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.
Craze
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you learn to dance
most people they just go on
doing what they can
dont you know, dont you know
one feeds the monster
one feeds the soul
and he was sitting on his cracked land
dont you know hes tuning the wheel of everyday
and hes afraid of what he cant see
was it in the fire or the photograph
if its hard, its gunna get harder
if its hard, its gunna get harder
cause the babys crying
as the old man sighs
and the babys crying
as the old man sighs
would you go
would you try to look a man in the eye
learn to see the old man
and his cracked land
hes turning the wheel of everyday
you learn to see the old man
and his cracked land
hes turning th wheel of everyday
hes afraid of what he cant see
hes afraid of what he cant see
hes afraid of what he cant see
was it in the fire or the photograph
well if its hard, its gunna get harder
if its hard, its gunna get harder
cause the babys crying
as the old man sighs
well the babys crying
as the old man sighs
the babys crying
the children scream
the old man sighs as I begin to dream
the babys crying
the children laugh
the old man sighs as I take that path
-repeat-
learn to see the old man
and his cracked land
hes turning the wheel of everyday
you learn to see the old man
and his cracked land
hes turning th wheel of everyday
hes afraid of what he cant see
hes afraid of what he cant see
hes afraid of what he cant see
was it in the fire or the photograph
The lyrics of Dispatch's song "Craze" seem to convey a message of learning to see and understand the everyday struggles of others, particularly that of an old man in a cracked land. The song talks about how most people just go on doing what they can, not realizing that they can either feed the monster or feed the soul. This possibly refers to how people can either choose to indulge in the negative aspects of life or choose to focus on the good and positive things.
The line "was it in the fire or the photograph" could be interpreted as a reference to a person's past, and how it can either haunt them or remind them of good memories. The song also references a crying baby and an old man sighing, possibly symbolizing the continuous cycle of struggle and hardship across generations. The lyrics emphasize the importance of learning to see and empathize with others, knowing that their struggles may affect us all.
Overall, "Craze" urges listeners to be more aware and compassionate towards others, recognizing that everyone has their own battles to fight. It serves as a reminder that while life can be hard, we can choose to focus on the positive and make a difference by choosing to feed the soul.
Line by Line Meaning
craze a chance
Take a chance and embrace the madness of life
you learn to dance
Through experiencing life, you will learn how to navigate it
most people they just go on
doing what they can
Many people go through life doing what is expected of them without really thinking about their experiences
dont you know, dont you know
one feeds the monster
one feeds the soul
Every action you take can either fuel the negative aspects of life or increase your spiritual growth
learn to see the old man
and he was sitting on his cracked land
Look beyond the surface and try to understand the struggles of the older generation
dont you know hes tuning the wheel of everyday
and hes afraid of what he cant see
was it in the fire or the photograph
The elderly have their own set of worries and concerns about the unknown and unresolved issues in their lives
if its hard, its gunna get harder
cause the babys crying
as the old man sighs
Life is full of challenges and difficulties, and sometimes it can be hard to find comfort or solutions
would you go
would you try to look a man in the eye
Are you willing to confront the harsh realities of life and seek out truth?
the babys crying
the children scream
the old man sighs as I begin to dream
the babys crying
the children laugh
the old man sighs as I take that path
Life is full of ups and downs, happiness and sadness, and it can be difficult to know which path to take
you learn to see the old man
and his cracked land
hes turning the wheel of everyday
hes afraid of what he cant see
Despite the difficulties in life, we can still try to understand the struggles of the older generation and appreciate the challenges they face every day
was it in the fire or the photograph
When looking back on life, it can be hard to differentiate what memories are true and which ones are idealized
Contributed by Joshua P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kylerwoods
HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD THIS???