The band originated in the early 1990s as One Fell Swoop, but changed their name to Dispatch in 1996. Chad Urmston, Braddigan, and Pete (Francis) Heimbold, who were all attending Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont comprised the band's lineup throughout their entire career. Their music has drawn on several influences, such as acoustic folk-rock, reggae, and funk.
Dispatch gained much recognition outside of New England, without any help from a label, and stuck together long enough to release seven albums, three of which were live performances. During concerts, the band had been known to improvise upon their album releases, often resulting in a song ending in twice the length of the original. The group was also fond of switching instruments and vocal duties when playing live.
Upon the announcement of its break-up in 2002, the band scheduled one final concert. The free show was performed at the Hatch Shell in Boston on July 31, 2004. "The Last Dispatch," as it was referred, is said to be the largest concert in independent music history; roughly 110,000 fans from over 20 different countries attended the show. Parts of the performance were released as a CD/DVD two-disc set later that year, entitled All Points Bulletin, along with an earlier show in Somerville, Massachusetts.
All three of the band's members are currently still in the music industry. Urmston is now the frontman of State Radio, while Corrigan (now credited as Braddigan, a nickname by which he was known since his time with Dispatch) and Heimbold (now credited as Pete Francis, his middle name) are succesfully pursuing solo efforts.
After the song Elias, written by Urmston after his experience living and teaching in Zimbabwe, the "Elias Fund" was formed to send children from the ravaged country to college.
Dispatch came out with a movie entitled "Last Dispatch" in July 2005, which documents their final 12 days together as a band and tells the story of how they became "the band that redefined independent music history". The film was released and previewed in Boston. Chad, Brad, and Pete attended the showing and celebrated throughout the weekend with their fans.
On December 22, 2005, Corrigan helped to organize a benefit concert, known as the Relief Project, at Irving Plaza in New York, New York. Along with several other performers, Corrigan invited Heimbold and State Radio to play. The three reunited very briefly, playing the song Here We Go as an encore. Corrigan stated there that he plans further Relief Project concerts featuring all three and perhaps sometime in 2007, a major Dispatch reunion concert.
Entitled "Dispatch: Zimbabwe", Dispatch arranged for one show in Madison Square Garden, with all the money sent towards relief efforts in Zimbabwe. Originally billed as a one show deal on July 14, Dispatch was surprised how quickly this first show sold out and set two more shows for the 13 and 15. After all three shows sold out, Dispatch announced another smaller show on July 11th at Webster Hall in New York, where they made their comeback debut to great success.
Dispatch had a second set of reunion concerts beginning at Red Rocks amphitheater in Denver, Colorado on June 3, 4, and 5th, 2011. These performances launched a reunion tour around the US and the release of their Dispatch EP on May 17th.
In 2017, the band released the song, "Only The Wild Ones" from their album, America, Location 12.
5/4
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here we go
Leave it on the back burner
Take it to the dry town
I got the mean time slippin' down
The slide some uptight right wing,
Political homicide, do what you want,
Southpaw, flip it on the grill
Bourgeoise, protocol
Bottoms up boys this is the last call
Happy hour doesn't last too long
You know it never does
So I sit here on a bar stool looking at
The sky got a buck and a quarter
And a bucket full or rye
Don't step out of line you'll get time
In the brig don't yield to the mighty
You got your own dirt to dig
[CHORUS]
my and my flea bag friends we ran
To have our own feast of Crispan
Murphy was there with number 22
They were got caught in the middle
Of a coup, you will
Lose me if I don't lose you
we haven't chosen
Anyone of you to condemn
So make your decision and chose you
Side or let us begin
steeped in knowledge
I'll step from the board
Down to the speak easy
With my double-edged sword
You know the deal
You got to spin the wheel
I heard the heavens are full of sevens
But as matter of fact
You know that cat suicide jack
He don't play like that
Truth is he don't really play at all
The song “5/4 Here We Go” by Dispatch is filled with metaphor and allusions that convey themes of rebellion, societal pressure, and the importance of individualism. The chorus urges listeners to “Leave it on the back burner” and “Take it to the dry town,” implying that one shouldn’t worry about societal pressures or conform to societal norms. The concept of rebellion is further exemplified in the line “The mean time slippin’ down the slide some uptight right wing, political homicide, do what you want,” which suggests a desire to break free from the confines of strict political ideologies and oppressive societal norms.
Dispatch also critiques the bourgeoisie in this song, portraying them as obsessed with protocol and only interested in happy hour. This is evident in the line, “Bourgeoise, protocol, bottoms up boys this is the last call, Happy hour doesn't last too long, You know it never does.” The use of the word “brig” further implies a subversive nature in the lyrics, as it suggests imprisonment or confinement.
The verse that discusses “Crispan Murphy” adds another layer to the song. Crispan Murphy was an 18th-century Irishman who led a rebellion against British rule. Here, Dispatch uses his name as a metaphor for rebellion against societal norms, and the line “They were got caught in the middle of a coup, you will, Lose me if I don't lose you” suggests that the singer is willing to fight against societal norms alongside others, even if it means losing those who aren’t willing to do the same.
Overall, “5/4 Here We Go” is a song about individualism and rebellion against societal norms. Dispatch critiques the bourgeoisie and hierarchical structures by urging listeners to break free from these confines. The song also pays homage to historical figures who fought against oppressive regimes, linking the desire to rebel to larger, historical movements.
Line by Line Meaning
Here we go
We are about to start on a new adventure or journey
Leave it on the back burner
Don't worry about it just yet, put it aside for now
Take it to the dry town
Let's go somewhere new and exciting where we can have some fun
I got the mean time slippin' down
Time is passing by quickly and I don't want to waste it
The slide some uptight right wing, Political homicide, do what you want, Take what you will, take it in like a Southpaw, flip it on the grill
There are some very serious and dangerous situations going on, but we should try to have a good time despite it all
Bourgeoise, protocol
We are acting like high-class society with all these rules and etiquette
Bottoms up boys this is the last call
We need to finish our drinks because the bar is closing soon
Happy hour doesn't last too long, You know it never does
Our time to relax and enjoy ourselves is always limited and fleeting
So I sit here on a bar stool looking at, The sky got a buck and a quarter, And a bucket full or rye
I am spending my time in this bar, looking out the window, drinking cheap whiskey
Don't step out of line you'll get time, In the brig don't yield to the mighty, You got your own dirt to dig
Don't break the rules or you will be punished, but you should also take responsibility for your own actions
my and my flea bag friends we ran, To have our own feast of Crispan
My group of friends and I went out to have our own fun and celebration
Murphy was there with number 22, They were got caught in the middle, Of a coup, you will
One of our friends got caught up in the middle of some political upheaval
Lose me if I don't lose you
We are both taking risks, but if we don't end up on the same side, we may lose each other
we haven't chosen, Anyone of you to condemn, So make your decision and chose you, Side or let us begin
We are not blaming anyone, but we need to make a choice and move forward
steeped in knowledge, I'll step from the board, Down to the speak easy, With my double-edged sword
I am quite knowledgeable and will use my wit and intelligence to navigate any tricky situations that arise
You know the deal
You understand the situation we're in
You got to spin the wheel
We have to take chances and see what happens
I heard the heavens are full of sevens, But as matter of fact, You know that cat suicide jack, He don't play like that, Truth is he don't really play at all
Some things seem too good to be true, and we should be wary of promises that sound too good to be true
Here we go
We are setting off on a new adventure
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vegaspsycho
I'd like to see any modern band make a song in 5/4 time.