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.
Andy
Indigo Girls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you love me
Do you think about it
Will you say
Turning brushwood
Into blazes
Turning summer grass
Into hay
Past the graveyard
To the lakefront
With the black waves
Licking up the stones
To the swayed back
Screened in front porch
Who could ever stay the weight
Of flesh and bones
Andy
Aren't you tired
From the sun and rain
And river soaking you
From the beer cans
On your dashboard
And the bullet hole
Glass spiderweb
Staining your rear view
I have watched you
Watch an empty road
Is it only her
Upon which you all
Of you is depending
To fill your twenty
Hour work day
While all the fences
In this county still need mending
Hey
And in the night
I do my checking
And fix the broken parts
With visions of rare beauty
But in my heart I know I'm second
Forever fixed in your pursuit
It is my duty
Hey
Andy
Will you toss me
A little scrap of something
That I can taste
Instead of dust from
All the leaving
And the smell of summer
Lying here to waste
Under the burnt pyre
Of all the cast away
The tiny shoots will spring
Like questions
Will you take me
Out to the fenced hill
Sprinkled with horses
Wild in resistance to the taming
Will you break me
Will you break me
The song "Andy" by Indigo Girls is a poignant tale of unrequited love and longing. The lyrics revolve around the singer's love for a man named Andy and her desperation for his attention and affection. The opening lines of the song are full of questions, asking if he loves her, if he thinks about her, and if he will say so. The imagery of turning brushwood into blazes and summer grass into hay symbolizes the singer's desire to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. However, despite her efforts, she cannot capture Andy's attention as he remains indifferent to her.
The song goes on to describe Andy's life, his exhaustion from working long hours, and his dependence on someone else, possibly a woman. The singer watches him from afar as he watches an empty road, and wonders if he is waiting for someone else to fill the void in his life. The symbolism of broken parts and visions of rare beauty show the singer's willingness to fix anything that is broken in Andy's life, even though she knows she will always remain second to whoever he is waiting for.
The song ends with a plea for attention and affection, as the singer begs Andy to toss her a "little scrap of something" that she can taste, instead of feeling abandoned and left behind. She wants to be taken out to the fenced hill, sprinkled with horses that are wild and resistant to taming, and to be broken by Andy. This poignant tale of unrequited love beautifully captures the raw emotions that come with longing for someone who cannot reciprocate those feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Andy
Addressing the person named Andy
Do you love me
Asking if Andy loves the singer
Do you think about it
Asking if Andy thinks about their love
Will you say
Asking if Andy will confess his love
Turning brushwood
Changing small things into something bigger
Into blazes
Into flames
Turning summer grass
Changing something common and overlooked
Into hay
Into something useful
Turning sharply
Making a sudden change
Past the graveyard
Ignoring death
To the lakefront
Going towards something beautiful
With the black waves
The beauty comes with danger
Licking up the stones
The waves are strong enough to move things
To the swayed back
Going towards something that isn't perfect
Screened in front porch
A place to relax
Who could ever stay the weight
No one can bear everything
Of flesh and bones
The burden of being human
Aren't you tired
Asking if Andy is exhausted
From the sun and rain
From all types of weather
And river soaking you
Drenched from swimming in a river
From the beer cans
Drinking beer
On your dashboard
In the car
And the bullet hole
The car has been shot
Glass spiderweb
Cracks on the windshield
Staining your rear view
Making it hard to see behind him
I have watched you
Observing Andy
Watch an empty road
Staring at a road with no cars
Is it only her
Asking if Andy is solely focused on someone else
Upon which you all
Everything depends on this one person
Of you is depending
Andy's dependence on someone else limits him
To fill your twenty
To make his day better
Hour work day
The time Andy spends working
While all the fences
Ignoring other responsibilities
In this county still need mending
There are other things Andy should be doing
And in the night
At night, when alone
I do my checking
Reflecting upon their relationship
And fix the broken parts
Mending what is wrong
With visions of rare beauty
Bright spots of hope
But in my heart I know I'm second
Feeling like the second choice
Forever fixed in your pursuit
Andy will always be chasing something else
It is my duty
The artist's responsibility to support Andy
Will you toss me
Asking Andy for something small
A little scrap of something
Anything to hold on to
That I can taste
Something she can sense to hold on to
Instead of dust from
Not wanting something empty
All the leaving
The constant transition of people away from her
And the smell of summer
The scent of something wonderful disappearing
Lying here to waste
Something great isn't being used
Under the burnt pyre
Something beautiful that was destroyed
Of all the cast away
Lamenting what has been lost
The tiny shoots will spring
New opportunities will arise
Like questions
The future is uncertain
Will you take me
Asking Andy for help
Out to the fenced hill
Going to a beautiful place
Sprinkled with horses
A peaceful and natural setting
Wild in resistance to the taming
The beauty of nature without human control
Will you break me
Asking Andy to help her grow
Will you break me
Asking Andy again to help her become stronger
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY, EMILY ANN SALIERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind