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.

Railway
Dispatch Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.

Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.

so all of a sudden I'm facing a
raging river that passed me by
do I turn around, do I turn my eye
to the sun in the apex of the high high noon
I'm on a flatbed yellow pick up
underneath a half moon

cut me cut me some slack jack and jump in
the back if you can't handle the candle
then you can't handle the wax
you're just going to get sacked
it's as simple as that

but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river in
a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must give her
can I get some

Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think i heard you yeah

down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train

down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train

she was a black-tie bomb shell
out of Bombay
she was easy on the eyes
so I had nothing' to say
she said take the water to the
leprechaun man you got till the bell
rings three, do you understand

a little piece of me wants to go
I don't know
turn around what do ya do
I don't know
look at me and what do ya do
i don't know

ding dong ding that's the bell
and I know you know I know
I don't know you very well
but if I did, I would proove
and hit the ground running
but I don't and I won't
so you got another thing coming

he kicked up the river
with a flick of his wrist
I popped him in the kisser
'cause I couldn't resist
I said to my side kick
I'm up to my high wick
and now I'm getting a little homesick

but before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some

before I know it
I'm going down this itty bitty river
in a boat a little bigger
than a bath tub
my bones begin to shiver
'cause I'm aching to deliver
this water that I must giver her
can I get some

Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Yeah, yeah i think i heard you,
Oh lord i think i heard you.
I think I heard you yeah

down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train

down by the railway station
people moving a new direction
take a ticket from who you can
then drive that train

Driving, driving i said now
driving, driving i said now
driving, driving
you got to drive your train.
Riding, riding i said now
riding, riding i said now
riding, riding
you got to ride your train.

yeah yeah

Overall Meaning

"Railway" by Dispatch seems to be a song about a journey, both physical and metaphorical, with the lyrics filled with imagery of rivers, boats, and trains. The singer seems unsure of what path to take as they are faced with a raging river, and later given a task to take water to a leprechaun man before the bell rings. The repetition of the phrase "Yeah, yeah, I think I heard you, oh Lord, I think I heard you" suggests a sense of confusion and uncertainty that is emphasized by the singer's inability to make a decision or know what to do. The song seems to be about the process of figuring out one's own path and making sense of what the universe is telling them.

The song's chorus seems to echo the idea of figuring out which direction to take, with the suggestion to "take a ticket from who you can, then drive that train." The lyrics seem to be a metaphor for the journey of life, with the train representing the path people take, and the tickets representing the choices people make. The lyrics also suggest that people should trust others to lead them in the right direction, rather than relying solely on their own decision-making abilities.

The use of repetition in the song's lyrics, as well as the repeated "yeah yeah" at the end of each verse and the chorus, creates a sense of rhythm and urgency that matches the song's upbeat tempo. Musically, "Railway" features a catchy guitar riff and strong percussion that enhances the song's sense of movement and journey.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, yeah i think i heard you
Acknowledging that something has been heard

Oh lord i think i heard you
Acknowledging the importance of what has been heard

so all of a sudden I'm facing a raging river that passed me by
Suddenly facing a challenge that has been previously ignored

do I turn around, do I turn my eye to the sun in the apex of the high high noon
Wondering if it is better to face the challenge or ignore it

I'm on a flatbed yellow pick up underneath a half moon
Setting the scene of being in an unfamiliar place

cut me cut me some slack jack and jump in the back if you can't handle the candle then you can't handle the wax you're just going to get sacked it's as simple as that
Asking for leniency and acknowledging own limitations

but before I know it I'm going down this itty bitty river in a boat a little bigger than a bath tub my bones begin to shiver 'cause I'm aching to deliver this water that I must give her can I get some
Suddenly being thrust into a difficult situation but feeling the importance of the task at hand

down by the railway station people moving a new direction take a ticket from who you can then drive that train
Observing others moving forward in a new direction and taking initiative to do the same

she was a black-tie bomb shell out of Bombay she was easy on the eyes so I had nothing' to say she said take the water to the leprechaun man you got till the bell rings three, do you understand
Recounting a situation involving an attractive woman and receiving a task to complete

a little piece of me wants to go I don't know turn around what do ya do I don't know look at me and what do ya do i don't know
Feeling uncertain about what to do and seeking guidance

ding dong ding that's the bell and I know you know I know I don't know you very well but if I did, I would proove and hit the ground running but I don't and I won't so you got another thing coming
Not being fully prepared to take on a task but recognizing the need to do so

he kicked up the river with a flick of his wrist I popped him in the kisser 'cause I couldn't resist I said to my side kick I'm up to my high wick and now I'm getting a little homesick
Getting sidetracked from the task at hand and feeling a bit of homesickness

Driving, driving i said now driving, driving i said now driving, driving you got to drive your train. Riding, riding i said now riding, riding i said now riding, riding you got to ride your train.
Encouragement to take control and move forward with determination

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Joseph Corrigan, Chad Stokes Urmston, Peter Francis Heimbold

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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