Fitzsimmons was raised in the outskirts of the steel city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of two blind parents. Due to the family's inability to communicate through normal visual means, Fitzsimmons' childhood home was filled with a myriad of sounds to replace what eyes could not see. The house was suffused with pianos, guitars, trombones, talking birds, classical records, family sing-a-longs, bedtime stories, and the bellowing of a pipe organ, which his father built into the house with his own hands.
When his father's orchestral records were not resonating through the walls, his mother would educate him on the folk stylings of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. By the completion of his youth and schooling, Fitzsimmons had become well-versed at a variety of instruments, at the minor expense of social standing, interactional skills, and a knowledge of proper shaving technique.
Fitzsimmons' path into music was likewise unusual, forsaking the hobby for many years to work with the mentally ill and pursue an education in the field of mental health. It was during his last semester of graduate school that William pooled money from past birthdays, holidays, and snow shoveling outings, and bought cheap home recording equipment to begin creating songs again (the first collection of which eventually became his debut album).
After finally achieving his goal of becoming a practicing therapist, William left, and returned again to his love of crafting and playing songs. He felt that is where he most belonged. Somewhere between a singing therapist, and a counselor who writes songs, is where Fitzsimmons endeavors to be. Using songs to address matters that he believes need to be addressed.
William draws from those early folks stylings of his mother's music, and the embellished instrumentation of his father's. He is often compared to contemporaries Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and the late Elliott Smith, not only for his unique style and skill in writing and proclivity to deal with substantive and evocative subject matter, but also for his use of organic and colorful melodies and arrangements.
His first two records were completely self-produced, Until When We Are Ghosts and Goodnight. Fitzsimmons' friend Ingrid Michaelson joined him with vocals on Goodnight.
The Sparrow And The Crow, was his first studio recorded work, released in September 2008. The album debuted extremely well at #56 on the iTunes Top Albums Chart, and #1 on the iTunes Folk Chart.
While his lyricism deals often with darker undertones (The Sparrow and The Crow album was written following his divorce), a measure of hopefulness is always carefully blended in.
William candidly expresses the process of making The Sparrow And The Crow as follows: “I wrote it first and foremost as a confession and apology to my former wife. It was a way to say things that I needed her to hear that I didn't know how else to say. Second, as a way to exercise the pain from what I'd easily call the worst year of my life. And third, as a way to let others in pain have a way to express and deal with their trouble, and perhaps find some hope at the end of it. It's not a divorce record, or even a “break up" record in the traditional sense, although certainly it contains elements of both. Instead, it's a record about messing up everything, and trying to find a way back home." - AllAboutJazz.com 9/2008His latest album, Derivatives, a novel remix of The Sparrow and The Crow, was released in May 2010 through Mercer Street Records to strong reviews. Pink Ganter's remix of the song So This Is Goodbye is a critic favorite. Also of note, Fitzsimmons covers Kate Perry's I Kissed A Girl, called "a brave move, but a move that completely pays off." by TheFourOhFive.com's Leah Henson. More from Henson's review:
Before a second of music is played, Derivatives is already a fascinating album. The very idea of the delicate, heartfelt and evocative melodies of the previous album from William Fitzsimmons, The Sparrow and the Crow, being re-imagined and remixed to give them a positive spin is an idea that could possibly have terrible repercussions. Fortunately, the remixes are tastefully done and don’t squeeze every bit of essence from the original songs. Instead of unrecognisable songs being created, as so often is the way with remixes, Derivatives is an assembly of songs developed beautifully, creating a continuation from the songs on The Sparrow and the Crow. Electro blips, synths and heavy basslines now accompany Fitzsimmons’ mournful voice, adding to the songs rather than removing key elements from them. ... The intriguing thing about this album is the fact that the songs can be enjoyed on various levels. For a William Fitzsimmons fan who has listened to The Sparrow and the Crow and knows every little nuance of each song, Derivatives is a continuation, welcomed with open arms. - TheFourOhFive.com 5/2010With his expanding tenure as a songwriter, William has received mentions in noted publications such as Billboard, Paste Magazine, Pitchfork, Performing Songwriter Magazine, AllAboutJazz.com, among others. Fitzsimmons' music has been featured on several television programs such as Grey's Anatomy and Army Wives.
Fitzsimmons' music is available on iTunes and from his web store and myspace page.
Fortune
William Fitzsimmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the other side
Wrap ourselves in blankets
The crossing of a bridge so wide, so high
It's murky in the meadow
As we draw in the lines we threw
Leveraging the ledgers
But what I do remember
What I do remember is you
What I do remember
What I do remember is you
It's hollow in the harvest
What I've lost I count as gained
Filling up the firmament
Visions of the one you gave away
But what I do remember
What I do remember is you
What I do remember
What I do remember is you
William Fitzsimmons's song "Fortune" is a poetic representation of the aftermath of a broken relationship. The lyrics are heavily metaphoric, where the singer seems to be trying to make sense of their emotions, but they are marred by the pain of separation. The song starts on a positive note, with a hopeful line that says, "There's fortune in the furlough, on the other side." The phrase "fortune in the furlough" means that there is a silver lining in a difficult situation. Furlough refers to a temporary leave of absence from work, indicating that the singer is possibly taking some time off to heal from the break-up.
The next line, "Wrap ourselves in blankets, the crossing of a bridge so wide, so high," suggests that the singer is trying to find comfort in the midst of uncertainty. The blankets represent security and warmth, and the bridge could be a metaphor for the emotional journey they are embarking on. It's murky in the meadow, which suggests that the singer is lost and maybe a little confused about what happened. They are trying to reconcile with their past by erasing it, as seen in the line, "Leveraging the ledgers, forgetting all the blood we drew."
However, throughout the song, the singer keeps repeating the line, "What I do remember, what I do remember is you." The singer is caught between the fear of the future and the hope of the past. They are looking back at the happy memories that they shared with their former partner and trying to hold on to them as they move forward. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the line, "It's hollow in the harvest, what I've lost I count as gained." This line suggests that the singer has learned something valuable from the experience, but at the same time feels incomplete without their former partner.
Line by Line Meaning
There's fortune in the furlough
Opportunity exists in the temporary absence from duty
On the other side
In a distant, unknown place or state
Wrap ourselves in blankets
Seek comfort and protection from what's to come
The crossing of a bridge so wide, so high
The journey towards an uncertain future is challenging and risky
It's murky in the meadow
Uncertainty prevails in our surroundings
As we draw in the lines we threw
We try to make sense of our actions and their consequences
Leveraging the ledgers
Making use of past records to inform our decisions
Forgetting all the blood we drew
Ignoring the costs and sacrifices that led us here
But what I do remember
Amidst all the confusion and chaos
What I do remember is you
You are the one constant, guiding presence in my life
It's hollow in the harvest
The fruits of our labor are unfulfilling
What I've lost I count as gained
Accepting that sometimes losses can teach us the most valuable lessons
Filling up the firmament
Finding solace and meaning in the vastness of the universe
Visions of the one you gave away
Memories of what we've lost but still hold onto
But what I do remember
When all else fades away
What I do remember is you
Your essence is what sustains me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM RICHARD II FITZSIMMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind