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.
Margin Walker
Fugazi Lyrics
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You make yourself so, so beautiful
And now I feel like I'm going,
I'm going to set myself on fire.
I'm going to set myself up at a window,
This margin walker wants a clear view,
Ths margin walker wants a clear shot,
Untraceable, untranslatable,
I can't explain all I ever wanted to do
Trajectory passing right through me
Threads my needle sends it right to you.
You make yourself so visible,
You make yourself so, so visible,
And now I feel like I'm in the
Tread of some bastard jealousy.
Up here, above the avenue,
Up here, where the things you do,
The lend me a problem with the language,
Split my seams and then they drop in a fuse.
Fugazi's song "Margin Walker" is a complex and enigmatic piece that eludes simplistic interpretation. At its core, one can pick out themes of beauty, jealousy, and violence. The opening lyrics, where the singer remarks on how beautiful someone makes themselves, suggests admiration and attraction. However, this sentiment quickly turns into a desire for self-immolation, which suggests that there is an imbalance in the relationship. There seems to be an obsession that has grown into something dangerous, hence the desire for self-destruction.
However, things get more complicated when the "margin walker" is introduced. A "margin walker" is someone who operates on the edges or margins of society, often with a hint of transgression or danger. The singer takes on this role and "sets himself up at a window" to get a "clear view" and "clear shot" at the person who has made themselves beautiful. This introduces an element of violence or vengeance, which complicates the narrative even further.
The song then shifts into a discussion of transparency and communication. The singer declares that they are "untraceable" and "untranslatable," which suggests a desire for privacy or a sense of incommunicability. However, the narrative also acknowledges that the singer wants to express themselves, stating that they "can't explain all I ever wanted to do." The chorus repeats the theme of beauty and visibility, but again with a tone of jealousy.
The song's final lines are dense with metaphor and difficult to parse. The singer is "above the avenue," which could mean that they are literally standing above a street, but could also refer to the privilege that comes with being "above" others. They observe the "things you do" (presumably the person who has made themselves beautiful), which "lend me a problem with the language." This suggests a loss of words, a frustration with the limitations of communication. Finally, the singer's "seams" are "split" and "drop in a fuse," which could be interpreted as a breakdown or explosion of the self.
Overall, "Margin Walker" is a haunting and layered song that touches on themes of obsession, violence, and communication.
Line by Line Meaning
You make yourself so beautiful,
You appear attractive to the singer
You make yourself so, so beautiful
The singer finds the subject extremely beautiful
And now I feel like I'm going,
The singer feels like doing something significant
I'm going to set myself on fire.
The artist is ready for self-sacrifice
I'm going to set myself up at a window,
The artist has intentionally put themselves in view
This margin walker wants a clear view,
The singer wants a clear view of the subject
Ths margin walker wants a clear shot,
The singer wants the subject to be unobstructed in view
And now I'm shooting it right at you.
The artist is aiming their message at the subject
Untraceable, untranslatable,
The artist is unable to explain something significant
I can't explain all I ever wanted to do
The artist is not able to express their desire/dreams fully
Trajectory passing right through me
An internal feeling or passion of the singer is passing through them
Threads my needle sends it right to you.
The artist aims their passion/feeling directly at the subject
You make yourself so visible,
The subject is making themselves visible intentionally
You make yourself so, so visible,
The subject is intentionally standing out
And now I feel like I'm in the
The singer expresses that they are affected by the subject's actions
Tread of some bastard jealousy.
The artist is feeling an unpleasant jealousy
Up here, above the avenue,
The artist places themselves at a high point
Up here, where the things you do,
The singer is observing the subject from a high point
The lend me a problem with the language,
The singer is having difficulty expressing something
Split my seams and then they drop in a fuse.
The artist is overwhelmed with emotion, which might be detrimental to their sanity
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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