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.
Blood
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And not a dime to spare
Playin' on his pawn shop horn
And breathin' into the air
I've got more coal to fire
And another soul to feed
About an hour ago
Her purse was filled
All her silver unsold
Little old lady had a mouth
But nothing to say
Despite her allegiances
She has found a way
Even a bling squirrel needs a nut yea
Do rebut that
And if you open up your mouth
You better shut that
It's never ever gonna go away
"I'm homeless, God bless, good day"
Would that I were you
Would I be free
And would that you were me
Would you burn or flee
The blood is on your hands
You've got it on your feet
Your first is in the air
And somewhere in between
In Dispatch's song Blood, the lyrics depict a series of images of people going about their daily lives, struggling to make ends meet. The first verse speaks of an old man playing his pawn shop horn, trying to make a living through his music while barely earning enough to survive. The second verse introduces a little old lady who leaves a scene with her purse filled with unsold silver. Despite her material possessions, the lyrics suggest that she has nothing to say and finds herself lost in emptiness.
The chorus brings about an interesting entry to the overall narrative of the song as it introduces a seemingly unrelated idea of a "bling squirrel" needing a nut. The line "Do rebut that" challenges the listener to consider whether this imagery has any significance in the context of the song. The final line "It's never ever gonna go away, I'm homeless, God bless, good day" is a profound statement about the cyclical nature of poverty and the lack of control over one's socioeconomic circumstances.
The final verse is a poetic exchange between two characters wondering what it would be like to be each other- the first asking if they would be free if they were in the other's shoes, and the other questioning if the first would burn or flee if they had to live their life. The chorus is repeated one final time, and the last line "and somewhere in between" suggests that there is no easy answer to the question of how to escape the cycle of poverty and inequality.
Overall, Blood is a poignant commentary on the struggles of daily life and the unequal distribution of wealth and resources. The lyrics are written in a way that paints vivid images of characters, and the chorus offers a layered commentary on the complexities of the issue at hand.
Line by Line Meaning
One old man a ten hour day
One elderly man works for ten hours a day, struggling to make ends meet.
And not a dime to spare
He is left with no money to spare even after his toiling labor.
Playin' on his pawn shop horn
He passes his time by playing his worn out trumpet bought from a pawn shop.
And breathin' into the air
Yet another day for him, breathing into the air, trying to keep his hope alive.
I've got more coal to fire
The artist has added responsibilities on his shoulders and he needs more energy to fulfil them.
And another soul to feed
He has another person to take care of, and he wants to ensure that they have enough to stay alive.
Little old lady left the scene
An elderly woman has left the place where the singer is at.
About an hour ago
It happened an hour ago, but it left an impression deep enough for the artist to notice and talk about it.
Her purse was filled
The contents of her purse were valuables to her and suggests that she has some wealth.
All her silver unsold
She didn't sell her silver, perhaps holding onto it with sentimental attachment.
Little old lady had a mouth
Despite being elderly, she had a voice and opinions.
But nothing to say
However, at this time, she didn't have anything to add or express verbally.
Despite her allegiances
Her beliefs and affiliations didn't manifest in her speech or actions during this situation.
She has found a way
In some way or another, the elderly lady has come to an understanding or resolution for moving forward.
Even a bling squirrel needs a nut yea
Everyone has their basic needs, even those who flaunt material possessions.
Do rebut that
There isn't an argument to refute against the truth stated in the previous line.
And if you open up your mouth
Speaking thoughtlessly and carelessly can lead to negative implications.
You better shut that
It is better to stay quiet than to say something worth regretting.
It's never ever gonna go away
The struggles and hardships faced by some individuals may not disappear.
"I'm homeless, God bless, good day"
The phrase "I'm homeless, God bless, good day" emphasizes the unfortunate and desperate situation of the artist regarding their housing insecurity.
Would that I were you
The artist wishes they shared someone else's life compared to their current existence.
Would I be free
The hypothetical situation might be better than what they are experiencing currently.
And would that you were me
Conversely, the singer imagines that the person they want to be, in reality, might have a more challenging situation to confront.
Would you burn or flee
The person they would become in their imaginary universe might experience a difficult situation and must choose between action or inaction.
The blood is on your hands
A phrase that tells the addressee they have the blame resting upon them for contributing to the situation's negative developments.
You've got it on your feet
The blame for the situation is so much that even their feet are stained with it.
Your first is in the air
Perhaps the addressee is signaling in agreement or surrender.
And somewhere in between
Finding middle ground or resolution to move forward can be the ideal solution in this situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Joseph Corrigan, Chad Stokes Urmston, Peter Francis Heimbold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adam Sipes
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