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.
Time Served
Dispatch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
hold steady on the trigger's time
walk away counting backwards from nine
holdin' his breath so to start his own dying
[CHORUS:]
time served
to the ones that left you here
no people here, only names
soon to be put to numbers so it's one and the same
it's anyone's game as long as the fire flickers
the throat stickers, they place their bet
the trouble is that no one's added it up quite yet
cause when they do, when they do it'll be a
riot and the wire is down
hold up for the fury to sound
hold up you head from the ground
or they'll keep you on it
your time's served
to the one's that left you here
from tower to wall to guard to guard to wall
ever ready for th fire to fall
the confiners haven't seen the sun since
the lifers let got of their irrelevent innocence
but long before a single round was shot
word was spread from block to block to cell block
they're going to take him
and make an example of him for the escapees to fear
the incoming of the
incoming of the gun
oncoming of the year
you either die on the inside or trying to get out
the choice is yours, the choice is here
The lyrics of Dispatch's song Time Served bring to light the harsh realities of prison life, and the struggles of those who are trapped inside its walls. The opening lines "hold up the firing line, hold steady on the trigger's time" set the tone for a song that explores the themes of the criminal justice system, incarceration and the consequences of actions. The lyrics describe the experience of someone who is staring down the barrel of a gun, counting down the seconds until their execution, while holding their breath, waiting for their inevitable death to come.
The chorus of the song, "time served, to the ones that left you here", highlights the fact that many people end up trapped in prison due to circumstances beyond their control. The prison system is often seen as a revolving door, with people being trapped in a cycle of recidivism, and unable to break free from their past mistakes. The lyrics suggest that those who are left behind in prison are often forgotten by society, reduced to mere numbers, and stripped of their humanity.
The overall theme of the song is one of hopelessness and despair, as the lyrics describe the harsh reality of life behind bars. There is a sense of futility in trying to escape, as the system keeps dragging people back in. The only options seem to be either dying on the inside or trying to escape, and even that is often met with violent repercussions.
Line by Line Meaning
hold up the firing line
Pause the firing line or cease fire to listen to what I have to say
hold steady on the trigger's time
Be patient and ready to take action when the time is right
walk away counting backwards from nine
Prepare oneself mentally for the worst-case scenario or death
holdin' his breath so to start his own dying
Be ready to die and holding their breath is a way to prepare for it
time served
The sentence has been served or tough times have been endured
to the ones that left you here
The tough times were inflicted by those who abandoned or betrayed them
no people here, only names
The prisoners have lost their humanity and are reduced to mere numbers or names
soon to be put to numbers so it's one and the same
The prisoners will be dehumanized and reduced to mere statistics or numbers
it's anyone's game as long as the fire flickers
Everyone has a chance to escape as long as there is chaos or distractions
the throat stickers, they place their bet
The dangerous or aggressive inmates are betting on the outcome of the chaos
the trouble is that no one's added it up quite yet
No one has calculated the cost or consequences of the chaos
cause when they do, when they do it'll be a
When they finally calculate the cost or consequences of the chaos, it will be catastrophic
riot and the wire is down
A full-scale riot has occurred and the communication lines are cut
hold up for the fury to sound
Get ready for the worst or the most intense part of the riot
hold up you head from the ground
Don't give up or lose hope and keep your head up during the chaos
or they'll keep you on it
Don't submit or surrender, or they will keep treating you badly
your time's served
You have endured tough times or your sentence is over
to the one's that left you here
The people who betrayed or abandoned you caused the tough times you endured
from tower to wall to guard to guard to wall
The prison is a heavily guarded and secure place to keep the inmates from escaping
ever ready for th fire to fall
The prison guards are always prepared for a riot or fire to occur
the confiners haven't seen the sun since
The inmates are kept in dark and cramped cells for a long time
the lifers let got of their irrelevent innocence
The inmates who are serving life sentences have lost their hope or innocence a long time ago
but long before a single round was shot
The inmates already knew that something bad was going to happen even before the riot started
word was spread from block to block to cell block
The inmates communicated with each other to prepare for the riot or escape
they're going to take him
They are going to punish or target a specific inmate as an example to others
and make an example of him for the escapees to fear
They are going to punish or make an example of an inmate so that others won't try to escape
the incoming of the
The arrival of something bad or dangerous
incoming of the gun
The bullets or gunshots being fired
oncoming of the year
The arrival of a new year with new challenges
you either die on the inside or trying to get out
You will either lose hope and give up or risk your life trying to escape
the choice is yours, the choice is here
You have to make a tough decision or take action now before it's too late
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GnocchisClipz
to the ones that left you here
@sinnersaint9845
I finished serving my time long ago, but the punishment doesn't end
@worldwidestepper9880
Big facts
@deucejmp
Hold up. How the fuck does this video only have 16k views in 8 years' time?