Since its inception, Fugazi has been self-managed and have released almost all their material through Dischord Records, an independent label founded by MacKaye and partner Jeff Nelson in 1980. The band maintained a policy of affordable access to their work through low record and ticket prices and all-ages concerts.
Says AMG All Music Guide, "Along with their stridently underground ethics — which were more out of pragmatism and modesty than anything else — they gained an extremely loyal and numerous global following. To many, Fugazi meant as much to them as Bob Dylan did to their parents."
They played their first show in the fall of 1987 and since then released 7 albums and toured the world extensively covering all 50 United States, Europe, Australia, South America, Japan and many points in between.
In addition to their recorded output Fugazi released a documentary film/video called "Instrument" in collaboration with independent filmmaker, Jem Cohen. The feature length video offers a documentary overview of the the band's career with footage shot in a variety of formats over the last 10 years combining concert, tour and studio material backed with a musical soundtrack by the band unique to the movie.
Fugazi's last musical releases were The Argument, a 10 song LP, and Furniture, a 3 song single, released in the Fall of 2001. These sessions marked the first studio appearance of long time roadie and second drummer Jerry Busher who played additional drums and percussion on a number of the tracks on both releases. The recordings were once again made in collaboration with long time Fugazi engineer Don Zientara at Inner Ear studios.
Prior to forming Fugazi, the members of the band played in various other bands with releases available on Dischord.
Fugazi are currently on hiatus as of 2002, with Mackaye in The Evens, Picciotto having produced various bands including Blonde Redhead and The Blood Brothers, and Lally playing with John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer on both Ataxia releases and working on a solo album.
Burning Too
Fugazi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
We are consumed by society
We are obsessed with variety
We are all filled with anxiety
We gotta put it out
The sky is burning
We gotta put it out
The water's burning
We gotta put it out
The earth is burning
Outrage
But then they say
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life
The world is not our facility
We have a responsibility
To use all of our abilities
To keep this place alive
Right here
Right now
Do it. Now. Do it.
The lyrics to Fugazi's song "Burning Too" are a powerful commentary on society's consumption and destruction of the world around us. The singer of the song is overwhelmed by the weight of this destruction and feels the need to disengage, to think only of their own life. They recognize that we are consumed by society, and are obsessed with variety, but are filled with anxiety that the world will not survive. The repetition of "We gotta put it out" underscores the urgency and the enormity of the problem at hand. The water, the sky, the earth - everything is burning, and we are responsible for putting out these fires.
The juxtaposition of outrage and apathy further highlights the tensions and contradictions within society. While we may feel outraged about the state of the world, there is often a disconnect between that anger and our willingness to take action. The repetition of "Anytime but now, anywhere but here, anyone but me" speaks to this disconnect, suggesting that we would rather let someone else deal with the problem, at another time and in another place.
Overall, "Burning Too" is a call to action, urging listeners to take responsibility for the state of the world and to use all of our abilities to keep this place alive. The urgency in the song's lyrics is mirrored in its pounding beat and impassioned vocals, making it a powerful statement on environmentalism and social responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Anytime but now
I don't want to deal with this problem right now, I want to procrastinate
Anywhere but here
I don't want to face this problem in this particular place, I want to escape
Anyone but me
I don't want to take responsibility for this problem, I want someone else to fix it
I've got to think about my own life
I'm too preoccupied with my personal problems to care about anything else
We are consumed by society
Our obsession with society and its expectations is overwhelming
We are obsessed with variety
Our constant desire for new things is out of control
We are all filled with anxiety
We're all scared about the future and what it holds
That this world will not survive
We're worried that the planet won't be able to sustain us much longer
We gotta put it out
We need to take action to solve the problem
The sky is burning
The environment is in danger and it's our responsibility to protect it
The water's burning
The pollution and destruction is spreading and we need to stop it
The earth is burning
The planet is in crisis and we need to take action to save it
Outrage
We're angry about the state of the world
But then they say
Others might try to dismiss our concerns or pass the buck
The world is not our facility
We can't just use the world as we please without consequences
We have a responsibility
As inhabitants of this planet, we all have a duty to protect and preserve it
To use all of our abilities
We need to use all our skills and knowledge to find solutions
To keep this place alive
We need to take action to preserve the planet for ourselves and future generations
Right here
The problem is in front of us and it's urgent
Right now
We need to act immediately and not wait any longer
Do it. Now. Do it.
We need to take action, no more procrastination or delay
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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