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.
Ghost Town
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See factory walls are crumbling, now all the coins missing from the fountain
Old brick, old pine, hewed from trees from another time
Used to hang out at the depot when they came in,
Freight trains full of lumber from the mountain
Now we’re living in a ghost town
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
My dad, since 18, steel plant, near main street
Savin’ money so he can ask the young waitress, the one with the red hair who's always anxious
Clocked in, 4 kids, piled up on the horse hair mattress
30 years at the forgery working, got a notice that the factory was closing
Now we’re living in a ghost town
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see the money all but left now
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see See see see…
But i’m still here, most of us are
There's no happiness here, except for the kind you can score
Now folks my age dropping like flies
Can’t stop once they get a hit of the good life
Now we’re living in a ghost town
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see the money all but left now
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see the money all but left now
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see See see see…
The lyrics for Dispatch's song Ghost Town tells the story of a town that has been abandoned by the economy and the people who once lived there. The opening lines convey the message of how difficult times have caused jobs to disappear, and the factory walls are now crumbling. The coins missing from the fountain suggest that there is no more luck to be had in this town. The mention of old brick and old pine hued from trees from another time describes the nostalgia of how the town was built from scratch and how it used to thrive. People used to hang out at the depot waiting for freight trains to arrive with lumber from the mountain, but now it's empty - the town is a shadow of what it once was.
The second verse delves into the story of one of the town's inhabitants, the songwriter's father, who had spent thirty years working at the forgery. Despite having four kids, he had managed to save and planned to ask out a young waitress who had red hair and always seemed anxious. However, his plans were ruined when he received news that the factory was closing down. The closing of the factory meant that the town was heading towards its inevitable end, becoming a ghost town.
The choruses emphasize that the town is now a ghost town, essentially abandoned, with the money and people disappearing. The songwriter mentions that most of the town's inhabitants are still there, but there is no joy left except for the kind that can be found through drugs. And, to make it worse, life expectancy among his peers is dropping rapidly. The song's overall message is that the town has been forgotten and left for dead due to economic factors.
Line by Line Meaning
Hard times, wages, gone with the ages
The difficult times and low salaries that were prevalent in the past are still affecting the present.
See factory walls are crumbling, now all the coins missing from the fountain
The state of the factories and the empty fountain indicate that the town's economy has declined significantly.
Old brick, old pine, hewed from trees from another time
The town's buildings and structures are remnants from the past, symbolizing the town's inability to keep up with the times.
Used to hang out at the depot when they came in, Freight trains full of lumber from the mountain
The railroad used to bring commerce and new materials to the town, but it no longer has that effect.
Now we’re living in a ghost town
The town is now basically deserted, with little activity or life.
My dad, since 18, steel plant, near main street
The singer's father worked at the steel plant, which was once a large source of employment in the area.
Savin’ money so he can ask the young waitress, the one with the red hair who's always anxious
The father had a specific goal in mind, saving up money to ask a waitress out.
Clocked in, 4 kids, piled up on the horse hair mattress
The father's work and family life were intertwined, with a large family packed in a small space.
30 years at the forgery working, got a notice that the factory was closing
After dedicating so many years to his job, the father lost it all when the factory closed down.
But i’m still here, most of us are
Despite the town's decline, the artist has remained and many others have as well.
There's no happiness here, except for the kind you can score
The singer suggests that people in the town are only finding happiness through temporary escapes like drugs and alcohol.
Now folks my age dropping like flies
The artist notes that many people of his age are dying off at a faster rate than normal.
Can’t stop once they get a hit of the good life
People in the town are likely to get hooked on escape mechanisms once they indulge for the first time.
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see the money all but left now
The town's economic system has collapsed, and residents can see the results everywhere.
