A year ago, Pharrell's auspicious blessing was only a dream for D.A. Wallach and Maxwell Drummey, both 21-year old Harvard seniors at the time. But when their demo found its way to Kanye West last December, Chester French quickly became one of the most hotly pursued new artists of the decade, attracting offers from Kanye, Jermaine Dupri, Pharrell and Jimmy Iovine. That same demo has become the basis for what will surely be the most talked about debut record of 2008.
Tentatively titled Love the Future, the album was written, arranged, produced and engineered entirely by D.A. and Max in their dorm's basement. Full of intricately imagined pop songs that fuse lush string arrangements with modern beats, it is the product of lifetimes of music making and listening.
D.A. was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has been a performer for as long as he can remember. His interests have shifted over time from magic to politics, comedy and drumming -- and finally to singing, songwriting and producing. Max is the product of Boston, Massachusetts and a strong musical upbringing, beginning classical piano lessons at three, studying jazz guitar, jazz and classical composition through high school, picking up further instrumental skills, and finally settling on pop music in college. While D.A. sings lead vocals and Max scores and plays the majority of instruments for Chester French, they work collaboratively on every detail from the first note to the final mix.
The two first met in their freshman year dining hall at Harvard. Along with three friends they formed the first incarnation of Chester French and the quintet quickly cut its teeth playing shows around campus and at Boston bars. At the end of the year, they won a local battle of the bands and, with only two days and $300 to spend, cut a five song EP aptly titled Chester French's First Love.
When school let out, D.A. and Max stayed in Cambridge for the summer, selling copies of the EP on the street by day and writing new songs by night. In their free time, they became engineers at the on-campus recording studio and became fascinated by record production. As they began to master the intricacies of recording, their energies solidified around a common goal: to try to create a classic album in the studio.
As a duo, Chester French worked for three years on Love the Future, making money on the side by engineering recording sessions for Boston area instrumentalists, rappers, and other bands. Finally, in May of 2007, D.A. and Max completed their recording and their degrees, in African American Studies and Social Anthropology, respectively.
Now based out of L.A., Chester French is putting the finishing touches on its epic first offering. Get ready to Love the Future.
Not Over You
Chester French Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hotel, dead cell, sun bathes the sand
Met you at school, made me your fool
Always were just out of reach
Flying away, trying to make this my day
I’m hung up again on a peach
I try to say what I gotta say
But I’m not through
I try to do what I gotta do
But I’m not over you
Night talk, sleep walk most of my life
Drunk bold, truth told, think you’re my wife
Out on the shore, telling you more
Than I ever thought you should know
Completely obsessed, but you’re not impressed
So maybe it’s best if I go
(Chorus)
I’m not a child, I’m not a child now
My thoughts are changing
Bit me twice
Not shy but rearranging
All of my hopes
Say it’s just hoes
Can’t touch my feelings
But that ain’t true
Or I’d be past you
(Chorus)
The lyrics of Chester French's "Not Over You" highlight the internal struggles of someone who is trying to move on from a past relationship. The opening stanza illustrates the singer's physical detachment from the person who they still haven't fully let go of, despite their efforts to move on through the travels they undertake. The contrast between the scenic view of the "sun bathe[d] sand" and the "dead cell" could also represent the singer's emotional state: even though everything looks bright on the outside, the internal void is still unaddressed.
The second stanza plunges into the past, recounting how they met the person that continues to captivate their thoughts, despite their inability to reciprocate their feelings. The line, "always were just out of reach" reinforces the idea that the singer never had closure, nor the chance to express their genuine emotions. The subsequent section of the lyrics highlights the singer's obsessive tendencies, and how they would try to make any and every attempt to keep their peach 'in sight' - an allusion to someone or something they desire constantly, even after it has passed. The chorus "I’m not through [...] But I’m not over you" emphasizes the fact that the singer is caught in a cycle that is dominated by this relationship.
The final verse sets the stage for the conclusion, where the singer acknowledges that they have to move away to prevent their obsession from reaching unhealthy levels. Even as the singer claims it "maybe it’s best if I go," the fact that they are still singing about the relationship and the person shows that the decision ultimately stems from their inability to manage their feelings rather than the will to sever ties.
Line by Line Meaning
Late night, long flight, sleep till we land
After a late night and long flight, I'll finally be able to get some sleep when we land.
Hotel, dead cell, sun bathes the sand
At the hotel, my phone has no life, as I soak up the sun on the sandy beach.
Met you at school, made me your fool
I met you at school and fell for your charm, even though it made me look foolish.
Always were just out of reach
You were always just beyond my grasp.
Flying away, trying to make this my day
I'm flying away, hoping to turn today into my day.
I’m hung up again on a peach
I'm once again obsessed with something I can't have, like a peach just out of reach.
I try to say what I gotta say
I try to say what I need to, but I'm not quite there yet.
But I’m not through
I still have more to say and do.
I try to do what I gotta do
I try to do what I need to do to move on.
But I’m not over you
But I'm not over you yet.
Night talk, sleep walk most of my life
I spend most of my life talking about you at night and walking around in my sleep.
Drunk bold, truth told, think you’re my wife
When I'm drunk, I'm unafraid to tell the truth and sometimes imagine you as my wife.
Out on the shore, telling you more
I confide in you more than I ever thought I should while we're out on the shore.
Than I ever thought you should know
But I realize now that I've told you more than I ever intended to.
Completely obsessed, but you’re not impressed
I'm completely obsessed with you, but you're not impressed by my feelings.
So maybe it’s best if I go
Maybe it's best for me to leave and move on.
I’m not a child, I’m not a child now
I'm not a child anymore, I'm grown up.
My thoughts are changing
My thoughts and feelings are evolving and shifting.
Bit me twice
You've hurt me more than once.
Not shy but rearranging
I'm not shy, but I'm trying to rearrange my life and move on.
All of my hopes
All of my hopes and dreams are centered around you.
Say it’s just hoes
Others may say it's just a fleeting infatuation, but I know it's more than that.
Can’t touch my feelings
Others can't understand the depth of my feelings for you.
But that ain’t true
But that doesn't mean my feelings aren't real.
Or I’d be past you
If they weren't real, I would have moved on by now.
I try to do what I gotta do
I try to do what I need to do to move on and forget you.
But I’m not over you
But I'm not over you and can't seem to forget you.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
kelly craft
great album, not enough credit to these guys.
BlackAmericanLesbian Professional
I remember listening to this song around the this album was released. I love the music at the end starting at 3:39 mark!! It makes me dance even still today. Thanks for posting. :)
W2
truly a brilliantly composed song.
Claudio Salas
Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, this album brings back so many memories.
secondsenna
This song completely mirrors my situation right now, just another reason to love C French
Qriminal 1:64
Had to think hard to remember their name...haha. Thought they were a fueled by ramen band, but none of the names on the wiki jogged my memory. Finally I remembered the beat and melody of this song... Then the lyrics came to my head and I blurted out "Fucking Chester French!!!". What happened to these guys? This song always reminded me of an Of Montreal song. Good stuff.
me with you
haha this band is great.. i was shown them for the first time by a fling just this summer... i agree what happened to them!
J
This song is why i love Chester French.
Tae Swanson
This is one of there best songs.
EvaBraunVEV0
I'm surprised no one has remixed/extended the last 50 seconds of this song yet! PLEASE GET TO IT AUDIOWIZARDS