brandi Carlile – fans simply cannot wait for what Kahan’s next chapter will entail.

“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
Because your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign
Kept on drivin' straight and left our future to the right
Now I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can't face
And memories are somethin' even smoking weed does not replace
And I am terrified of weather 'cause I see you when it rains
Doc told me to travel, but there's COVID on the planes

And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks
And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed
And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim
I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
That I might not have, but I did not lose
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do

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
You once called me forever, now you still can't call me back

And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks
And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed
And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim
I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
That I might not have, but I did not lose
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do

Oh, that'll have to do
My other half was you
I hope this pain's just passin' through
But I doubt it

And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks
And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed
And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim
I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas
And I'll dream each night of some version of you
That I might not have, but I did not lose
Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes
And I'm split in half, but that'll have to do
Have to do”

––

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