It takes a certain type of musician to hop freight trains and barrel across… Read Full Bio ↴It takes a certain type of musician to hop freight trains and barrel across the vastness of North America with his brother and cousin. Especially for an artist who, just years before, sold out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights. CHAD “CHADWICK” STOKES is anything but a typical rock star. So, there was the singer-guitarist for bands Dispatch and State Radio, wading across a river to escape the chasing railroad bulls and hanging in the different down and out jungles with other traveling folks. And in the end, after the three had finally reached the West Coast and were laying face down in the dirt at gunpoint care of the NSA, he says it was all well worth it.

“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.

Joan of Arc
Chadwick Stokes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once in her father's garden at the tender age of 13
She saw of vision of 3 figures
She knew them to be bygone saints
And she was so taken by their beauty that she cried when they faded away
She said I can't stay here, the message they gave was clear
I must go save the king

Hey sister with your rat tail long

Don't let them try to end your song
You know there's always gonna be people trying to get you down
Wanting you to be like everybody else

So she asked her uncle to take her to a nearby town
Where she petitioned the garrison commander
For permission to visit the crown
Though she'd rather have remained home spinning wool by her mother's side
She found a way to lead the Francais, only 17 years beside

Hey sister with your rat tail long
Don't let them try to end your song
You know there's always gonna be people trying to get you down
Wantin' you to be like everybody else

She was captured by the enemy
And brought before the church court
The illiterate peasant girl of the likes none had seen the sort
They convicted her of wearing men's clothing
She said, I only did so that I wouldn't be raped
That's very nice dear, but you're a heretic it's clear
We'll burn you at the stake

Hey sister with your rattail long
Don't let them try to end your song

You know there's always gonna be people trying to get you down
Wanting you to be like everybody else

Overall Meaning

The song "Joan of Arc" by Chadwick Stokes tells the story of Joan of Arc, a brave and determined young girl who heard voices of saints and was inspired to fight for her country, France. In the first verse, the lyrics describe Joan's encounter with three bygone saints in her father's garden when she was only 13 years old. This experience led her to believe that it was her divine purpose to save the king and fight for her country.

The second verse speaks to the challenges Joan faced as a young girl who deviated from societal norms. She had a rat tail hairstyle and refused to conform to the expectations of others who wanted her to be like everybody else. However, Joan remained steadfast in her beliefs and sought out the commander of the garrison to request permission to visit the crown. Ultimately, she found a way to lead the French army at the young age of 17.

The third verse highlights the tragic ending to Joan's story. She was captured by the enemy and brought before a church court. Despite her defense that she wore men's clothing to protect herself from rape, the court convicted her of heresy and burned her at the stake. The lyrics encourage listeners to be true to themselves and not let others try to end their song.

Overall, the song pays tribute to the life and legacy of Joan of Arc, a brave and inspirational historical figure.

Line by Line Meaning

Once in her father's garden at the tender age of 13
When she was very young, in her father's garden, Joan of Arc had a vision of 3 beautiful saints

She saw of vision of 3 figures
Joan of Arc had a vision of three beautiful saints

She knew them to be bygone saints
Joan of Arc recognized the three figures in her vision as saints from the past

And she was so taken by their beauty that she cried when they faded away
The beauty of the saints in Joan of Arc's vision was so moving that she cried when they disappeared

She said I can't stay here, the message they gave was clear
Based on the message from the saints in her vision, Joan of Arc realized she had a mission and could not stay where she was

I must go save the king
Joan of Arc's mission was to save the king of France

Hey sister with your rat tail long
A message to all the sisters with their own unique style, represented by Joan of Arc's rat tail hairstyle

Don't let them try to end your song
Don't let anyone stop you from being yourself and living your own unique life

You know there's always gonna be people trying to get you down
There will always be people who try to bring you down

Wanting you to be like everybody else
They want you to conform and be like everyone else, but it's important to stay true to yourself

So she asked her uncle to take her to a nearby town
Joan of Arc asked her uncle to take her to the town where she could petition the garrison commander for permission to visit the crown

Where she petitioned the garrison commander
When Joan of Arc arrived at the town, she asked the garrison commander to allow her to visit the crown

For permission to visit the crown
Joan of Arc wanted permission to meet the king of France

Though she'd rather have remained home spinning wool by her mother's side
Despite her other desires, Joan of Arc would have preferred to stay home with her mother and spin wool

She found a way to lead the Francais, only 17 years beside
Despite being only 17 years old, Joan of Arc found a way to become a leader of the French army

She was captured by the enemy
Joan of Arc was caught by the opposing army

And brought before the church court
Joan of Arc was brought before the church court for her actions

The illiterate peasant girl of the likes none had seen the sort
Joan of Arc was unique as an illiterate peasant girl doing what she was doing

They convicted her of wearing men's clothing
Joan of Arc was convicted of wearing men's clothing

She said, I only did so that I wouldn't be raped
Joan of Arc claimed her reason for wearing men's clothing was to protect herself from being raped

That's very nice dear, but you're a heretic it's clear
The church court did not accept Joan of Arc's explanation and considered her to be a heretic

We'll burn you at the stake
As a punishment for heresy, Joan of Arc was sentenced to be burned at the stake

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Chad Stokes Urmston

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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