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.
The General
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respect for fame
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry and dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from that night to tell what he had seen
And walked slowly out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
And it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fair
Till the old general told them to go home
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven
But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head
He then prepared to fight
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting, no
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living, yeah
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, hey (go now you are forgiven)
The song "The General" by Dispatch tells a story of a decorated general who is respected by his men due to his heroic deeds from past battles. He is described as being a man with a heart of gold who tells stories of legends and past battles that he has won and lost. However, on the eve of a great battle, the general had a dream that made him change his mind about leading his men into battle. He declares that he has seen the mothers of his enemies and that the fight is not worth fighting. He urges his men to go home and live their lives, but they are confused by his contradictory orders.
Despite the general's orders to go home, the men remain standing with their guns on their shoulders. The general then decides to fight alongside them. The song highlights the complexity of war and its impact on individuals. The general is torn between his duty as a leader to fight in the battle, and his moral conscience to spare the lives of his men. The lyrics, “I have seen the others, and I have discovered that this fight is not worth fighting” suggests that the general has come to the realization that the enemy soldiers are not so different from his own soldiers and that war only brings about pain and sorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a decorated General with a heart of gold
The General being referred to is a person who was highly respected by many people because of his good deeds.
That likened him to all the stories he told
The General's stories were numerous and full of meaning that people could relate to.
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
The stories that the General narrates are either about the wars he fought and won, those that he lost or well-known stories of olden days.
A seasoned veteran in his own time
The General was a person who had been in service for a long time and had gained a lot of experience and respect from his actions and words.
On the battlefield he gained respect for fame
The General was always brave and showed exceptional courage while in the battlefield, thus earning him medals and respect.
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
The General had numerous military honors, medals of bravery, and achievements that distinguished him among his colleagues.
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
The General did not want to be reminded of the pain he had gone through. The beard he grew was to cover his scars, which were physical reminders of past battles fought.
And always urged his men on
The General was always encouraging his soldiers to do better, work harder, and be courageous, which motivated them to carry out their duties efficiently.
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry and dream
The night before the great battle, the General dreamt of something that he did not like, and it made him restless.
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
The dream unsettled the General so much that he could not even sleep properly; he was tossing and turning, trying to make sense of what he had seen.
He awoke from that night to tell what he had seen
The General woke up, and he wanted to share the dream he had with his soldiers.
And walked slowly out of his tent
The General walked out of the tent slowly, lost deep in thought.
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
When the General walked towards his men, they were standing tall and were proud because they were waiting for him to give them direction and instill courage in them.
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
The men waiting for the General to address them were courageous; they had their hearts ignited with hope and were eagerly awaiting a decision from the General.
And it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fair
Morning had come, and it was still unclear what the General would say or decide about the battle. The soldiers were apprehensive about what lay ahead.
Till the old general told them to go home
When the General spoke, he gave a surprising instruction that they should all go home unexpectedly.
I have seen the others
The General is trying to explain to his soldiers what he saw in his dream.
And I have discovered
The General is confessing to his soldiers that he has realized something crucial.
That this fight is not worth fighting
The General thinks that what they were about to fight for was not worth it.
And I've have seen their mothers
The General saw that the other soldiers in their enemy's base were also human beings with families and mothers - not just enemies to fight.
And I will no other
The General says he is not willing to lead his men into this battle because he knows it is not worth it.
To follow me where I'm going
The General is not sure of the way forward, and he cannot ask his soldiers to follow him blindly.
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
The General is offering his men some advice using words they can quickly understand.
You got no time to lose
He is telling his soldiers that there is no time to waste, and they have to do what must be done immediately.
You are young men, you must be living
The General is encouraging his men to focus on their lives because what they were about to fight for was not worth it. There was no need to risk their lives for no good reason.
But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
The soldiers were motionless and silent even after hearing the General's words.
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The soldiers were confused because they did not know whether to follow the General's advice or obey the order to fight.
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The General has decided to do what he wanted and not lead his men into the battle he considered to be meaningless.
The men could go as they pleased
The General gave his soldiers the freedom to make their call without the pressure or influence of the higher command authority.
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
The soldiers remained motionless and lost deep in thought, pondering on what they needed to do.
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
Slowly, each soldier made up their mind and left the battlefield quietly without saying a word.
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head
The General was deep in thought, pondering over his decision, wondering if he had made the right call.
He then prepared to fight
After deep thought, the General realized that he still had some duty to his country, and he made up his mind to fight.
Go now, you are forgiven
The General forgives his soldiers for not following his orders and tells them to go back to their lives.
Go now, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, hey
The General wished for his soldiers to leave without any form of regret, and he hopes they heed to his advice of focusing on their lives.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bradley Joseph Corrigan, Peter Heimbold, Charles Stokes Urmston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marceline7951
There was a decorated General with a heart of gold
That likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respect for fame
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry and dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from that night to tell what he had seen
And walked slowly out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
And it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fair
Till the old general told them to go home
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven
But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head
He then prepared to fight
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting, no
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living, yeah
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, hey (go now you are forgiven)
@user-nq6ss1dh1u
love this song! I started listening since the womb--(thanks mom) I'm twelve and still love this song and band.
@laurenhirth5746
This is the nicest comments section I’ve ever seen. I’m glad we all have such good memories of this song. ❤️
@sarahfelsch5465
I remember my fav brother out of 5 burned me a cd in 2002, all dispatch, love it all still in 2024, letting my kids learn it now!!! Great band
@Jeeppeeps
This song makes me think of my friend Pete Confalone who died of an overdose in 2006. He was the first friend I ever had to who died. His funeral was standing room only. We loved this song we knew all the words and used to belt it in his old Buick. At his funeral his sister referenced this song and ended his eulogy “go now you are forgiven”
@young321bookie
May God bless his very soul.
@ricoperez9252
My first friend died in 06 too. I was a jr in highschool. :] only knew him a few months. Cried for 12 years. Lifes funny
@rebeccaredondo4920
I miss my friend Pete too.
He faced his last battle against brain cancer with courage and kindness. He was a General in spirit.
@ricoperez9252
@Rebecca Redondo :]
@rebeccaredondo4920
Thank you @Rico Perez
@doubtazul
Haven't heard this since '05/'06 my neighbor, Johnny, would play this late summer nights, till I one day asked him about the music and he gifted me a mix CD/mp3. Miss those chill summer nights, when you can think and feel deep. Lovely, meaningful music!