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.
miss you
Not By Choice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know that it's wrong but I'm too blind and I can't see
Now that you're gone I can't help feeling all alone
I know that it's wrong I sit and wait by the telephone
I'm waiting for you to call
Miss you so much I can't sleep
Can't even stand on my own two feet
And I can't take this anymore
Wish I could take away all of your tears
And now that you're back you're telling me everything is ok
I know that you're wrong I know that you're wrong
'cause you're leaving me today
And now that you're gone I can't help feeling all alone
I know that it's wrong I sit and wait by the telephone
I'm waiting for you to call
Miss you so much I can't sleep
Can't even stand on my own two feet
And I can't take this anymore
And now I wish that you were here
Wish I could take away all of your tears
But I can't take those words away
The lyrics to Not By Choice's song "Miss You" are about regret and longing for a lost love. The singer is reflecting on their relationship, realizing the importance of their significant other after they've already left. The singer admits to their blindness in not recognizing the value of their love while they had it. They are now alone and desperate for the return of their beloved. The singer sits by the phone, waiting for a call that may never come. The feeling of loneliness is overwhelming, and the singer cannot sleep or stand. They wish that they could take away their significant other's pain and tears, but they know that it's too late.
Towards the end of the song, the tone shifts as the singer learns that their significant other is returning. However, something is wrong as the significant other tells the singer that everything is okay before leaving them once again. This reinforces the potential folly in taking things for granted and failing to appreciate people while they are still a part of our lives. It ultimately leaves the singer in the same state they were in before, still sitting by the phone and waiting for a love that may never return.
Overall, "Miss You" is a song about regret, loss, and longing for a love that once was. It highlights the importance of recognizing the value of our relationships while we still have them and the cost of not appreciating those we love until it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that you're gone yeah I see what you mean to me
Now that you're gone, I realize the true value you held in my life
I know that it's wrong but I'm too blind and I can't see
I admit that I was wrong to not appreciate you earlier, but I was ignorant and couldn't see it then
Now that you're gone I can't help feeling all alone
Your absence has left me feeling extremely lonely
I know that it's wrong I sit and wait by the telephone
I acknowledge that it's not healthy to wait by the phone for you, but I can't help myself
I'm waiting for you to call
I'm hoping and praying for you to reach out to me
Miss you so much I can't sleep
Your absence has made it so hard for me to sleep or find peace
Can't even stand on my own two feet
I feel so weakened and helpless without you by my side
And I can't take this anymore
I can't bear this pain any longer
And now I wish that you were here
My heart aches for your presence and companionship
Wish I could take away all of your tears
I wish I had the ability to wipe away all the tears you've cried because of me
And now that you're back you're telling me everything is ok
Now that you've returned, you're trying to alleviate my worries and say everything is fine
I know that you're wrong I know that you're wrong
Despite your reassurance, I know that something is off and that there's still tension between us
'cause you're leaving me today
The reason I know something is wrong is because you're about to leave me again
But I can't take those words away
Even though I regret causing you pain, I know I can't change the past or erase the hurt I've inflicted on you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind