“I had ridden the trains a little bit in the past for a day or two but I had never done it for weeks at a time,” Stokes says. “I discovered an America that I knew was out there but had limited experience with. There's all kinds of people out on the rails: people simply trying to get from point A to B, people running from whatever they left behind, people with nowhere else to go. You get to see a part of America that only the trains go through -- remote stretches without any sign of mankind." It was out on these long isolated stretches and in the inner city train yards that Stokes found the inspiration for his solo debut, titled SIMMERKANE II.
At a time when the term Indie-rock refers more to a guitar sound than doing anything truly independent, Stokes is an artist who has genuinely lived the credo. Unassisted by a major label, his band Dispatch arose from the college circuit to become an international musical phenomenon. With only a celebrated live show and a series of self-released albums the band was not only able to sell out Madison Square Garden several times but attract 110,000+ fans to a Boston concert.
While riding the rails, Stokes made a designated stop so his band, State Radio, could play an anti-war concert at the Denver Coliseum with Rage Against The Machine. It is a DIY social consciousness that Stokes came to early in life - growing up as a pacifist, working in Zimbabwe after high school and eventually co-founding the Elias Fund, the Dispatch Foundation, and now Calling All Crows. In 2008, Stokes was honored as Humanitarian of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.
Simmerkane II, a proper follow-up to the State Radio EP (Simmerkane I), is a marked evolution in the musician-songwriter’s creative journey. Produced by John Dragonetti (of The Submarines), the album features background vocals from Carly Simon, Matt Embree (Rx Bandits), The White Buffalo, Blake Hazard (The Submarines), and Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars. The sound is an engaging mix of Americana, country, folk and rock in the service of some undeniably evocative lyrics. The songs tell a loose narrative of travel, love and loss, like some re-imagined rock-n-roll odyssey.
The journey begins with “Adelaide,” a fuzzed-out melodic folk rocker containing the prophetic line, “We left Worcester with our boots and our bags - and America undressed herself in front of our eyes.” Next, listeners venture into the “Crowbar Hotel” to discover an underground world populated by hard luck outsiders: “We are sold to the highest bidder, we are down to our very last crumb - May we invite ourselves to dinner, ‘cause we might just have to make a run.” The song “Back To The Races,” has Stokes reflecting on past mistakes and longing for the childhood farm while still seduced by the excitement of the journey and a new love. The symphonic rock-n-roll charges ahead before dropping down for the intimate lyrical refrain “Back to the races - and on with the day.”
The two-disc deluxe package includes three bonus tracks with Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, a musical ensemble of refugees from Sierra Leone’s 1991 civil war. Stokes, who did humanitarian work in Zimbabwe as a youth, has been a longtime fan of the All Stars. The tracks include a lilting African-tinged folk song called “Coffee And Wine,” a reflective reggae track titled, “All My Possessions (Ode To Troy)” and “Don’t Have You” – a heartfelt ballad that eventually erupts in celebration with the All Stars’ backing vocals and percussions carrying the weight of their troubled history and eventual transcendence. “It was such an honor to work with the All Stars,” Stokes explains. “The songs we did were kind of folk songs and one reggae song, so they were a bit out of their element trying to adapt to the folky farm kid and his songs. But you can hear their history in their singing and playing and it adds this amazing power to the songs.”
Simmerkane II is an ambitious album about discovery, loss and moving on. What begun as a journey across an unseen America becomes a moving musical tribute to the resilience of the human heart. “The album was initially inspired by the freight train trip with my brother and that vast underworld that exists out there,” Stokes explains. “But then it’s also about growing up on the farm and losing loved ones; a young man learning about life.” In his spare time, Stokes can still be found hopping trains with his beloved travel companion, Lefty.
