“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.
Insulin
Chadwick Stokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you sure you're okay?
I feel the stilts holdin' up the house
And hope the floorboards hold the weight
Would you help my thoughts as I
Go to work at the fair and come Wednesday
We on our dock you back yard to supper
Don't you lose my picture when you're gone
Don't need no insulin, you're my angel
And if you have no antidote will you still then stay
And settle down for a year or so
I found a place where you can rest and be well
As a kid I used to go round and round
Sure don't seem like the same dirt road
Don't you need my picture when you're gone
Don't need no insulin, you're my angel
And if they reach for you then let me know
Just another year or so, ahh, ahh
I fell fast when you came on down my way
Down Stonewall Beach
Sit by the pond just awhile it away
Don't you need my picture when you're gone
Don't need no insulin, you're my angel
And if they reach for you then let me know
Just another year or so, ahh, ahh
Won't need my picture when you're gone
I'll use our star to just guide me home
And if they reach for you then let them know
Just another year or so, ahh, ahh
The lyrics of Chadwick Stokes's song "Insulin" convey a powerful message about love and the need to hold on to it tightly. The opening lines "You fell hard, are you sure you're okay?" suggest the fragility of love and the need to take care of it.
Throughout the song, the singer expresses their love and admiration for their significant other. They refer to them as their angel and talk about finding a place where they can rest and be well. The line "Don't need no insulin, you're my angel" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that the love they share is all they need to sustain them, and no external medicine or remedy could ever compare to it.
The song's chorus repeats the refrain "Don't you need my picture when you're gone, don't need no insulin, you're my angel," which reinforces the importance of this love and the fear of losing it. The singer also references the passing of time, hoping for just "another year or so" to spend with their loved one.
Overall, Stokes's song "Insulin" is a beautiful meditation on the power of love and the need to cherish it.
Line by Line Meaning
You fell hard
Did you take a hard fall? Are you alright?
Are you sure you're okay?
Are you certain that you're not hurt?
I feel the stilts holdin' up the house
And hope the floorboards hold the weight
The support of our relationship feels fragile, I hope our love can handle the stress.
Would you help my thoughts as I
Go to work at the fair and come Wednesday
We on our dock you back yard to supper
In the evening
Can you support me emotionally as I work hard and provide for us, so we can enjoy relaxing together in the evenings?
Don't you lose my picture when you're gone
Don't need no insulin, you're my angel
And if you have no antidote will you still then stay
And settle down for a year or so
Don't forget about me when you're away, you're my savior and I don't need anything else to make me feel complete. Even in hard times, will you still be with me for a while?
I found a place where you can rest and be well
As a kid I used to go round and round
Sure don't seem like the same dirt road
I want to provide you with a comfortable place to rest and feel at peace. It's interesting to see how things have changed since I was young.
I fell fast when you came on down my way
Down Stonewall Beach
Sit by the pond just awhile it away
I was immediately drawn to you when we met at Stonewall Beach. Let's relax by the pond and enjoy each other's company for a bit.
Won't need my picture when you're gone
I'll use our star to just guide me home
And if they reach for you then let them know
Just another year or so, ahh, ahh
I don't need a picture to remember you, I'll navigate by the star that we both recognize. And if anyone tries to take you away, just hold on for a bit longer, we can make it through anything.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dominick Tranquilli
THIS ALBUM IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
rac717
Buy this album NOW! It's a steal!
Kerri Sparling
Nice song.
Del
Cool song. Interesting name also. I inject insulin several times a day. YAY FOR INSULIN!
MrPorkchops
@Del Ah yes, enjoy your sleep! 10 years probably caused some really bad case of sleep deprivation ;)
Del
@MrPorkchops I've been waiting under this video for nearly 10 years. Now I can finally get to sleep! 😸
MrPorkchops
@Del Lol honestly I wasn't expecting a reply
Del
@MrPorkchops Love me some syringes!
MrPorkchops
Very epic.
Kyle McDonald
I am glade that there is musick like this today, it is the songs like this one that keep me beliving that there will always be good music no mater how un known or well known it is.