If you’ve spent any time on the internet in the last few years, you’ve probably heard a guy with a man-bun singing about being "split in half" or having a "northern attitude." That’s Noah Kahan. Specifically, it’s the phenomenon of his breakthrough hit that turned a hyper-local Vermont phrase into a global anthem for the lonely.
Stick season noah kahan lyrics have a way of getting under your skin. It isn't just a catchy folk-pop tune; it’s a specific kind of atmospheric dread that most people outside of New England didn't even have a name for until 2022.
What Actually Is Stick Season Anyway?
Let’s get the literal stuff out of the way. In Vermont, "stick season" is that miserable window between the last colorful leaf falling off the tree and the first real snowfall. Basically, it’s late October through November. The world turns grey. The tourists (leaf-peepers) leave. Everything looks dead, but it’s not pretty-dead like winter—it’s just... sticks.
Noah Kahan uses this as a massive metaphor for being stuck.
He wrote this during the pandemic while hunkered down at his mom's house in Strafford, Vermont. He was supposed to be a rising pop star, but instead, he was back in his childhood bedroom watching his friends go off to college or start lives elsewhere.
That feeling of being left behind? That’s the core of the song.
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The Lyrics That Hit Different
"I'll dream each night of some version of you that I might not have, but I did not lose." Honestly, that line is brutal. It’s about the ghosts of people who are still alive but just aren't yours anymore.
You’ve got the narrator driving around a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. He sees his ex’s mom at the grocery store. She barely remembers him, but for him, she’s a walking trigger for every memory of the relationship. It’s that weird, claustrophobic reality of rural living where you can’t escape your past because it’s literally buying avocados right in front of you.
- The "Doc" Reference: "And I am terrified of weather / Cause I see you when it rains."
- The Geographic Trap: "And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks."
- The Relatability: Even if you’ve never seen a maple tree in your life, you know what it feels like to be in a "waiting room" phase of life.
Why 2026 Is Still The Year of Noah Kahan
It’s been a few years since the album dropped, but the staying power is kind of insane. By early 2024, "Stick Season" was hitting #1 on charts in the UK and Australia. Fast forward to now, in 2026, and the song has officially entered the "modern classic" territory. We’ve seen everyone from Olivia Rodrigo to Zach Bryan tip their hats to Kahan’s songwriting.
It’s not just a song anymore; it’s a genre. People call it "Granola Rock" or "Zoloft Folk."
Whatever label you use, the commercial success is backed by some serious numbers. We’re talking over 4 billion streams for the single alone. The album has been certified multi-platinum in the US, UK, and Canada.
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But why did it work?
Most pop music tries to be glossy. Kahan went the other way. He sang about therapy ("Growing Sideways"), his dad’s drinking ("Orange Juice"), and the resentment he felt for a town he also deeply loved ("Homesick"). He didn’t try to make Vermont look like a postcard. He made it look like a place where people get stuck and get sad.
Breaking Down the Viral Success
- The TikTok Tease: Kahan posted a snippet of the chorus months before the song was done. It created a massive, desperate demand.
- The "Northern Attitude" Effect: He leaned into a specific regional identity that, ironically, made it feel more universal.
- The Deluxe Cycles: By releasing Stick Season (We'll All Be Here Forever) and then Stick Season (Forever), he kept the conversation going with collaborations featuring Hozier, Kacey Musgraves, and Post Malone.
The Mental Health Layer
You can't talk about stick season noah kahan lyrics without talking about mental health. Kahan is incredibly open about his struggles with anxiety and depression. His project, The Busyhead Project, has raised over $5 million for mental health organizations as of 2025.
In the song, the "stick season" isn't just the weather; it's the period of time where you’re waiting for the "snow" (the healing or the new beginning) to cover up the "sticks" (the ugly, bare parts of your life).
"I'm split in half, but that'll have to do."
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That's a sentiment a lot of people carry. You aren't "fixed," and you aren't "broken"—you're just getting by. Kahan’s lyrics give people permission to be in that middle ground.
How To Listen To Stick Season Like An Expert
If you want to really get it, don't just put it on as background music.
Listen for the specific imagery. Notice how the production starts sparse—just a voice and a guitar—and builds into this frantic, percussive ending. It mimics the feeling of a panic attack or a sudden burst of suppressed energy.
Pro Tip: If you're looking for the deepest cut, check out "The View Between Villages." It’s the final track on the original album and serves as the emotional "cap" to the Stick Season story. It describes the literal physical transition of driving into his hometown and the rush of blood that comes with it.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
- Visit Strafford: If you're a die-hard fan, a trip to Vermont in November is the only way to truly see the "sticks." It's cheap because nobody else wants to be there.
- Support the Cause: Look into The Busyhead Project if the lyrics about therapy and mental health resonate with you.
- Explore the "Forever" Collaborations: If you've only heard the radio version, go back and listen to the version with Brandi Carlile or Gregory Alan Isakov. They change the texture of the songs completely.
The reason we are still talking about these lyrics in 2026 is simple: they are honest. In an era of AI-generated hooks and over-polished TikTok hits, a guy singing about his hometown's crappy weather and his own messy brain is exactly what we needed.
Next time you're feeling stuck between two phases of your life, just remember—even in Vermont, the snow eventually falls, and the sticks eventually bloom again. But for now, it’s okay to just be where you are.