Heady Riser
Chadwick Stokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
And when they stop, you see the hand that carries
Brought on by what they refuse to believe
And when they stop, formidable adversary
By virtue of the definition of the heady riser
He will move to his position of power
To put things he has not seen in a position to his dreams
He will not call 'till he know them true
And they come for the leaders, but we say we never lead
They come for the believers, but we say we never believe
They come for the healers, but we say we never touch no hand
And they'll come for us, there'll be no one left to stand
Don't need no heady riser
Don't need no heady riser
Riser
Don't need no heady riser
Runnin' us all away, runnin' us all away
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
And when they stop, you see the hand that carries
Brought on by what they refuse to believe
And when they stop, unformidable adversary
Their conscience foraged to their greed
By virtue of the definition of the heady riser
He will move to his position of power
To put things he has not seen in a position to his dreams
He will not call 'till he know them true
And they come for the leaders, but we say we never lead
And they come for the sleepers, but we say we never dream
And they come for the healers, but we say we never touch no man
And they'll come for us, there'll be no one left to stand
Yeah, they'll come for us, there'll be no one left to stand
Don't need no heady riser
Don't need no heady riser
Riser
Don't need no heady riser
And they come for us dreamers, but we say we never sleep
And they come for us tellers, but we say we never speak
And they come for us stealers, but we say, "(we)Never rob no man"
And they'll come for us, there'll be no one left to stand
Don't need no heady riser
Don't need no heady riser
Riser, don't need no heady riser
Riser, don't need no heady riser
Riser
The song "Heady Riser" by Chadwick Stokes provides an insightful commentary on the dangers of being a blind follower and the importance of taking responsibility for our actions. The repeated lyric "running them all away" refers to the false sense of protection we feel by running away from trouble rather than facing it head-on. The next lines describe how we cling to steadfast beliefs even in the face of undeniable evidence that they're wrong. The "formidable adversary" and "conscience foraged to their greed" describe how we are often our own worst enemies.
The chorus, "By virtue of the definition of the heady riser, he will move to his position of power to put things he has not seen in a position to his dreams. He will not call 'til he knows them true," is a warning against blindly following charismatic leaders who may have their own hidden agendas. The next verse warns that sooner or later, those who hide behind lies will be exposed and held accountable. The line "there'll be no one left to stand" is a sad commentary on how those who blindly follow lose their identity and ability to think for themselves.
In conclusion, "Heady Riser" encourages us to take responsibility for our actions and beliefs and to be wary of those who would manipulate us for their own gain. It's a powerful reminder to be true to ourselves and to never forget the value of individual thought and action.
Line by Line Meaning
Runnin' them all away, runnin' them all away
Fleeing from obstacles and problems rather than facing them.
And when they stop, you see the hand that carries
Once they stop running, they realize who is responsible for their suffering and misery.
Brought on by what they refuse to believe
Their unwillingness to accept reality and truth has led to their current state of affairs.
And when they stop, formidable adversary
Once they stand up to their adversary, they become a powerful force to be reckoned with.
Their conscience foraged to their greed
They have succumbed to their own greed and selfish desires, causing them to lose sight of their moral compass.
By virtue of the definition of the heady riser
The defining characteristic of a heady riser is that they strive to obtain power regardless of the consequences.
He will move to his position of power
The heady riser will do whatever it takes to obtain authority and control.
To put things he has not seen in a position to his dreams
The heady riser works to fit his own desires and expectations into reality without acknowledging the consequences.
He will not call 'till he know them true
The heady riser will not take any action or make any decisions until they are absolutely certain of the outcome.
And they come for the leaders, but we say we never lead
When authority is questioned, we deny having any role or responsibility in it.
They come for the believers, but we say we never believe
When our beliefs are questioned, we deny ever having held those beliefs.
They come for the healers, but we say we never touch no hand
When our contributions to helping others are questioned, we deny having ever done anything for anyone.
And they'll come for us, there'll be no one left to stand
If we continue to avoid responsibility and deny our actions, we will be left to face the consequences alone.
Don't need no heady riser
We do not need someone who is willing to pursue power at any cost.
Runnin' us all away, runnin' us all away
Our fear and avoidance of confrontation is leading us all astray.
And when they stop, unformidable adversary
Once we finally stand up to our adversaries, we realize they are not as formidable as we once thought.
And they come for us dreamers, but we say we never sleep
We deny ever having had dreams or aspirations when we feel threatened.
And they come for us tellers, but we say we never speak
When our words and actions are called into question, we deny ever saying or doing anything.
And they come for us stealers, but we say, "(we)Never rob no man"
When accused of stealing or taking advantage of others, we deny ever having done so.
Riser
Referring to the heady riser, a person obsessed with obtaining power.
Don't need no heady riser
We need to reject those who would seek power at the cost of our own safety and wellbeing.
Contributed by Alex J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.