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.
Spades
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my own.
Comin' back,
Comin' home,
The queen of love enters the room,
Silence ensues.
To the king, what have you done with my life?
And the king is in his court,
Counting all his diamonds,
One by one they do fall.
Says the queen,
Our pride the prince of spades is comin' home,
It'd be nice if you could find some time alone.
After all, he's in line for the throne,
For the throne.
And the king is in his court,
Counting all his diamonds,
One by one they do fall.
So now just get up off your ass.
Leave all your treasure behind.
Your son is coming home with you to spend time.
Show him how a good king should be,
And don't ever forget the day
That you turned your back on him and me,
And still I stay,
And still I stay.
And the king is in his court,
The king is in his court,
The king is in his court.
Counting all his diamonds,
One by one they do fall.
In a place where I belong...
on my own.
The song "Spades" by Dispatch is filled with rich, metaphorical storytelling about royalty, love, and family. The opening line "In a place where I belong… on my own" suggests isolation and loneliness. As the song progresses, we see glimpses of a royal family struggling internally with their relationships and power dynamics. The queen of love enters the room and there is a quiet tension. She questions the king, asking what he has done with her life and whether he takes her for a fool or a wife. The king is counting his diamonds, perhaps symbolic of his wealth and power, while his pride and joy, the prince of spades, is returning home. The queen wishes for the prince to spend time alone with his father, hoping that he will learn how to be a good king. Throughout the song, there is a sense of regret and resignation. The singer may be reflecting on their own family situation or observing one they know of, wondering if there could have been a better outcome.
Interestingly, "Spades" was written by the band's bassist, Pete Francis Heimbold, during a time when he was struggling with his own family relationships. Heimbold was adopted and said he never felt like he fit in with his family. The song was released on their 1998 album "Silent Steeples" and became a fan favorite. Dispatch has performed the song live many times and it has been featured in various films and TV shows.
Line by Line Meaning
In a place where I belong...
I feel at ease when I am by myself.
Comin' back,
Returning to a familiar place.
Comin' home,
Returning to a place where one feels at ease.
The queen of love enters the room,
A loving and caring person enters the space.
Silence ensues.
There is a stillness in the air.
To the king, what have you done with my life?
What have you done to guide and shape my existence?
Do you take me for a fool or for a wife?
Do you underestimate me or see me as your equal?
And the king is in his court,
The person in charge is evaluating their situation.
Counting all his diamonds,
Assessing all of their valuable possessions.
One by one they do fall.
Each item has the potential to lose value or be lost over time.
Says the queen,
The caring person speaks up.
Our pride the prince of spades is comin' home,
Our accomplished family member is returning to us.
It'd be nice if you could find some time alone.
It would be beneficial to have some one-on-one time.
After all, he's in line for the throne,
This person has the potential to lead.
For the throne.
In order to assume a position of power and responsibility.
So now just get up off your ass.
Take action and don't just sit there.
Leave all your treasure behind.
Value people and relationships more than material possessions.
Your son is coming home with you to spend time.
Family members will spend quality time together.
Show him how a good king should be,
Exemplify the traits of a wise leader.
And don't ever forget the day
Remember this moment and its significance.
That you turned your back on him and me,
When you neglected us and our needs.
And still I stay,
Despite the hurt, I am still here.
The king is in his court,
The person in charge is evaluating their situation.
Counting all his diamonds,
Assessing all of their valuable possessions.
One by one they do fall.
Each item has the potential to lose value or be lost over time.
In a place where I belong...
I feel at ease when I am by myself.
on my own.
Independently and without the need for others.
Contributed by Xavier O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cBodhi
Got to see Dispatch at Melkweg in Amsterdam years ago. Also in Red Rocks, CO... Chicago many times...a few other places. I've been blessed to see them so many times.. Truly an amazing group
@TreR90
Been one of my favorites to play on the guitar for 10 years now.
@JackAllen-pi2pd
Amen to that
@Peacecore09
I got to sing this onstage at Schuba’s in Chicago with Braddigan! True story,
@MetaLuda28
Jelly! One of my fav songs, takes me back
@iancrawford3732
One of my favorites in general!
@MrRuffle
I take my Caribbean queen on a ride with this jam often. Banger
@branchy5816
This song is so great
@shanehorrox2047
Love this song
@Surfdaearth
What an epic bard