Amy Ray (born Amy Elizabeth Ray on April 12, 1964) is an American singer-so… Read Full Bio ↴Amy Ray (born Amy Elizabeth Ray on April 12, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She pursues a solo career and has released six albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemon Records.

In 2001, she released her first solo album, Stag. That year, she toured solo with the Butchies as her band. Then in 2005, her second solo project, Prom was released. In December of 2006, Amy released Live From Knoxville, a live recording from a show at Blue Cats in October of 2005. In August 2008 she released her latest album Didn't It Feel Kinder, this is the first album she made with the help of a producer, Greg Griffith.

All three albums were released on Amy's independent record label, Daemon Records.

Fans of the Indigo Girls can expect a rawer, punkier, and rockier sound.

Blender
Amy Ray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In a sea of white faces
I heard the latest version of The Clash
Still no ticket for the races,
And the sisters still get the shaft
We got a punk rock problem
I'm tired of playing shirts and skins here
How do we sing against the system
When we're a main offender?

Put it in a blender and let me get the hang
Of how it fits together
And how we came to be

I'm a child
Of the M to M Program
Bus em out to the suburbs,
But we never got to know 'em
I had a sex education
Without a word for my gender
All these half-hearted tries

Put 'em in a blender
Let me get the hang of
How we can fit together
And still keep our identity

Now the kids are hip hip hopping,
And everybody's co-opting
The straight girls are slumming it
At The Suicide Queers' gig
Yeah, we're all assimilatin',
But we're still segregated
And its all for the market man,
He says "Put 'em in a blender and
See where the money lands"

Put 'em in a blender and let them get the hang

Of thinking that they've been here
And thinking things are gonna change

Overall Meaning

In "Blender," Amy Ray uses her lyrics to explore themes of identity, assimilation, and the difficulties of protesting societal issues within mainstream culture. She expresses her frustration at the lack of progress in society, as seen in the line "Still no ticket for the races, and the sisters still get the shaft," indicating that despite efforts to fight against societal issues, little has improved. As a punk rocker, Ray acknowledges the limitations of her protests against the very system she is a part of.

Ray laments the lack of understanding and acceptance of different identities, as she recalls her own experience as a participant in the M to M Program and her lack of education around gender. She calls for unity and collaboration, suggesting the metaphorical solution of putting everything in a blender to see how it fits together, while maintaining the individual identities that make up the whole.

The final verse speaks to the issue of commodification and co-opting of alternative culture by mainstream society, saying, "And it's all for the market man, he says 'Put 'em in a blender and see where the money lands.'" Ray's sentiment here is that mainstream society will only accept alternative culture if it can be commodified and sold for profit, perpetuating segregation and assimilation rather than true acceptance and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

In a sea of white faces
In a predominantly white society

I heard the latest version of The Clash
Heard the newest anti-establishment music in town

Still no ticket for the races, And the sisters still get the shaft
Women are still discriminated against, even in the face of change

We got a punk rock problem
There is something wrong with the punk rock lifestyle/theme

I'm tired of playing shirts and skins here
Fed up of choosing sides/roles to play

How do we sing against the system When we're a main offender?
How can we fight against the established norms/policies when we, too, are a major part of the problem?

Put it in a blender and let me get the hang Of how it fits together And how we came to be
Mix the factors, evaluate how these elements contribute and work to understand their origins

I'm a child Of the M to M Program Bus em out to the suburbs, But we never got to know 'em
Grew up in the busing program, but never really had the opportunity to connect with the people in the suburbs

I had a sex education Without a word for my gender All these half-hearted tries
Lack of accurate sexual education, with no proper recognition for one's gender

Put 'em in a blender Let me get the hang of How we can fit together And still keep our identity
Combine different elements to determine how these aspects can reconcile while still preserving a sense of identity

Now the kids are hip hip hopping And everybody's co-opting The straight girls are slumming it At The Suicide Queers' gig
All kinds of people are partaking in hip hop culture and appropriation, including straight girls attending LGBTQ shows

Yeah, we're all assimilatin', But we're still segregated And its all for the market man, He says "Put 'em in a blender and See where the money lands"
Although there is some level of assimilation, society remains segregated to serve the capitalist market which profits from this divisiveness.

Put 'em in a blender and let them get the hang Of thinking that they've been here And thinking things are gonna change
Combine the different perspectives and attitudes and understand their misinterpretation of the situation as they anticipate change

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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