"Stick Season" is the breakout viral hit by American singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. Released in 2022, the song became a global phenomenon, especially on TikTok, leading to Noah’s rise as a leading voice in modern folk-pop. The song is deeply rooted in Noah's home state of Vermont and captures a very specific, raw emotion that resonates with millions of listeners worldwide.

🍂 The Deeper Meaning

The term "Stick Season" is a specific phrase used in Vermont to describe the depressing time of year between late autumn and early winter. It’s the period after the beautiful fall leaves have fallen, but before the ground is covered in white snow. Everything looks grey, bare, and dead.

In the song, Noah uses this season as a metaphor for post-breakup loneliness and being "stuck." While his former partner has moved away to a big city to start a new life, Noah feels trapped in his small hometown, surrounded by memories of what they used to have. It explores the pain of watching someone you love move on and grow while you feel frozen in time, much like the bare trees during stick season.

🔍 Lyrics Breakdown and Analysis
Here is an analysis of the deep storytelling within the lyrics:
(The Feeling of Being Half a Person)

"And I’ll dream each night of some version of you / That I might not have ever known"

Analysis: This shows the danger of nostalgia. He isn't missing the real person; he is missing a "version" he created in his head. It highlights how we often romanticize people after they leave us, forgetting the reality of the relationship.

(The Financial and Mental Struggle)

"I’ll use four hundred bones to buy fifty milligrams / I’m light-skinned, I’m still a little bit of a bitch"

Analysis: Noah is very honest about mental health. "Bones" is slang for dollars. He is talking about the high cost of therapy or medication ("fifty milligrams") and the struggle to get better. He mocks his own vulnerability, showing a very relatable human insecurity.

(The Geography of Heartbreak)

"I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks / And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed"

Analysis: This is the most painful part of a breakup in a small town. Even the people who were once like family (the ex's mother) eventually move on and forget you. The "season of the sticks" represents the cold, lonely reality he is left with.

📜 FULL ENGLISH LYRICS: STICK SEASON

(Chorus) And I'll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have ever known And I'll yield each night to the bird's prize That I'll never be alone And I'll use four hundred bones to buy fifty milligrams I'm light-skinned, I’m still a little bit of a bitch I'll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have ever known

(Verse 1) As you promised me that I was more than all the miles in between You said you're sick of the town, you're sick of the scenery And I’m sick of the smoke, I’m sick of the misery I’m sick of the way that you're looking at me Like I’m some kind of ghost, like I’m some kind of history

(Chorus) So I’ll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have ever known And I'll yield each night to the bird's prize That I'll never be alone And I'll use four hundred bones to buy fifty milligrams I'm light-skinned, I’m still a little bit of a bitch I'll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have ever known

(Verse 2) Doc told me to travel, but there's COVID on the planes So I’m stuck here in Vermont, and I’m losing my brain And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed And it’s half-past twelve and I’m a little bit twisted I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks

Conclusion

"Stick Season" is a masterpiece of modern folk music because it is incredibly specific yet universally relatable. It perfectly captures the "bittersweet" feeling of loving your home while hating the memories that haunt it. Noah Kahan reminds us that everyone feels "stuck" sometimes, and it's okay to admit it.