Fay began w… Read Full Bio ↴Bill Fay is a singer-songwriter and pianist from London.
Fay began writing songs in the early 1960s while attending university and in 1966 cut a demo using a mobile studio belonging to a man named John Boden. Impressed by the demo, ex-Them drummer Terry Noon helped Bill to sign a recording contract with Decca. In 1967 the label released the single "Some Good Advice"/"Screams in the Ears", produced by early Donovan co-manager Peter Eden. The single "introduced [Fay's] characteristic downbeat melodies and scrambled impressionistic lyrics", according to allmusic reviewer Richie Unterberger. The self-titled Bill Fay was released in 1970 and was followed by Time Of The Last Persecution in 1971. Neither records sold well and Decca decided to end Bill’s contract shortly after the release of Time Of The Last Persecution.
Bill had returned to the studio in the late 70s, but these sessions weren't released until January 2005 through Durtro/Jnana records as Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow under the moniker of the Bill Fay Group. In 2004 Wooden Hill records released From the Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock, a collection of demos recorded between 1966 and 1970, plus one song recorded in 2000.
Bill has since contributed "It's the Small Things Now" to the Not Alone charity compilation and "Pear Tree Tomorrow" to Bill Fay Group guitarist Gary Smith's Supertexture project.
American band Wilco have played Fay's song "Be Not So Fearful" in live performances and the band's singer Jeff Tweedy can be heard singing it in the documentary "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco". Fay joined the band onstage for the rendition of the song at a show at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London in 2007. A cover version of Fay's "Pictures of Adolf Again" by producer and musician Jim O'Rourke and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche can be heard in the movie from Koji Wakamatsu "United Red Army". The track "Time of the Last Persecution" became a live standard of British Apocalyptic Folk group Current 93.
A double album entitled Still Some Light was released on the Coptic Cat label in 2010. The first CD, ‘PIANO, GUITAR, BASS & DRUMS 1970–71’, consists of studio recordings sourced from archival 7 ½" tapes and cassette from 1970 and 1971, with Ray Russell on guitar, Alan Rushton on drums and Daryl Runswick on bass. The 1970 tracks are prior to the recording of Time Of The Last Persecution, and contain alternative versions of songs on that album, two tracks from Bill's first album Bill Fay as well as previously unreleased songs. There are also previously unreleased songs from 1971. The second CD, Still Some Light, is a home-recorded studio album from 2009.
NPR’s show 'All Songs Considered' premiered Bill Fay’s new single, The Neverending Happening on June 26, 2012.
Bill Fay's new album Life Is People was released on August 21, 2012 on Dead Oceans. It featured guitarist Matt Deighton (Oasis, Paul Weller, Mother Earth), drummer Tim Weller (Will Young, Noel Gallagher, Goldfrapp), and keyboardist Mikey Rowe (High Flying Birds, Stevie Nicks, etc). In addition, Bill is reunited on several tracks with Ray Russell and drummer Alan Rushton, who played on Time Of The Last Persecution.
This World
Bill Fay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no way I can wriggle out
Sometime such a crazy lady
Makes wanna scream and shout
[Chorus]
This world is holding all the keys
Gotta break it before it breaks me
Something set us free from this world, this world, this world!
This world is got me on my knees,
There was a time when I used to stand tall
Too many years in factories, scrubbing floors and walls
Dealers on the corner of every street
Driving so many easy way out
I ain't buying none of it
What it's all about
For this world, this world, this world, this world
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Bill Fay's song This World express a feeling of being trapped in a world that is suffocating and overwhelming. The singer expresses his frustration with the state of the world, with the variety of social ills and injustices that are present. The line "This world has got me in its grip" suggests a feeling of entrapment, where the singer feels powerless to escape the difficulties of the world.
The chorus highlights the singer's desire to break free from the world's grip on him. He sings about the need to "break it before it breaks me," indicating that the world has the potential to harm him if he doesn't act quickly to change its course. The line "Something set us free from this world, this world, this world!" sounds like a desperate plea for help. The use of repetition emphasizes his urgency, as well as his sense of hopelessness.
In the next verse, the singer describes how the world has brought him to his knees, contrasting with the time he "used to stand tall." He suggests that the nature of work, with years spent in factories and scrubbing floors, has worn him down physically and mentally. The image of dealers on every corner implies a sense of danger and degradation, making it clear the singer's disdain for the world and its influence.
Overall, the song expresses a sense of frustration with the world, its challenges and injustices, and a desire to break free from its grip. While it may seem bleak, the repetition of the chorus implies that there is still hope for change.
Line by Line Meaning
This world is got me in its grip
I feel completely controlled by this world.
Ain't no way I can wriggle out
I can't escape or get free from it.
Sometime such a crazy lady
The world can be unpredictable and chaotic.
Makes wanna scream and shout
It frustrates me to the point where I feel like I need to express my anger.
[Chorus]
The chorus expresses the desire for escape and freedom from the world's grip.
This world is holding all the keys
The world has control over my life and future.
Gotta break it before it breaks me
I need to escape the world's control before it destroys me.
Something gotta happen soon
I need a change or something to happen in order to escape this world.
Something set us free from this world, this world, this world!
I need to be set free from the grip of the world.
This world is got me on my knees
The world has caused me to feel defeated and powerless.
There was a time when I used to stand tall
There was a time when I felt strong and in control.
Too many years in factories, scrubbing floors and walls
Years of hard work with little reward or progress.
Dealers on the corner of every street
Drug dealers are everywhere and provide a tempting escape from the world.
Driving so many easy way out
Drugs provide an easy way out of the world's grip, but not a true escape.
I ain't buying none of it
I'm not interested in taking the easy way out through drugs or other means.
What it's all about
What is the true purpose or meaning of this world?
For this world, this world, this world, this world
The world has a hold on me in many different ways.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Bill Fay
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Olav Balandin
Discovered Bill Fay's music last week after a review in Dagbladet. Just one thing to say... LOVE IT! A mix of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen with great lyrics and a voice of gold. Please go on tour, would love to experience this music live.
Felcol Graxaim
simply amazing !
James Graham
Today my girl friend texted me ''I'm trying to not be fearful.'' And it reminded me of Jeff Tweedy singing a song at the end of the documentary 'I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.'' I opened the google machine and ever since that text five hours ago I've been blessed and wondering where this amazing soul has been all my life. Thank you Bill Fay from the bottom of my heart.
Victor Holenka
Jeff tweedy is singing here ??? Recognized his voice i think
Thoriq Yahya
love this!
Bonnie Bardowski
fantastic
kelter1027
Walking Dead brought me here....love this song!!!
jimmy Chan
good!
eamonosiadhial
sounds a bit like Dylan - nice work man
Himototimoto
Interesting musician...is David Yow appearing in this video???