Now we’re living in a ghost town, see See see see…
The refrain repeats the previous lines, emphasizing the overall message of the song.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Corrigan, Chad Urmston, Peter Heimbold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dannielrb
DISPATCH Hey Chad, great song, glad it made it onto the album! Also glad you posted this, I've been listening to the end over and over trying to work out the lyrics of the counter melody. There's more to it though, right? This is what I have:
Now turn around, don't start my brother,
We've come from so far,
Can we go back in time?
You'll die inside.
Close? :)
Also, I'd just like to say, I saw you in the UK, first time ever (well, I saw you play with State Radio in London 7 or so years ago too)! Travelled from Armenia (land of Maddog) just to see you, missed my flight back, long story, but it was still 200% worth it! Been listening to you guys for 15 years, thought I'd never have the chance to see you, so I jumped at the opportunity! Great work, amazing concert, fantastic album! Keep it up! Maybe consider a venue in the Caucasus next time? :)
@misterros94
Chords if anyone wants them:
Verse:
F, Gm, Bb, C
Chorus:
F, Am, Dm, Bb
Bridge ("But I'm still here...")
F, C, Bb, F, C
Gm, Bb, Bb, C (stay on C until the final chorus starts)
This is by ear, some might be wrong
@DISPATCHOFFICIAL
"Ghost Town" was a last minute addition to the album. We were already out in California at Stinson Beach and Brad half jokingly asked if I had anything come up in the last week or so. I said I had a really short simple song and that i could play him the demo if he liked. Dragonetti and Sawitzke liked the description as a bunch of the tunes were long and had illusive choruses. We went down to the console room and I played them the demo — my heart was pounding at the time... It can be nerve wracking presenting songs because even if you really believed in the tune, if none of the guys connect with it then it doesn’t see the light of day — part of the deal when you’re in a band.
It was written about the de-industrialization of many of our towns and small cities in this country. Mill cities and factory towns that now are left barren and boarded up. Jobs dry up but a lot of people don’t have the money to go somewhere else and start new. One generation grows up in an empty town, completely different from the bustle that generations before them knew. A lot of these young folks find their way to opioids to escape the reality - that’s lead to a lot of young people in the town graveyard. The song ends with low counter melody with one saying to another “Don't start my brother, we’ve come from so far” - pleading with a friend not to start using again.
@dannielrb
DISPATCH Hey Chad, great song, glad it made it onto the album! Also glad you posted this, I've been listening to the end over and over trying to work out the lyrics of the counter melody. There's more to it though, right? This is what I have:
Now turn around, don't start my brother,
We've come from so far,
Can we go back in time?
You'll die inside.
Close? :)
Also, I'd just like to say, I saw you in the UK, first time ever (well, I saw you play with State Radio in London 7 or so years ago too)! Travelled from Armenia (land of Maddog) just to see you, missed my flight back, long story, but it was still 200% worth it! Been listening to you guys for 15 years, thought I'd never have the chance to see you, so I jumped at the opportunity! Great work, amazing concert, fantastic album! Keep it up! Maybe consider a venue in the Caucasus next time? :)
@K1loWh1skey
DISPATCH. Lovin yall
@neiltillapaugh8847
Wonderful, cant wait to see you with Nahko red rocks
@kesherman3065
I love this song
@misterros94
Chords if anyone wants them:
Verse:
F, Gm, Bb, C
Chorus:
F, Am, Dm, Bb
Bridge ("But I'm still here...")
F, C, Bb, F, C
Gm, Bb, Bb, C (stay on C until the final chorus starts)
This is by ear, some might be wrong
@GregPorterOPS44
Absolutely great song.
@valsmith7993
what a unique sound ❤❤❤❤
@MichaelWilliams-ki9kg
This song is 150% Youngstown Ohio. Once a thriving industrial center of steel production, now one of the poorest cities in the country with an enormous opiod problem and no jobs. But the people are resilient and fighting to save it, which to their credit, is a monumental task.
@QBG
Reminds me of the lyrical tone of Billy Joel's Allentown.