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.
Headlights
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Headlights
Highways
Your life collides with mine
Leavin' our shoes behind
We cross the water
Our words flow
Like fish seeking dark places
The mist covers our traces
Covers our faces
[Repeat: x2]
Headlights
Highways
Your life collides with mine
We're stepping into shelter
Movin' out of shadow
We made some wrong moves
Along the way
Oh we might have strayed
Will I forget your face
And your fluid gait
Or will I stare into the stillness
This is where I miss you
So long to what's done
How come we've gone?
So much time's been wasted
So many thoughts been lost on you
[Repeat: x3]
Headlights
Highways
Your life collides with mine
Cold wind rushes down on my face
Smoke heats the black throat of the chimney
The door is open
Come on inside...
The song Headlights by Dispatch is a melancholic representation of two people's lives colliding and eventually separating as they travel different paths. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and yearning as the two individuals reminiscent about the moments they shared during their time together. The Headlights and Highways symbolize their individual journeys that cross paths, but it's also a metaphor for life's journey. The singer is filled with regret about the wrong decisions they made during the relationship, and they question whether they will forget their former partner's face and attribute or if they will always remember them.
The song's imagery is alluringly somber, and it creates a mood of deep contemplation. The use of mist covering their traces and faces is a metaphor for how memories could easily fade away with time's passage. The bleak imagery is further highlighted by the use of cold wind and smoke imagery. The song's assurance of the door being open and an invitation into the break-up partner's life may imply that both individuals might hook up again in the future or be acquainted at a different level. Overall Headlights is an emotionally poignant song that captures the heart of anyone who's gone through a break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
Headlights
The singer is in a vehicle, the headlights illuminating ahead of them, possibly symbolizing the direction their life is going in.
Highways
The singer is on a highway, which may symbolize their journey through life.
Your life collides with mine
The singer emphasizes the impact people have on each other's lives and how they intersect and affect one another.
Leavin' our shoes behind
The artist is moving forward without pause or hindrance, possibly to a new stage of life.
We cross the water
The artist is traversing through an unknown or uncertain situation, which is akin to moving across turbulent water.
Our words flow / From mouth to mouth
The singer's communication with others is connecting them both, allowing new experiences and understanding to come to light.
Like fish seeking dark places
The singer and their companion are looking for somewhere to go, somewhere they can find peace or sanctuary.
The mist covers our traces / Covers our faces
The artist is leaving behind their past, and the mist is a metaphor for moving forward with a sense of ambiguity or uncertainty, obscuring what's ahead of them
We're stepping into shelter / Movin' out of shadow
The artist is moving towards a more sheltered place, embracing a newfound feeling of security, but also a sense of unknown risk
We made some wrong moves / Along the way
The artist reflects on their past, realizing that they have made mistakes in their life that they cannot undo, but using it as a lesson for moving forward
Oh we might have strayed / Will I forget your face / And your fluid gait / Or will I stare into the stillness / This is where I miss you
The singer is considering the consequences of their actions, realizing that they risk losing someone they cherish, possibly through their own fault or ineptitude.
So long to what's done / How come we've gone? / So much time's been wasted / So many thoughts been lost on you
The artist is lamenting on the past, regretting their decisions negatively impacted their own and others' lives, causing them to ruminate on them excessively.
Cold wind rushes down on my face / Smoke heats the black throat of the chimney
The singer is in a harsh situation, experiencing unpleasant weather and harsh environments. They may also be expressing the contrast between light and dark in life
The door is open / Come on inside...
The singer wants someone to come inside, possibly to offer comfort or relaxation in difficult times.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Joseph Corrigan, Chad Stokes Urmston, Peter Francis Heimbold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@olicool2
Oth saison 1 épisode 6 i m always here ;)
@hollywoodhicks
"As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. And then the moment was gone."
@chynamarley4453
2020 still listening to this 🖤
@bradfordrobinson568
2022 same
@puddingchan6731
One tree hill i love you ♥️
@leannamcclellan6803
Heard this one tree hill good song! ❤️
@DonkiKong59
Leana cox same 😍😍
@Vtrrea
Nov 2020 heard the same. What a good song
@bananaforscale1283
Same
@ElKabong78
I've seen this episode many times. The song stood out to me for the first time, tonight.