AJ Bovaird-bass
Glenn "Chico" Dunning-guita… Read Full Bio ↴Mike Bilcox-guitar/vocals
AJ Bovaird-bass
Glenn "Chico" Dunning-guitar/vocals
Liam Killeen-drums
Forging a bold path with their energetic punk-based debut album, 2002's Maybe One Day, Ajax, Ontario quartet Not By Choice has made an indelible stamp on the world of rock with the instant classics "Standing All Alone" and "Now That You Are Leaving." Honing their captivating songwriting, the band is becoming renowned as one of Canada's seminal punk rock outfits. Welcome to Secondhand Opinions, Not By Choice's sophomore release and first with MapleMusic Recordings. Expanding on the solid foundation forged by Maybe One Day, Secondhand Opinions finds Not By Choice realizing their adoration of punk rock with deeper ties to fundamental rock 'n' roll roots. Wait…sophomore? Isn't that the point some musicians find to be an awkward period of soul-searching vulnerability and nakedness? Wrong.
In the case of Secondhand Opinions, this is nothing less than the opportunity for Not By Choice to polish their craft, to deliver confident songs that boldly explore yet are comfortably familiar. Progressing past the standards set on their debut without alienating their core audience, Secondhand Opinions finds the music and the band revealing a truer, stronger essence. From the quiet albeit upbeat desperation of "Home" to the driven pace of "Days Go By" and mellow introspection that haunts epic track "Echoes," one instantly sees an expanded power and profundity to Not By Choice. "We're better musicians after this long," notes Chico. "We have more experiences to draw from and now we can incorporate those elements into our songs. Your style is inevitably going to change when you become better at what you love to do. You're not afraid to try new things because you know you can pull it off." "I suppose this album is a bit darker, but it's just the space I was in," shrugs principle writer Mike Bilcox. "You can't control much…not even the music you make, so if (the lyrics) came out with a bit more mood, that's just where my mind was. I don't think I'm writing about anything out of the ordinary. I tried to stray away from songs about girls, but they're the inevitable rock 'n' roll subject," he laughs. Producer Murray Daigle (Cauterize, Emerald Rain) - a long time friend who produced early demos for the band - brought a "no-nonsense" straightforward approach to the recording process. "The momentum really started to hit when we fully realized the breadth of Murray's ability. We stopped worrying about every detail," admits Bilcox. "He really brought out what we were looking for." "This record isn't about how we look or what bridge we're jumping on," shrugs Chico. "It's about our love to play music, so if nothing else, we'll be proud about the work we put into this album. But now that we're moving beyond an image, hopefully our fans have grown with us to care more about what these songs mean than what clothes we're wearing." Maybe One Day certainly earned Not By Choice their early share of prestigious acclaim with a Much Music Video Award for Best Independent Video ("Now That You Are Leaving"), a CASBY award for Best Independent Album, and inclusion on two Big Shiny Tunes compilations ("Now That You Are Leaving and "Standing All Alone"). Maybe One Day's release in Japan in September 2003 has had amazing success, selling over 25,000 records. Not By Choice blasts out of the confines of punk rock by incorporating their sundry catalogue of inspirations to enhance their own high-octane style, leaving them poised to dispel hoary old notions of the sophomore jinx with the release of Secondhand Opinions.
As of March 30, 2008, Not By Choice is on an indefinite hiatus.
Here With Me
Not By Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't stand living in this God damn hell,
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
And that's not the way it's going to be
And now I miss you more than words can say,
I think about you every single lonely day,
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
I still need you
Back where we started,
Right back where we started,
The clouds are gone and I can see,
Now I know I need you here with me
And now I miss you more than words can say,
I think about you every single lonely day,
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
And that's not the way it's going to be
Then I see you, I don't know what to say,
I don't know what it is the words just fade away,
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
And that's the way it's going to be
I still need you
Back where we started,
Right back where we started,
The clouds are gone and I can see,
Now I know I need you here with me
Back where we started,
Right back where we started,
The clouds are gone and I can see,
Now I know I need you here with me
Now I miss you more then words can say,
I think about you every single lonely day,
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
And that's not the way it's going to be
I still need you here with me,
I still need you
Back where we started,
Right back where we started,
The clouds are gone and I can see,
Now I know I need you here with me
Back where we started,
Right back where we started,
The clouds are gone and I can see,
Now I know I need you here with me
Need you here with me
The song 'Here With Me' by Not By Choice is a heartfelt track about the pain of losing someone you love and the desperate need to have them back in your life. The opening lines, "When I lost you I lost myself as well, I can't stand living in this God damn hell" sets the tone for the rest of the song as the singer expresses how lost he feels without this person. The repetition of "Cause I need you, need you here with me, And that's not the way it's going to be" reinforces the urgency of the situation and the helplessness he feels in trying to bring this person back into his life.
The chorus, "Back where we started, Right back where we started, The clouds are gone and I can see, Now I know I need you here with me" shows hope for reconciliation and a desire to go back to how things were before the breakup. The line "Now I know I need you here with me" expresses a realization that this person is important and necessary for his happiness. However, the last verse "Then I see you, I don't know what to say, I don't know what it is the words just fade away" shows the struggle of communication and the difficulty in expressing his feelings even though he knows he needs this person back in his life.
Overall, 'Here With Me' by Not By Choice is a song that beautifully captures the pain of losing someone you love and the desperation to bring them back into your life. It speaks to the complexities of relationships and the struggle of communication when trying to express feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
When I lost you I lost myself aswell,
I am incomplete without you, and losing you has made me lose a part of myself too.
I can't stand living in this God damn hell,
My life has become unbearable without you, and it feels like I'm living in a never-ending nightmare.
Cause I need you, need you here with me,
Your presence in my life is essential for me to be happy and content.
And that's not the way it's going to be
I refuse to accept a future where you're not in my life, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure we're together.
And now I miss you more than words can say,
I can't express in words the pain I feel from not having you in my life anymore.
I think about you every single lonely day,
Thoughts of you consume my mind every day, leaving me feeling lonely and incomplete.
Then I see you, I don't know what to say,
Seeing you again leaves me speechless, and I struggle to find the right words to express the emotions I'm feeling.
I don't know what it is the words just fade away,
My feelings for you are so strong that I can't even put them into words, leaving me silent and in awe of you.
Back where we started,
I long for us to return to the beginning of our relationship, where everything was pure and simple.
The clouds are gone and I can see,
The obstacles that were blocking my view of a future with you have been removed, and now I can clearly see how much I need you in my life.
Now I know I need you here with me
I have come to the realization that I cannot go on without you, and I need you to be by my side to complete me.
I still need you
After all this time, my desire for you has not faded, and I still need you in my life more than ever.
Now I miss you more then words can say,
The feeling of emptiness and loneliness without you has become stronger over time, leaving me unable to express my pain in words.
I still need you here with me,
My longing for you has not diminished, and I need you to be with me to fill the void in my life.
Need you here with me
My desire for you to be with me is my top priority, and I will do whatever it takes to make it a reality.
Contributed by Aria A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.