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.
Shattered
William Fitzsimmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am drawn by what I see
Spirit living deep inside me
Is fighting to be free
I'm a homeless man who's trying
(And I do not have a home yet)
Find a place to lay his head
(Just another taste of pleasure)
At least before I'm dead
There she is inside, waiting on another
Chance to make it right
There she waits until, her brokenness can brake her
And finally be still
And these sidewalks speak of demons
(There are demons all around me)
They are stepping on my toes
And my head just spins in circles
(I can't even stop this movement)
Round and round it goes
And I've got so many pipers
(And i think I hear my song now)
Leading me right to my death
I'm a slave to my indifference
(And I'm comfortable in chains now)
I'm a corpse with borrowed breath
There she is inside, waiting on another
Chance to make it right
There she waits until, her brokenness can brake her
And finally be still
The lyrics in William Fitzsimmons's "Shattered" depict a troubled journey that the singer is experiencing. The first few lines highlight the struggle that the singer faces in choosing a path that is safe and secure. He realizes that he is attracted to the broadest road, but the spirit living within him yearns for freedom. He is homeless, searching for a place to rest his head and finding solace during his journey. The lyrics suggest that he is indulging in temporary pleasures and is unsure if he'll find a home before he dies.
The singer is confronted with his demons, which are embodied in the demons that walk on the sidewalks, treading on his toes. The mental turmoil he's going through is evident through the line "my head just spins in circles," signifying a sense of disorientation and confusion. The singer has several pipers who he claims to follow blindly, leading him straight to his death. He's a prisoner of his indifference, chained to his comfort zone, feeling like "a corpse with borrowed breath."
The chorus is a plea for a chance to make it right, referring to a person waiting inside for an opportunity to break their brokenness and finally be at peace. The lyrics show a struggle with mental and emotional distress and a longing for peace and resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
Broadest road that I can travel
The singer is searching for a path in life
I am drawn by what I see
The singer is influenced by his surroundings
Spirit living deep inside me
The singer has a soulful desire for something greater in life
Is fighting to be free
The artist is struggling to break free from something that holds him back
I'm a homeless man who's trying
The artist is lost in life and needs to find his way
Find a place to lay his head
The singer is looking for comfort and security
Find some comfort in this journey
The singer is searching for peace on his life path
At least before I'm dead
The artist realizes the limited time he has to find fulfillment
There she is inside, waiting on another
The artist is referring to a broken relationship or partnership
Chance to make it right
The artist hopes for reconciliation
There she waits until, her brokenness can brake her
The singer sees the other person as struggling with inner turmoil
And finally be still
The artist hopes for the other person to find peace
And these sidewalks speak of demons
The singer sees the world around him as a place of negativity and danger
They are stepping on my toes
The singer feels oppressed by the world around him
And my head just spins in circles
The singer feels overwhelmed and powerless to change things
Round and round it goes
The artist feels trapped in an endless cycle of negativity
And I've got so many pipers
The artist has many influences in his life
Leading me right to my death
The singer sees his current path as a one-way street to destruction
I'm a slave to my indifference
The singer realizes his apathy is holding him back from finding happiness
I'm a corpse with borrowed breath
The artist feels like he is living but not truly alive
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sam Uncle
As a student who tried to create a song.more or less I know how difficult it is.
That I could'n find the reason this stunning song just a few watched times.
Alex Smith
классная песня
Georg Kuemmel
i like a lot
Super Skinny
William, can you kindly let me know what types of drugs u using? coz i wana try them all ,right now 💊💉🎧