"The General" is a song by the rock band Dispatch.

Story

This song tells a story about a brilliant and battle-torn old general, who has a dream in which he realizes the futility of the war he is fighting. He then attempts to persuade his men that they do not have to participate in the battle, but that he would fulfill the job he had sworn to do. He wants them to leave and live a full life.

In The Best of Dispatch, a book containing guitar and voice transcriptions of selected Dispatch songs, Chad Urmston describes "The General":

Formats

The song has appeared in multiple formats, including its original version on the album Bang Bang, as well as multiple live versions on their albums Gut the Van, All Points Bulletin and, most recently, Dispatch: Zimbabwe. In the Madison Square Garden format, the song features several instruments including the trumpet, saxophone, and trombone, an addition never before featured in the song.