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.

Fallin'
Dispatch Lyrics

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Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again

Does anybody know this man?
Anybody understand
How long the road it is we've come to date?
Days wrapped in this silence
Wonder what is this violence

Keep his mouth locked shut and tongue at bay

Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again

You're an ever question,
You is there a lesson?
Story wrapped so tight, that you need to share
You got trusted ears of strangers
Escaped your recent dangers
So tell me what in this life we need be ware

Please excuse my insolence
I do nothing here to offend
Though my eyes don't blink, yes my mind does think
In you I found a friend

Please accept my innocence
I do nothing more this day
Hours lost, you were the cost I that I knew would surely pay

Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again

Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again

Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again

Overall Meaning

The song "Fallin'" by Dispatch talks about the struggles of life and how we often fall down metaphorical mountains, only to climb back up again. The opening lines "Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again" set the tone for the song. It is a powerful metaphor that resonates with anyone who has experienced hardship or difficult times in their life. The repetition of the line, "once again" emphasizes the cyclical nature of life, and how we can be faced with challenges again and again.

The song's narrator seems to be struggling with some inner turmoil, wondering if anyone understands the journey he has been on. "Does anybody know this man? / Anybody understand / How long the road it is we've come to date?" The verses go on to highlight the internal conflict that the singer faces, with days wrapped in silence, and wondering about the violence that he senses. In the second verse, the singer questions whether there is a lesson to be learned, and whether the story needs to be shared.

The chorus repeats the opening lines, emphasizing the common experience of falling down and getting back up again. The final verse is a plea for understanding and forgiveness, with the singer asking for forgiveness for any accidental offense, and saying that he values the friendship that he has found.

Overall, "Fallin'" is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the human experience of falling down and getting back up again. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, making it a memorable song that resonates with many listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Fallin', I am fallin' down the mountain, once again
I am descending the mountain, I have fallen before and I am falling again, repeating my mistake.

Does anybody know this man?
Does anyone recognize this person?

Anybody understand How long the road it is we've come to date?
Does anyone comprehend the distance we have traveled so far?

Days wrapped in this silence
Many days spent in quiet

Wonder what is this violence
Pondering what this aggression is

Keep his mouth locked shut and tongue at bay
Not speaking, holding back words

You're an ever question,
You pose continuous queries

You is there a lesson?
You ask if there is a moral to this story

Story wrapped so tight, that you need to share
The tale is so tightly wound that it must be shared

You got trusted ears of strangers
You have the listened to by the ears of trusted individuals unknown to you

Escaped your recent dangers
You have evaded danger in the past