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.
Latin Roots
Fugazi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is your parents' bed,
A good place to be laid
'Cause it's so neatly made.
Staring at the ceiling,
Vein to vein the lines look the same
As the ones that you're seeing,
Tracing your father's footsteps
In your mother's shoes,
Going up and over and across your Latin roots.
Point points back to its origin,
Across the world cogs are clogged with the sand,
Here the air breathes freely
And our tongues work loosely,
Border approaches border,
You're using your hands and smearing your are's.
I'm looking over my shoulder,
Strained resistance to scour the door for you
Father's footsteps or your mother's shoes,
Coming up and over,
Cut across your Latin roots.
It's time to meet you makers
The opening lines of Fugazi's song "Latin Roots" paint a picture of intimacy and vulnerability. The singer and their companion lie on a bed, but one that belongs to the companion's parents. It's described as being neatly made, suggesting a sense of a contained environment. This notion is compounded by the detail of the two staring at the ceiling, almost as if feeling trapped. The image of veins on the ceiling is introduced, connecting this image to the veins of the body, creating an intimate link between the two people. It's a moment of connection, which prompts the companion to begin speaking, the moment in which the lyrics begin to take on a greater significance.
The second verse sees the song's focus shift somewhat, as the companion speaks of "tracing your father's footsteps in your mother's shoes," evoking the idea of inheritance and lineage. This is further compounded by the lines "going up and over and across your Latin roots," a poetic idea that the singer or their companion is exploring their individual and collective histories. The idea of lineage and history is then explored further in the third verse, as the song turns towards broader political and social issues. The lines "across the world cogs are clogged with the sand" and "border approaches border" speak to a world that is divided and difficult to navigate, ruled by systems that constrain and hold us down. The song seems to suggest that in order to break free of these limitations, we need to explore and understand our roots, to find the strength to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying on our backs,
We are physically reclining on the bed
This is your parents' bed,
This is the bed that belongs to your parents
A good place to be laid
It is comfortable to rest here
'Cause it's so neatly made.
The bed is tidy and well-prepared for us
Staring at the ceiling,
We are looking upward at the ceiling
Vein to vein the lines look the same
The patterns in the ceiling are similar to those in our own bodies
As the ones that you're seeing,
The lines in the ceiling are the same as the ones we observe elsewhere
And then you start speaking:
At this point, conversation begins
Tracing your father's footsteps
You are following in your father's path
In your mother's shoes,
You are walking in your mother's footsteps
Going up and over and across your Latin roots.
You are exploring your Latin heritage and ancestry
Point points back to its origin,
Every point has an origin
Across the world cogs are clogged with the sand,
Other parts of the world may be struggling with obstacles
Here the air breathes freely
We have a sense of freedom in our current environment
And our tongues work loosely,
We express ourselves with ease
Border approaches border,
We are approaching physical or metaphorical borders
You're using your hands and smearing your are's.
You are employing gestures to convey meaning
I'm looking over my shoulder,
I am watching you
Strained resistance to scour the door for you
I am struggling to find the proper exit
Father's footsteps or your mother's shoes,
We are still following in our parents' footsteps
Coming up and over,
We are going up and over an obstacle
Cut across your Latin roots.
We are continuing to explore our Latin heritage and ancestry
It's time to meet your makers
It is time to confront or get in touch with our origins or ancestors
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Boba Squid
Best fugazi album. Great song. One of my favorite.
Jaime Javier Garcia
The jam!
Keeley Watkinson
1
Joel Grimes
yes! a thousand times yes! I've thought this for 20 years!:)
Patrick Heil
It's time to meet Jamaicans!
Dave Anchovies
i totally came to post that.
Eric Berben
Yessss, I’m not the only one!
Martín P
It's time to meet shoemakers!
Soham Sali
banger
Eli Francisco
I'm latin! Punks not dead.