“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.
New Haven
Chadwick Stokes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said it all, said it all, said it all with the look you just gave
You flicker like the street lamp above us
You sat there explaining, in your car while it was raining, how your feelings had faded away
I just kept looking at the shadows of the raindrops fall down your face
We′ve never been perfect, and now here you were, ending it all instead
But now you look straight ahead
I want to be with you
I want to be with you
I want to be with you
Yeah but I'm okay, I can let you go
I can let you go
And so I go back to New Haven where I know, well I think I can save it
But you say if you come, you won′t find me
And I start to feel Poison Ivy
And I want to shed my skin, yeah I want to shed my skin
Oh the life we could've had, oh the life we were in
Cause I want to be with you
I want to be with you
I want to be with you
Yeah but I'm okay, I can let you go
I can let you go
So I go back to New Haven where I know, well I think I can save it
And you say if you come, you won′t find me
And I start to feel Poison Ivy
And I want to shed my skin, I want to shed my skin
Cause I know where you′ve gone, you've gone to look for him
So, I go back to the island where I know, well I think I can find him
And he can be my sweet gentleman farmer,
We′d live out our lives in the waves and the water
But I can't find him anywhere, and I want to shed my skin
Oh the life we could′ve had, oh my life with him
Cause I want to be with you
I want to be with you
I want to be with you
Yeah but I'm okay, I can let you go
What can I, what can I, what can I, what can I say
You said it all, said it all, said it all with the look you just gave
You flicker like the street lamp above us
The song "New Haven" by Chadwick Stokes explores the complex emotions of a breakup. The lyrics depict a conversation between two people in a car, with one person explaining how their feelings have faded away. The other person is left feeling lost and uncertain about what to do next. The imagery of rain and shadows falling on the face of the person who is breaking up adds to the melancholic and reflective theme of the song. The repetition of the phrase "I want to be with you" contrasts with the acknowledgment that the singer can let go of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
What can I, what can I, what can I, what can I say
I don't know what to say or do in this situation
You said it all, said it all, said it all with the look you just gave
Your expression speaks volumes and has conveyed your message clearly
You flicker like the street lamp above us
Your emotions and the atmosphere around us are unstable and unpredictable
You sat there explaining, in your car while it was raining, how your feelings had faded away
You spoke about how you no longer have feelings for me while we were sitting in a car in the rain
I just kept looking at the shadows of the raindrops fall down your face
I couldn't help but notice the tears rolling down your face in the rain
We've never been perfect, and now here you were, ending it all instead
Our relationship has never been flawless, and now you're deciding to end it completely
You always looked up when you were trying not to cry
You tried to hold back your tears and appear strong by looking up
But now you look straight ahead
You're facing the situation head-on and not trying to hide your emotions anymore
I want to be with you
I still have feelings for you and want to be in a relationship with you
Yeah but I'm okay, I can let you go
Even if we can't be together, I'll be fine and can move on
And so I go back to New Haven where I know, well I think I can save it
I'm returning to a familiar place where I believe I can fix our relationship
But you say if you come, you won't find me
You've moved on and won't be there if I come back
And I start to feel Poison Ivy
I feel uncomfortable and itchy, metaphorically like Poison Ivy
And I want to shed my skin, yeah I want to shed my skin
I want to let go of my old self and start anew
Oh the life we could've had, oh the life we were in
I'm reflecting on what our relationship could've been and how it used to be
Cause I know where you've gone, you've gone to look for him
I know you've moved on and are searching for someone else
So, I go back to the island where I know, well I think I can find him
I'm going to another place where I believe I can locate the person you're with
And he can be my sweet gentleman farmer,
I'm imagining a life with a different person, who is kind and outdoorsy
We'd live out our lives in the waves and the water
We'd spend our lives by the ocean and have an idyllic existence
But I can't find him anywhere, and I want to shed my skin
I still cannot find the person I'm looking for and want to start anew
Oh the life we could've had, oh my life with him
I'm once again reflecting on the life I desire but can't seem to achieve
Yeah but I'm okay, I can let you go
Even if I can't find you or the person I want to be with, I'll eventually move on and be okay
Writer(s): Charlie Stokes Urmston
Contributed by Camden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jaredmarshall9439
this entire album will fly under the radar. but us real music fans know what you accomlished with this one chad. kudos sir for making what very well be my aoty. absolutelt beautiful. thank you
@nathanmacgregor475
Sitting here and dealing with it right now. 6 years down. But here we are. Love you chad.
@mikebrunet54
Such a well written song about lost love..and the heartfelt pain it produces ..you are truly an artist that sings songs that are easy to feel .
@juvanile1337
Beautiful
@eastlake93
Amazing. Your songs are journeys. I hear what your putting down brother. The minimalism in production is genius. It allows the rich melodies to flow so freely. I am a first list from All Song Considered. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world. My life is so much better with. Bravo.
@Christian85405
Honest to god I wouldn´t be here today if I hadnt discovered chad all these years ago
@danielkaminske5048
His music has gotten me through some dark times as well friend.
@EricsByd
Chad helps me through the darkest times
@kissdacurbandsmile
Shadow puppets with my Three Year at 3am other night Thanks for a song I can share with my daughter next time shadow puppets One of my favorites 🙏🏽
@jimbittbitter3379
Still such a solid album. Really love the direction Dispatch is headed. Can Stokes right some great music or what? 🔥🔥🔥