Dispatch is an American indie-roots band founded in 1996 in Middlebury, Ver… Read Full Bio ↴Dispatch is an American indie-roots band founded in 1996 in Middlebury, Vermont.

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.

Bridges
Dispatch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The furrowed bed of sand worries again.
As it had before, waves left the land.
Before the tide leaves the child weeping alone.
Letting go of the anchors and all the lines.

[Chorus:]

Waiting for the fingers of the grey wave.

Or his mother hands to roll over him,
With endless water, ten thousand bridges,
show me father...

Now, I'm older now, much older.
And this wake can take me out to sea,
I feel the pull beneath my feet.

But I can see her, she is calling me.
I can feel her there, I can feel her there.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Dispatch’s song “Bridges” are a powerful metaphor for life and the transitions we go through. The song starts off with a depiction of an anxiety-inducing scenario, one where the tide is coming in and the waves are washing away the sand. The child in this scenario is powerless to stop the tide and is left alone, waiting for the inevitable. This is representative of the helplessness we feel when our lives are changing, and there’s nothing we can do to stop it.

The chorus introduces another metaphor - that of the “grey wave”. The grey wave can be seen as a metaphor for death, and the “endless water, ten thousand bridges” represents the journey beyond life. The line “show me father” could be a request for guidance and support during this transition. In the second verse, the lyrics reveal that the singer is older and has survived past experiences that have made them feel as if they were being pulled out to sea. But despite feeling the pull of the waves, they can still feel the presence of their loved one, who is encouraging them to continue on.

Overall, the song speaks to the inevitability of change and the transitions we go through in life. It’s a powerful reminder to stay resilient and to trust in the support of our loved ones during difficult times.

Line by Line Meaning

The furrowed bed of sand worries again.
The beach is unsettled by the constant coming and going of the ocean waves.

As it had before, waves left the land.
The waves have come and gone before, causing the beach to change every time.

Before the tide leaves the child weeping alone.
Before the tide goes out, leaving the child standing there afraid and alone.

Letting go of the anchors and all the lines.
Releasing all ties and things that prevent the author from going with the tides.

Waiting for the fingers of the grey wave.
Waiting for the comforting touch of the ocean waves to provide a sense of security and belonging.

Or his mother hands to roll over him,
Yearning for the embrace of a motherly figure, both literal and metaphorical.

With endless water, ten thousand bridges,
A vast expanse of water, as if it were a network of bridges connecting everything together.

show me father...
An expression of longing for paternal guidance in navigating the rough seas of life.

Now, I'm older now, much older.
The author has aged and matured with time.

And this wake can take me out to sea,
The memories and lessons of the past can guide the author on their journey through life.

I feel the pull beneath my feet.
The constant call of the ocean and change, motivating the author to move forward and embrace new experiences.

But I can see her, she is calling me.
Despite the pull of new experiences, the author sees and yearns for the comfort of home and familiarity represented by the woman in their mind.

I can feel her there, I can feel her there.
The author is comforted by the thought of home and belonging, even as they venture into new and unfamiliar waters.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Joseph Corrigan, Chad Stokes Urmston, Peter Francis Heimbold

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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