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.
We Feel Alone
William Fitzsimmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We were young and [Incomprehensible]
Trees in yards bent too kind
We left home and never looked behind
To feel alone
We feel alone
I don't think I'll ever see her face
We were joined to our hearts
Meant to hold but we get torn apart
To feel alone
To feel alone
We feel alone
To feel alone
We feel alone
The first verse of William Fitzsimmons's song We Feel Alone speaks of separation and how it affected the singer's life. The line "Mom and dad parted ways" suggests a broken home, which is often traumatic for children. The next line, "We were young and [Incomprehensible]", portrays a sense of innocence and confusion, which can be expected from young children who have just experienced a split.
The imagery of "Trees in yards bent too kind" could possibly symbolize the physical evidence of a storm that has passed, but nonetheless leaves traces behind. The storm in this instance being the divorce, and the traces left behind being the emotional and psychological trauma that the singer has to deal with. The line "We left home and never looked behind" seems to affirm the idea that the separation has permanently changed the singer's life, and they cannot go back to the way things were before.
The chorus of "We feel alone" repeats twice in quick succession, perhaps representing the constant presence of isolation in the singer's life. The second verse talks about a personal experience of separation, evident in the line "You and I parted ways, I don't think I'll ever see her face". This line portrays a sense of finality, where the singer has come to terms with the fact that they will never have this person in their life again. The line "Meant to hold but we get torn apart" suggests the concept of fate, where two people are meant to be together but forces outside of their control have caused them to drift apart.
Overall, We Feel Alone is a poignant and melancholic song that explores themes of separation and isolation. The imagery used throughout the lyrics is evocative, and it's a song that many listeners can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Mom and dad parted ways
My parents got divorced
We were young and [Incomprehensible]
I was too young to fully understand what was happening
Trees in yards bent too kind
The world seemed too kind, too perfect, and it was hard to understand why things had to change
We left home and never looked behind
We moved on from our childhood home, and didn't dwell on the past
You and I parted ways
A relationship ended
I don't think I'll ever see her face
I don't think I'll see that person again
We were joined to our hearts
Our hearts were connected, and we loved each other deeply
Meant to hold but we get torn apart
We were meant to be together, but circumstances tore us apart
To feel alone
The feeling of isolation
We feel alone
We both feel isolated
To feel alone
The feeling of isolation
We feel alone
We both feel isolated
We feel alone
We both feel isolated
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind