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.
Come to me
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't shake my constellation
I've been riding out, holding time
Man, I got so lost
At such a cost
I let you down
See the love shining down on you
Come to me
Come to me
Before you need it
Come to me
Come to me
Before you need it
Before you need it
Underneath it all
I cashed in my chips to win
I thought I looked so steady
Baby, I was ready
What a fight, I lost it
See the love shining down on you
Tell me things only we can do
Come to me
Come to me
Before you need it
Come to me
Come to me
Before you need it
Before you need it
I'm always up in the clouds
I don't want to come down
I'm always up in the clouds
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
I don't want to come down
The lyrics to Dispatch's song "Come to Me" are about a lost love and the singer's desire for their partner to come back to them before they realize they need it. The first verse mentions the idea of being under a spell and not wanting to shake the constellation or the stars that guide and define one's path. The singer has been riding out, holding time, and trying to find their way back to the person they let down. The line "what a fight, I lost it" suggests that there was conflict in the relationship that the singer wasn't able to overcome, leading to the breakup.
The chorus encourages the partner to come back to the singer before they need it, as if the singer knows that eventually, they will realize they want to be with them again. The repetition of "before you need it" emphasizes this idea, while the line "tell me things only we can do" suggests that there were unique moments and inside jokes that were special to their relationship.
The second verse mentions how the singer cashed in their chips to win, which could mean they sacrificed something important to them, perhaps their pride or a certain way of living, to hold onto the relationship. But ultimately, they lost "the fight." The repeated "I don't want to come down" in the end shows the singer's desire to stay in a state of fantasy or denial about the end of the relationship.
Overall, the lyrics to "Come to Me" convey a sense of longing and regret, while also acknowledging that it may be too late to fix things.
Line by Line Meaning
Cast a spell on me
Please make me feel something magical and extraordinary.
Don't shake my constellation
Please don't cause chaos or confusion in my life.
I've been riding out, holding time
I've been enduring the passage of time, hoping for a better life.
Man, I got so lost
I was lost and directionless, not knowing where to go next in my life.
At such a cost
It cost me a lot of pain and suffering.
I let you down
I disappointed you with my actions, and I regret it.
See the love shining down on you
Recognize the presence of love and goodness in your life.
Tell me things only we can do
Let's share a unique bond and experiences only we can have together.
Come to me
Please come to me when you need me, I am always here for you.
Before you need it
Don't wait until you are desperate or in trouble, come to me now.
Underneath it all
Despite my public persona and actions, there is a deeper side to me.
I cashed in my chips to win
I took a risk to achieve something I wanted, and I succeeded.
I thought I looked so steady
I thought I appeared confident and in control, but inside, I was struggling.
Baby, I was ready
I felt prepared and capable of facing any challenge or obstacle.
What a fight, I lost it
Even though I tried my best, I ultimately failed in my efforts.
I'm always up in the clouds
I am often lost in thought and daydreaming.
I don't want to come down
I don't want to return to reality and face my problems.
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
- The•Last•Crow -
This song is one of their most tripped out songs in my opinion.
kendog84
Ending of this song always reminds me of State Radio's Fall of the American Empire. I love both!
Marshall Mistry
state radio was formed by the singer of dispatch (chad stokes)!