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.
Suggestion
Fugazi Lyrics
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Is my body the only trait in the eye's of men?
I've got some skin
You want to look in there?
Lays no reward in what you discover
You spent yourself watching me suffer
Suffer your words, suffer your eyes, suffer your hands
I've got some skin
You want to look in?
She does nothing to deserve it
He only wants to observe it
We sit back like they taught us
We keep quiet like they taught us
He just wants to prove she does nothing to remove it
We don't want anyone to mind us
So, we play the roles that they assigned us
She does nothing to conceal it
He touches her 'cause he wants to feel it
We blame her for being there
But, we are all guilty
The lyrics of Fugazi's song "Suggestion" are a powerful commentary on society's incessant objectification of women's bodies. The singer laments that they cannot walk down a street without being subjected to unwanted attention and "suggestion" from men who view their bodies as mere objects for their pleasure. The singer questions whether their body is the only thing that these men see, implying that women are often judged solely based on their physical appearance.
The line "I've got some skin, you want to look in there?" is especially haunting as it highlights the vulnerability and lack of agency that women feel when their bodies are constantly scrutinized and objectified. The lyrics also touch on the issue of victim-blaming, with the singer calling out those who blame women for the unwanted attention they receive, rather than holding men accountable for their predatory behavior. The singer concludes with the powerful statement that "we are all guilty" of perpetuating this culture of objectification and misogyny.
Line by Line Meaning
Why can't I walk down a street free of suggestion?
Why can't I walk down the street without feeling like people are suggesting that I am only my body?
Is my body the only trait in the eye's of men?
Is my physical appearance the only aspect that men see and value about me?
I've got some skin, You want to look in there?
I have a body that you find intriguing, but do you really want to take the time to understand me as a person?
Lays no reward in what you discover, You spent yourself watching me suffer
You won't gain anything by objectifying me, but still you watch and continue the cycle of my suffering.
Suffer your words, suffer your eyes, suffer your hands, Suffer your interpretation of what it is to be a man
Stop inflicting harm on me with your words, eyes, and physical touch. The way you define masculinity is harming us both.
We sit back like they taught us, We keep quiet like they taught us
Society has conditioned us to stay silent in the face of oppression and not fight back.
He just wants to prove she does nothing to remove it, We don't want anyone to mind us
He wants to prove his power over her, and we don't want anyone to interfere or tell him to stop.
So, we play the roles that they assigned us, She does nothing to conceal it
We have been assigned specific gender roles by society, and when women do not adhere to them, they are blamed.
He touches her 'cause he wants to feel it, We blame her for being there
He touches her without consent for his own selfish desires, and we place the blame on her for simply existing in that space.
But, we are all guilty
We are all guilty of perpetuating and upholding systems of oppression and misogyny, even if we don't actively participate.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MERIEL BARHAM, COLLEEN BROWNE, CHRIS COOPER, GRAEME NAYSMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind