A tale of youthful exuberance if ever there was one. This was written in the earlies noughties, around the time I was moving to London, "to the city and the bright lights, but he still can't handle late nights". This was at the peak of my "I'm going to be a pop star and show everyone" phase (a phase which I still haven't left). I quit a steady job in North Wales to move to London and begin a degree in Music Technology, and I think I did a fairly decent job here of capturing the energy and optimism I felt, tempered slightly by the fact that I was absolutely bricking it "don't throw it all away, you'll regret it all one day" - I never regretted the move, I also never became a pop star.
I went through various iterations and arrangements before settling on this one for the full recording. This was recorded as part of the portfolio for my degree, and I remember a very experienced producer, who I had enormous respect for, absolutely slating the production and the arrangement which was pretty devastating at the time. I stuck to my guns, although whether that was out of confidence in what I'd produced or simply out of desperation and deadlines I can't remember. I'm glad I did though because to this day I'm still really pleased with this recording. Yes, it's rough around the edges and there are lots of things in the mix and the arrangement that could have been done "better" but what this arrangement and mix does is capture perfectly the chaotic energy and aforementioned youthful exuberance that created the song in the first place. That's how I see it anyway.
You can listen to Not Sold and read the lyrics below.
- Not Sold Bransby 4:26
Not Sold
Can you see the transition
To a man on a mission
From a medium-size smalltown boy
Who treats life like it was a toy
As he takes the future in his hands
But he's never made his future plans
Sink or swim to where the streets are paved with gold sweet wrappers
For the team, all my friends who unknowingly showed what matters
To the city and the bright lights
But he still can't handle late nights
He's going nowhere fast
And this dream of his won't last
He's so clueless and so rash
And he's going nowhere much too fast
For the ones who forged their destiny
Before the age of 23
Who understood the things I never could, now I see
The blunders that we make
And the risks we sometimes take
Are rocking boats where boats should not be rocked
But I've learned to swim
You take the high road, I think I've found a shortcut
To the places that you've promised yourselves when old
But I'm not sold
And just what if you're wrong?
If the world's not fixed by song?
Will you still look back and smile at those
Who listen to the one who knows?
It's not big and it's not clever
You know it won't last forever
Sink or swim to where the streets are paved with gold sweet wrappers
For the team, all my friends who unknowingly showed what matters
What about a back-up plan?
Just listen to a thinking man
You have letters behind your name
A career and stuff to keep you sane
You've proved that you are able
So careful and so stable
So don't throw it all away
You'll regret it all one day
You could stay here making hay
While the sun shines
So don't throw it all away
You'll regret it all one day
You could stay here making hay
While the sun shines down on someone else
For the ones who forged their destiny
Before the age of 23
Who understood the things I never could, now I see
The blunders that we make
And the risks we sometimes take
Are rocking boats where boats should not be rocked
But I've learned to swim
You take the high road, I think I've found a shortcut
To the places that you've promised yourselves when old
But I'm not sold