The Indigo Girls are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met on the playground… Read Full Bio ↴The Indigo Girls are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met on the playground in grammar school in Decatur, Georgia, USA, and have been playing together since high school.

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.

Compromise
Indigo Girls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You wear
The cloth
Of finest lands
The touch of women the toil of hands

Undress
Me now
Before I bend

From the weight of everyman

When I'm walking through this world
I need to hold your hand
Let me take you on this ride
I hope you understand
I'm not asking for a compromise

Now you
Defend
Exhume
Begin again
It's the riddle of a skeleton

We're all
Diseased
So count the coup
I can't image stopping you

When I'm walking through this world
I need to hold your hand
Let me take you on this ride
I hope you understand
I'm not asking for a compromise

So the earth
We scorch
We breath
Find some comfort on our knees

You find
Your worth
In words that wind
Pleasures I don't comprehend

When I'm walking trough this world
I need to hold your hand
Let me take you on this ride
I hope you understand
I'm not asking for a compromise

Asking for a compro
Asking for a compromise

Overall Meaning

The Indigo Girls' song "Compromise" reflects the struggles that come with love, relationships, and personal growth. The singer starts by admiring her partner in the first verse, describing the beauty and craftsmanship of the clothes they wear. However, the second line of the verse is darker, implying that women have toiled to create these garments. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which deals with themes of struggle, compromise, and self-discovery.

The chorus implies that the singer is looking for a partner who can stand by her through everything. She wants someone who can relate to her experiences and support her without asking for a compromise. The second verse references the idea of rebirth, acknowledging that sometimes we need to go back and start again to move forward. The metaphor of a skeleton is used to highlight the fragility of human life and how we all have to face our mortality at some point.

The final verse deals with the impact that we as humans have on the world around us. Just as we have to confront our own mortality, we also have to face the reality that we are damaging the planet we live on. The last line suggests that the singer's partner finds pleasure in things that are beyond her understanding. This final thought leaves the listener with a sense of incompleteness and a recognition that everyone struggles to understand their own desires and the desires of the people around them.

Line by Line Meaning

You wear
You are clothed in garments made from the finest lands

The cloth
The fabric of your clothing is of high quality

Of finest lands
The material used to create your clothing comes from the best territories

The touch of women the toil of hands
Your clothing has been crafted by the hands of both laborers and women

Undress
Strip me down of any preconceptions or misconceptions

Me now
Let us start immediately

Before I bend
Before I break down

From the weight of everyman
From the burdens and struggles of all people

When I'm walking through this world
As I journey through life

I need to hold your hand
I require your support and guidance

Let me take you on this ride
Allow me to share my experiences with you