For Noah Kahan‘s follow-up to Stick Season, he went back home to Vermont. Not only did this serve as inspiration for his next release, but he also escaped fame for a little while. With this return home, Kahan penned multiple songs for his new album, The Great Divide. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2026. The Great Divide resolves with the track “Dan” at the end of the album. It’s a dedication to Kahan’s hometown best friend. The track is meant to bridge the gap in the divide between his life with fame and his hometown life. Kahan’s friend Dan is what bridges that gap and keeps Kahan grounded.
In an interview on the Zach Sang Show, Kahan details the meaning of the song. “Dan is my buddy from back home. He is a really close childhood friend of mine who I have known my whole life. This song is kind of two stories. One time we went camping and had all these deep conversations about our childhood and our friendships.”
Kahan goes on to explain, “Another time, we were around a bonfire and drank a full 30 pack of Bud Heavies, which are just the grossest, heaviest beers ever. We were like 18 or 19, and we went into the woods and got lost in my own backyard. My family property is about 130 acres, and we were literally lost there. We had to sleep in the woods, and when we woke up in the morning, we had to trudge back. We were basically seconds from my house, but we were drunk and could not see anything.”
Kahan Explains the Difference Between “The Great Divide” and “Dan”
The album’s title track, “The Great Divide,” is about friends losing their communication with each other. There are things to be said between the two, and Kahan hopes for the best for his friend during the silence. In the Zach Sang interview, Kahan explained how “Dan” sets everything straight with them. “So the song is about that, and kind of the opposite of ‘The Great Divide’. There is a lot of silence in the song and a lot of tension, like we cannot reach each other. But the song ‘Dan,’ to me, is a reflection of our relationship, where we have always said everything we wanted to say and have been able to really connect and have those hard conversations, even when it comes to politics”
Kahan went on to say, “We talk about the differences in our lives. I do not want to speak too much about his personal life, but we come from very different places and lifestyles, and we have still maintained this incredible friendship for 20 years. I think that is the beauty of friendship. It bridges that gap.”
The track details these stories and memories with his best friend, Dan. It takes you back home with Kahan, camping and talking with his buddy. It’s a sentimental piece that can serve as a reminder to stay in touch with those friends from back home. Kahan’s life has been propelled into stardom, but he still has this major hometown connection. He closes his album dedicated to home with the lines, “Everybody’s asleep, let’s talk about it / Let’s talk about high school and talk about death / Before the moment tries to disappear, don’t the sky look pretty up here?“
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