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.
Never Say Goodbye
Not By Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breaking free of all the chains that held me down, chains that held me down,
Growing up for the first time,
Realizing all the things I took for granted
Don't make excuses,
I don't want to break down,
I don't want to feel this anymore
You can tell me that you don't love me,
Tell me that there's nothing left inside,
You can tell me that you don't need this,
One too many times,
Holding on we'll never say goodbye
So this is the first time,
I am on my own, I'm standing in the cold,
It's freezing in the cold,
Now this is the last time,
I look into your eyes and say these words to you
Don't make excuses,
I don't want to break down,
I don't want to feel this anymore
You can tell me that you don't love me,
Tell me that there's nothing left inside,
You can tell me that you don't need this,
One too many times,
Holding on we'll never say goodbye
It's too late to open all the doors that you closed,
It's too late to look back now,
It's too late to say the words that you've been meaning,
It's too late to look back now
You can tell me that you don't love me,
Tell me that there's nothing left inside,
You can tell me that you don't need this,
One too many times,
Holding on we'll never say goodbye
You can tell me that you don't love me,
One too many times,
Holding on we'll never say goodbye
You can tell me that you don't need this,
One too many times,
Holding on we'll never say goodbye
The lyrics of "Never Say Goodbye" by Not By Choice captures the feeling of breaking free from something that had once held one down. The opening line "Waking up for the first time" implies a sense of awakening and rebirth. The singer finally realizes that they have been trapped and shackled by something, but they are finally finding the courage to break free from it. The preceding lines of "Breaking free of all the chains that held me down, chains that held me down" make the feeling of liberation more pronounced while also emphasizing the suffocating effects of being held accountable.
As the song progresses, the singer seems to be talking to a lover who wants to leave. The repeated refrain "You can tell me that you don't love me, Tell me that there's nothing left inside, You can tell me that you don't need this" portrays someone who is determined not to crumble at the possibility that their partner does not share the same feeling. The singer knows that this person has said it many times, but they refuse to give up. The repeated line "One too many times" affirms the persistence of the singer in the face of rejection.
The song paints a picture of someone who is moving towards a new dawn and is not afraid of letting go of what no longer serves them. The closing lines of "Holding on we'll never say goodbye" encourages resilience and championing through struggles. Overall, "Never Say Goodbye" talks about the courage to stand alone, not making excuses, and never giving up even when everything looks bleak.
Line by Line Meaning
Waking up for the first time, Breaking free of all the chains that held me down, chains that held me down, Growing up for the first time, Realizing all the things I took for granted
I am finally waking up and freeing myself from all the things that were holding me back. I am growing up and understanding the things I took for granted.
Don't make excuses, I don't want to break down, I don't want to feel this anymore
Stop making excuses for your behavior. I don't want to break down or feel this hurt anymore.
You can tell me that you don't love me, Tell me that there's nothing left inside, You can tell me that you don't need this, One too many times, Holding on we'll never say goodbye
You can keep telling me that you don't love me or that you don't need me, but I won't give up on us.
So this is the first time, I am on my own, I'm standing in the cold, It's freezing in the cold, Now this is the last time, I look into your eyes and say these words to you
This is the first time I am alone, and it's a cold and lonely feeling. But this will also be the last time I speak to you and say these words.
It's too late to open all the doors that you closed, It's too late to look back now, It's too late to say the words that you've been meaning, It's too late to look back now
It's too late to change the past and open the doors that you closed. There's no point in looking back or saying the things you should have said.
You can tell me that you don't love me, Tell me that there's nothing left inside, You can tell me that you don't need this, One too many times, Holding on we'll never say goodbye
No matter how many times you try to push me away or tell me that you don't love me, I will always hold on and we will never say goodbye.
You can tell me that you don't love me, One too many times, Holding on we'll never say goodbye, You can tell me that you don't need this, One too many times, Holding on we'll never say goodbye
No matter how much you deny your feelings or try to convince me that you don't need me, we will always hold on and never say goodbye.
Contributed by Maria J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.