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.
It's Not True
William Fitzsimmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you would leave if given half the chance to go and
I'd be left here on my own
To find myself in bed
Wishing everything that changed would be the same
The room still looks like you
It's a mess and all the pictures on the shelf are
To keep me company
I haven't told her that your thought still lingers on
Everyday's another chance to bury my regret
Everyday's another chance to make it but I can't
But I can't, but I can't, but I can't, but I can't
I saw you on my phone
On a contact list that isn't up to date
Would have changed it with more time
That I require to
Rid my mind of all the freckles on your face
And reconcile to what?
The ring I bought you is buried deep within the ground
Behind the swing where we first met
And memory only serves
To remind of all the bruises you forgave
Everyday's another chance to bury my regret
Everyday's another chance to make it but I can't
But I can't, but I can't, but I can't, but I can't.
Should I decide it's true
That you'd return if given half the chance to come
But it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
The song "It's Not True" by William Fitzsimmons is a heart-wrenching ballad about the lingering memories and regret after a breakup. The lyrics express the singer's decision to believe that his former lover would leave if given the chance, leaving him alone to sift through the mess of his life. He describes how everything around him still reminds him of her, from the pictures on the shelf to the freckles on her face. He tries to bury his regret and move on, but every day is a struggle. He sees her name on his phone and remembers the ring he bought her, buried deep in the ground. In the end, he must come to terms with the fact that she will not return, despite his hopes and wishes.
The song's lyrics are poignant and insightful, exploring the emotional nuances of a difficult breakup. Fitzsimmons has a talent for capturing the complexity of relationships, and this song is no exception. Here, he delves into the pain and regret that accompany the end of a relationship, as well as the constant struggle to move past it. The repetition of the phrase "but it's not true" underscores the singer's desire to believe that his former lover might come back, but ultimately he must face the reality that she will not.
Line by Line Meaning
Should I decide it's true
If I choose to believe that you would leave me if you had the chance
That you would leave if given half the chance to go and
If you had the opportunity, you would abandon me and our relationship
I'd be left here on my own
I would be alone without you
To find myself in bed
I would be lying in bed, alone and missing you
Wishing everything that changed would be the same
Regretting any changes that led to our current situation and wishing things had stayed the same
The room still looks like you
Your presence is still felt in this space even though you are gone
It's a mess and all the pictures on the shelf are
The room is disorganized and cluttered, and the pictures remind me of happier times with you
Dusted off by someone else
Someone else has cleaned the room and tidied up in your absence
To keep me company
The tidying up was done to comfort me
I haven't told her that your thought still lingers on
I haven't shared with this person that I am still thinking about you
Everyday's another chance to bury my regret
Each day is another opportunity to try and forget my regret and move on
Everyday's another chance to make it but I can't
Every day I try to move on, but I am unable to do so
I saw you on my phone
I saw your name or picture on my phone, indicating that you are still present in my life in some way
On a contact list that isn't up to date
The information on my phone is not current, but your name or picture is still there
Would have changed it with more time
If I had more time or motivation, I would have updated my contacts to remove any reminder of you
That I require to
But I haven't had the motivation or energy to do so
Rid my mind of all the freckles on your face
To try and forget all the little details about you and our past together
And reconcile to what?
What exactly would we be reconciling to if we were to try and get back together?
The ring I bought you is buried deep within the ground
The symbol of our commitment to each other is now physically buried and inaccessible
Behind the swing where we first met
The location where we met and fell in love
And memory only serves
All I have left are memories of our past together
To remind of all the bruises you forgave
The memories are not all happy - some are reminders of times when you forgave me for hurting you
Should I decide it's true
If I choose to believe that you would return to me if given the chance
That you'd return if given half the chance to come
If you had the chance, you would come back to me
But it's not true
But I know deep down that this is not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
No matter how much I wish for it, the reality is that you are gone and not coming back
But it's not true, but it's not true
I have to accept that the idea of us reuniting is just wishful thinking
But it's not true, but it's not true
I need to let go of this hope and move on with my life
But it's not true, but it's not true
Only then can I start to heal and find happiness again without you
But it's not true, but it's not true
I must come to terms with the fact that we are not meant to be together
But it's not true, but it's not true
And find a way to be content with my life as it is now
Contributed by Alexander W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Crystal Lim
"It's Not True"
Should I decide it's true
That you would leave if given half the chance to go and
I'd be left here on my own
To find myself in bed
Wishing everything that changed would be the same
The room still looks like you
It's a mess and all the pictures on the shelf are
Dusted off by someone else
To keep me company
I haven't told her that your thought still lingers on
Everyday's another chance to bury my regret
Everyday's another chance to make it but I can't
But I can't, but I can't, but I can't, but I can't
I saw you on my phone
On a contact list that isn't up to date
Would have changed it with more time
That I require to
Rid my mind of all the freckles on your face
And reconcile to what?
The ring I bought you is buried deep within the ground
Behind the swing where we first met
And memory only serves
To remind of all the bruises you forgave
Everyday's another chance to bury my regret
Everyday's another chance to make it but I can't
But I can't, but I can't, but I can't, but I can't.
Should I decide it's true
That you'd return if given half the chance to come
But it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
But it's not true, but it's not true
Aric Garza
I believe it's safe to say that William Fitzsimmons is by far one of the best artists around. He puts such passion into his song, tells a story and creates such harmonizing sounds with that damned guitar. You and Dallas Green, are my inspiration sir, so thank you. Also, quick suggestion for Youtube... get a "Love" button.
ryelor
This year I divorced the woman who I thought was my everything. I've listened to this song over a hundred times, and every time it makes me feel like, no matter what, things are ok. Thanks, William.
Dion Oliveira
its clear in his music and his magical tenderness.........it cuts through the hard of our past.
Cristiane Nobrega
Fitzsimmons made his song because of his own suffered divorce. You´re not alone.
soledadsisters
Every morning I listen to his music but I have never got tired of it. He's just awesome. Love his music so much.
Rohan Sinha
Do you still listen to this every morning, person from 14 years ago, or is it just me? :)
fxbane07
His voice seems perfectly matched to the tone of his guitar, artists like this are very rare thing.
chuckusseb07
The voice of Sam Beam, the melodies of Sufjan Stevens, the beautiful acoutic riffs of Elliott Smith and electronica synths of Tom Yorke have combined to make William Fitzsimmons. This is one of the most beautiful song I have ever heard.
Arte de ser Mulher
Sua voz é tão macia .. me faz chorar.. Quem tem q entender entendera 🙏👍🥰
Liesliany Lonard
cant stop listening to his songs.. his voice is just heavenly amazing