Their first release in 1985 was a seven-inch single named "Crazy Game", with the B-side "Everybody's Waiting (for Someone to Come Home)". That same year, the Indigo Girls released a six-track Extended play album named "Indigo Girls", and in 1987 released their first full-length album, Strange Fire, recorded at John Keane Studio in Athens, Georgia, and including "Crazy Game". With this release, they secured the services of Russell Carter, who remains their manager to the present; they had first approached him when the EP album was released, but he told them their songs were "immature" and they were not likely to get a record deal.
They were signed to Epic Records in 1989 and won the Grammy for best contemporary folk album later that year (for their self titled release) Some of their hit songs include "Galileo," "Closer to Fine," and "Shame on You."
Aside from being musicians, Ray and Saliers are activists, constantly supporting causes like gun control, women's rights, Native American rights, environmental protection, the abolition of the death penalty, and as lesbians themselves, LGBT rights. They constantly devote their time and money to such causes, often playing benefit concerts.
Ray and Saliers both have side projects. Ray owns and founded Daemon Records, an independent label based in Decatur. She also has a career as a solo artist, and has released two albums thus far. Saliers is the part owner of Watershed, a restaurant and wine bar in Decatur.
Together, the Indigo Girls are constantly touring. Their new album, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, was released March 24, 2009.
Airplane
Indigo Girls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nearer my god to thee
I start making a deal
Inspired by gravity
If I did wrong I won't do it again
'Cause I can be sweet and good and nice
And if I had enemies their friends
I'll hold to my life with the grip of a vice
And I'm up on the airplane
Nearer my god to thee
I start making a deal
Inspired by gravity
That little spot on the ground is my hometown
I like to call it my home and it's sweet
I'd rather take a seat down there
Than a throne up here up above 30,000 feet
And I'm up on the airplane
I never should have read my horoscope
Or the fortune on the bubble strip
Saying what you think won't happen will
A great thing to read before a trip
On an airplane
Pilot says the big blue sky's like a swimming pool
Big fluffy clouds like a feather bed
I'd rather have a real pillow underneath my head
Lying in my bed which is in my hometown
Which is on the ground
Far from an airplane
(My bed my hometown)
Far from an airplane
(On the ground my bed my hometown)
Far from an airplane
(On the ground my bed my hometown)
On the airplane
(On the ground)
(I'll be making a deal)
On the airplane
(On the ground)
(I'll be making a deal)
On the airplane
(I'll be making a deal)
(I'll be making a deal)
(I'll be making a deal)
The song "Airplane" by Indigo Girls is about the mixed feelings of being on an airplane. It is a reflection of the singer's thoughts and emotions while flying in the air, away from her home and loved ones. The first stanza talks about the singer making a deal with God while being on the airplane. She promises to be good and nice if she comes back safe from the journey. She also speaks of holding onto her life tightly, as if it were a vice. This could be an expression of the fear she feels while flying or a reminder to herself of the preciousness of life.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about her hometown and how she loves it more than the airplane. She longs to be back on the ground, sitting on a seat in her hometown rather than being in a throne up in the air. The third stanza talks about the negative impact that reading her fortune and horoscope had on her before her trip. It made her anxious and worried about her journey. The last few lines are repeated thrice, expressing the singer's desire to be back in her hometown, making a deal with God to keep her safe.
Overall, the song "Airplane" explores the complicated emotions of being away from one's home and loved ones, especially while on an airplane. It highlights the fears, worries, and desires of the singer, making it a relatable song for anyone who has ever traveled far away from home.
Line by Line Meaning
Up on the airplane
I am on an airplane
Nearer my god to thee
I feel closer to God while flying
I start making a deal
I begin making promises to myself and to God
Inspired by gravity
My thoughts are provoked by the physical experience of being in the air
If I did wrong I won't do it again
I regret any mistakes I made in my past and vow to make amends
'Cause I can be sweet and good and nice
I believe I am capable of being a good person
And if I had enemies their friends
Even those who may dislike me could see the good in me
I'll hold to my life with the grip of a vice
I will fiercely hold onto my life and the good things in it
That little spot on the ground is my hometown
I am reflecting on my attachment to my hometown
I like to call it my home and it's sweet
I find comfort and pleasure in my hometown
I'd rather take a seat down there
I would rather be on the ground than in the air
Than a throne up here up above 30,000 feet
Being on a plane does not feel like a superior position; I do not feel like royalty
I never should have read my horoscope
I regret reading my horoscope because it made me anxious
Or the fortune on the bubble strip
I also regret reading the fortune someone gave me
Saying what you think won't happen will
I worry that this fortune might come true
A great thing to read before a trip
Reading an ominous fortune before a trip is not ideal
Pilot says the big blue sky's like a swimming pool
The pilot makes a comparison of the sky to a swimming pool
Big fluffy clouds like a feather bed
The clouds look soft and comfortable
I'd rather have a real pillow underneath my head
I would prefer a physical pillow rather than a metaphorical one
Lying in my bed which is in my hometown
I imagine myself at home, in my own bed
Far from an airplane (My bed my hometown)
Being at home, in my own bed and hometown, is far from the experience of being on an airplane
On the airplane (On the ground) (I'll be making a deal)
I am aware that even while in the air, I can still commit to my promises and goals
On the airplane (On the ground) (I'll be making a deal)
I emphasize that even while physically disconnected from the ground, I am still making promises
On the airplane (I'll be making a deal) (I'll be making a deal) (I'll be making a deal)
I repeat that the airplane does not change my ability to commit to myself and to God
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Emily Ann Saliers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind