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.
What Hold
William Fitzsimmons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heavy shoulder
Your feet tied to the floor
Your former self would
Hate these fixtures
Of metal wire and wood
As you lay down in
The bluish scars you hide
Reminisce of sweet addiction
Strings you never tied
Would you bend these bars
That hold you
Keep you from the peace
And stillness come
And lay your head
Beside a better burden
Until the heal has come
As you depart from
Short duration
And cut the bracelet off
The withered arm and
Port of entry
The living for the numb
I would bend these bars
That hold you
Keep you from the peace
And stillness come
And lay your head
Beside a better burden
Until the heal has come
The lyrics of William Fitzsimmons's "What Hold" are very reflective and heartfelt. The song seems to be about someone who is struggling to let go of a painful experience or addiction. The opening line "What hold this has on you" suggests that whatever the subject is struggling with, it has a very strong grip on them. It feels like they are carrying a heavy weight on their shoulders and they are unable to move forward. They feel stuck, unable to break free from their addiction.
The next lines, "Heavy shoulder / Your feet tied to the floor / Your former self would / Hate these fixtures / Of metal wire and wood" further build on the theme of being tied down and unable to move. The subject seems to be trapped in a medical facility or hospital, where they are surrounded by fixtures made of metal and wood. These fixtures may represent the medical equipment that is keeping the subject alive but at the same time, they are also trapping them. The line "Your former self would / Hate these fixtures" suggests that the subject is not happy with where they are and that they long for their past life.
The lines "As you lay down in / Stranger's linen" evoke a sense of disorientation and loneliness. The subject may be surrounded by medical staff but they are still alone and vulnerable. The next lines "The bluish scars you hide / Reminisce of sweet addiction / Strings you never tied" suggest that the subject has a history of addiction, and that they are now struggling with the aftermath. It feels like they are trying to recover from their addiction but the scars are a constant reminder of their past.
The chorus of "What Hold" provides a ray of hope. The line "Would you bend these bars that hold you" suggests that the subject has it within their power to break free from their addiction. They need to summon the strength to overcome their struggles and embrace a better life. The chorus provides a message of hope and healing, promising that peace and stillness will come if they can just hold on a bit longer.
Line by Line Meaning
What hold this has on you
What is the reason why you are so attached to this thing or situation?
Heavy shoulder
You feel a heavy burden on your shoulder that is hard to carry.
Your feet tied to the floor
You feel trapped and unable to escape your current situation.
Your former self would
You used to be different, and your old self wouldn't have handled this situation the same way.
Hate these fixtures
You despise the things that are holding you back.
Of metal wire and wood
These things are physical objects that are restraining you.
As you lay down in
You are overwhelmed and unable to resist the pull of your current situation.
Stranger's linen
You find yourself in a foreign and uncomfortable place.
The bluish scars you hide
You have physical or emotional wounds that you keep hidden from others.
Reminisce of sweet addiction
You have a sentimental attachment to something that has caused you pain.
Strings you never tied
You never realized how much control this thing had over you until now.
Would you bend these bars
Are you willing to break free from your limitations and start anew?
That hold you
The things that are restricting you from living your life freely.
Keep you from the peace
These things are preventing you from finding peace and happiness.
And stillness come
You want to find a calm and quiet place where you can collect your thoughts.
And lay your head
You want to rest and find comfort.
Beside a better burden
You want to take on a new challenge that is worth the effort.
Until the heal has come
You want to heal from your past wounds and start anew.
As you depart from
You want to leave behind your current situation and start anew.
Short duration
Your current state is not meant to last forever.
And cut the bracelet off
You want to remove the physical symbol of your limitations and start anew.
The withered arm and
You want to shed the things that are holding you back and start anew.
Port of entry
You want to leave your old life behind and start anew.
The living for the numb
You want to start living for the things that make you happy, instead of just going through the motions.
I would bend these bars
The singer is willing to help you break free from your limitations and start anew.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RabidHummingbird
This song is on the White Enamel website, and the audio/visual combination makes me cry every time.
@clowncandycreations
RabidHummingbird
AAAA YES
@idou
White Enamel, anyone?
@alexxdollar
+Nopi yep :)
@pogonolagododipopopo
+Nopi does anyone finnaly understood what it's about ? like was all that for blair witch ? or what ?
@pogonolagododipopopo
Hiøtr Björnson Snepill thanks you for giving me a answer have a nice day sir
@sneedscopeandseethe
Aye
@easystreetband
It was supposed to be a horror game in the Blair Witch universe but the guy who made it got overwhelmed taking pictures of the asylum and decided to dedicate it to all the patients rather than just make it another horror point and click game.
@NineWorldsHD
I had first listened to this guy around 2007. and I had forgotten his name and i finally remembered it. I've been missing out on a lot i see.
@EphemeralProductions
such a handsome man and such a beautiful song!! :)