The band released Fate's Got A Driver in 1996, toured the US and Europe and took time out to record a new demo. After appearing at numerous major label events, the band were due to sign for Revolution Records, an imprint of Warner Music Group, but a signing freeze just before putting pen to paper thwarted them.
The band returned to the studio in 1998 to record their sophomore album for Doghouse Records, The Moon My Saddle. After several line-up changes which saw Clay Snyder, Curtis Mead and Charlie Walker leave the band, the group promptly broke-up. Their third album, Exit 263, a collection of uncompleted songs, was released independently in 2000 through the band's management company.
The double CD retrospective, Five-Year Diary (which is also the name of a song from Fate's Got A Driver) was released independently in 2002. The album features live tracks and old demo recordings.
The band is playing shows in July 2010 with the Gaslight Anthem and Tim Barry. They are also releasing new material, including a new version of "The South Has Spoiled Me" (originally from their split with Old Pike) featuring vocals by Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem. The new EP is available at http://chamberlain.bandcamp.com/album/raise-it-high
Surrendering the Ghost
Chamberlain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swore I heard your name.
And in the whistle's refrain
Of this evening's train,
I swore I heard your name.
I remember keeping mad hours in the night
Under an honest sky,
At shoulder side by side,
And so did you and I.
Like a bashful boy to shudder
From a ray of light,
A coward by design.
While across this crowded town
There's a girl who bleeds
From open wounds and an open heart.
That's a feeling that I can't afford.
I've been in the dark too long.
These lyrics describe a moment of introspection and regret for the singer. Riding on a train, they hear a sound that reminds them of someone they once knew, and they are transported back to a time when they spent countless hours pursuing their goals and dreams with their partner. They remember feeling fearless and supported, with the whole world laid out before them. However, now the singer feels more like a "coward by design," afraid of confrontation and unwilling to acknowledge their own feelings. Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, another woman is struggling emotionally, but the singer is too wrapped up in their own issues to lend any support. The lyrics hint at a sense of isolation and selfishness, as the singer recognizes their own darkness but struggles to escape it.
The repetition of the phrase "I swore I heard your name" emphasizes the singer's sense of longing and nostalgia. The train, too, is a potent symbol: it carries the singer away from their past, but also serves as a reminder of the journeys they've taken and the places they've been. There's a sense of inevitability to the train's journey, as if it's hurtling towards a predetermined destination no matter what the singer does. The final lines, "That's a feeling that I can't afford / I've been in the dark too long," suggest that the singer is beginning to realize the cost of their own apathy and is ready to confront their fears.
Line by Line Meaning
In the engine hymn of this evening's train,
As the train engine makes a sound tonight, I thought I heard your name.
I swore I heard your name.
I’m almost certain it was your name that I heard.
And in the whistle's refrain of this evening's train,
The sound the whistle makes as the train departs confirmed what I heard earlier.
I remember keeping mad hours in the night
I recall staying up late into the night.
Under an honest sky,
The stars in the sky were shining so bright.
When the world's shadows stood
During the time when darkness enveloped the whole town,
At shoulder side by side,
You and I were standing closely beside each other.
Like a bashful boy to shudder
I was timid and nervous like a young boy.
From a ray of light,
I was afraid of being exposed to the truth and the reality.
A coward by design.
My fears and anxieties have made me a coward by nature.
While across this crowded town there's a girl who bleeds
There is a girl in this town who is suffering and in pain.
From open wounds and an open heart.
Her heart is burdened with problems and heartbreaks.
That's a feeling that I can't afford.
I cannot tolerate or bear that kind of pain and suffering.
I've been in the dark too long.
I have been living my life in the dark for far too long.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADAM J. RUBENSTEIN, DAVID V. MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Simpering Envoy
I remember finding this song on Limewire way back in the day, then losing my old computer and being unable to rememeber who wrote this until many years later. I was so happy to be reunited with it. I wish their album had more songs like this one on it. Also the first song I ever tabbed out by ear and learned to play on bass.
Liam Moran
They're good friends of mine . .Will be meeting for a show in Indy at the Hi Fi in fountain Square . Oct 23rd
Simpering Envoy
@Garfuck I only downloaded DIY music, I swear!
Garfuck
XD Limewire... That's illegal, young man!
Videogamefriedhof
beautiful!
MyStupidWorld
Emo with Country Influences! Nice Thing!
Jara Alves
💪💀
Drain Droid
I like how the website is for sale... for 2k
Monica Heddneck
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