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Artist: Dispatch
Track: The General

Lyrics
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)
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Lyrics
Dispatch – The General
Dispatch’s best-known song is the story of a celebrated general coming to realize the futility of war. He absolves the young men in his charge to go about their lives. “Take a
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[Verse 1] / 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
Guns N' Roses – The General
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AZ Lyrics
Dispatch - The General Lyrics
O.A.R. (Of A Revolution) - "Heard The World" I just heard the world, is breaking down into bits again. Tell me what am i to do? And you just want me to stay, ...
Dispatch - The General (Russian Version) Lyrics
Dispatch "The General (Russian Version)": Жил да был ветеран генерал герой Кладезь историй, человек золотой О прошлых битвах он вёл рассказ По...
Genius Q&A
Q:When did Dispatch release “The General”?
Dispatch released “The General” on September 1, 1997.
Q:Who wrote “The General” by Dispatch?
“The General” by Dispatch was written by Chadwick Stokes, Pete Heimbold & Brad Corrigan.
Q:When did Dispatch release “The General [Live]”?
Dispatch released “The General [Live]” on May 25, 2023.
Q:What is the most popular song by Dispatch?
The most popular song by Dispatch is “The General” with a total of 74.6K page views.
View 1 More →
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MusixMatch Lyrics
Dispatch - The General translation in Spanish
Spanish translation of lyrics for The General by Dispatch. There was a decorated General with a heart of gold That likened him to all the stories he ...
Dispatch - The General translation in German
German translation of lyrics for The General by Dispatch. There was a decorated General with a heart of gold That likened him to all the stories he ...
Dispatch - The General - Russian Version Lyrics
Lyrics for The General - Russian Version by Dispatch. Жил да был ветеран генерал герой Кладезь историй, человек золотой О прошлых битвах он вел ...
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Genius Artists
Dispatch
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan (vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, and harmonica), Pete Francis Heimbold (vocals, bass and guitar
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Get all the lyrics to songs by Jon Lampley and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Shazam Lyrics
The General (Russian Version) - Dispatch
Listen to The General (Russian Version) by Dispatch, 95 Shazams ... Composition & Lyrics. Charles Stokes Urmston. Songwriter. Peter F Heimbold.
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Dispatch Lyrics
Dispatch lyrics - 96 song lyrics sorted by album, including "Upside Down", "Painted Yellow Lines", "The General".