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.
Leeds
Indigo Girls Lyrics
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The steeples pierce the skylight till the last of it bleeds
The absent sound of another day as it recedes
Into the shadows
Until it's nothing
Fax papers slipped under the hotel room door
Like food for the prisoner or the prospect to the whore
Until I'm shadows of myself
Until I'm nothing
Sixteen black churches burning on the tv
All the way from Texas to Tennessee
And a politician locks my eye and says to me
There is no crisis here
There's no conspiracy
I crave inertia every move made so I can stop
Whatever this madness is in me spinning like a top
On a bed of anxiety over a deep dark drop
Down into nothingness
Into without-you-ness
Was it ever so the evil creep like ivy
A toe hold on the stronger half of nature's dichotomy
I'm beating back a path through nothing more than pure insistence
Until here becomes
The distance
Hold my head love I'm sick tonight
Find the open hole and press your fingers there with all your might
Before the last ounce of my spirit bleeds
Onto the pristine sheets
Of the hotel bed in Leeds
The Indigo Girls' song "Leeds" paints a picture of a dark and dreary city, where the absence of light amplifies the inner turmoil of the singer. The imagery evokes a sense of desolation and despair, as indicated by the reference to "shadows" and "nothingness." The mention of "fax papers" and the analogy to "food for the prisoner or the prospect to the whore" suggest a sense of entrapment or confinement, perhaps in relation to the pressures of modern society. The singer's desire for "inertia" reveals a need to escape the perpetual motion of life, which is causing them to feel like they are "spinning like a top on a bed of anxiety."
The reference to "sixteen black churches burning on the TV" is a clear allusion to the 1996 church burnings in the southern United States, which were often motivated by racial hatred. The politician's denial of a "crisis" or "conspiracy" echoes the general indifference of those in power towards the struggles of marginalized communities. The line "was it ever so the evil creep like ivy" suggests that societal problems have always existed and continue to thrive by taking root in the status quo.
The chorus, "hold my head love I'm sick tonight," is a plea for emotional support and stability, which is something the singer cannot find within themselves. The final line, "of the hotel bed in Leeds," is a haunting image that speaks to the loneliness and isolation the singer feels, even in the midst of company.
Line by Line Meaning
It's dark at 4 pm in Leeds
In Leeds, it gets dark early, causing loneliness and emptiness to set in.
The steeples pierce the skylight till the last of it bleeds
The church towers seem to cut through the sky, bringing about a melancholic feeling associated with vulnerability.
The absent sound of another day as it recedes
The silence left behind after a day has faded, creating a sense of emptiness and nothingness.
Into the shadows
Symbolizes the darkness that creeps in and overshadows everything.
Until it's nothing
Everything becomes nothingness due to the overwhelming darkness and emptiness.
Fax papers slipped under the hotel room door
Receiving news through the anonymous papers left under a hotel room door, giving a sense of detachment from reality.
Like food for the prisoner or the prospect to the whore
The information received being just enough to keep one sustained, implying that the consumer has little control over what is being ‘fed’ to them.
Well fed and halfway drunk I ache myself for more
Craving more knowledge and information despite feeling full, creating a sense of emptiness.
Until I'm shadows of myself
Losing oneself in the desire to consume more information.
Sixteen black churches burning on the TV
Watching the tragedies on the news, symbolizing destruction and loss of hope.
All the way from Texas to Tennessee
The widespread nature of the tragedies, adding to a sense of hopelessness.
And a politician locks my eye and says to me
The way politicians can lock your gaze and make a point, adding to the frustration inherent in politics.
There is no crisis here
Empty, dismissive words that minimize the tragedies and invalidate their impact.
There's no conspiracy
Insisting that there is no underlying cause, disavowing responsibility.
I crave inertia every move made so I can stop
Feeling a sense of tiredness and exhaustion, a desire to stop but not being able to; wanting everything to stand still.
Whatever this madness is in me spinning like a top
Feeling overwhelmed by one’s own thoughts, creating inner instability and chaos.
On a bed of anxiety over a deep dark drop
Falling into a pit of anxiety and fear, with no control over one’s own thoughts.
Down into nothingness
Sinking deeper and deeper into nothingness, feeling lost and hopeless.
Into without-you-ness
Sinking into loneliness and isolation due to the loss of someone or something.
Was it ever so the evil creep like ivy
Reflecting on the creeping nature of evil, slowly seeping into every aspect of life.
A toe hold on the stronger half of nature's dichotomy
Evil taking a hold on the dominant and stronger side of a once balanced world.
I'm beating back a path through nothing more than pure insistence
Taking action and fighting back against evil, even if it feels impossible or futile.
Until here becomes the distance
Pushing through obstacles and making strides, despite everything feeling like it's far away and unachievable.
Hold my head love I'm sick tonight
Asking someone to hold one’s head in a time of need or sickness, highlighting the importance of love and support.
Find the open hole and press your fingers there with all your might
Finding a way to help heal the wounds or hurt, hoping that love and touch will bring relief from pain.
Before the last ounce of my spirit bleeds
Feeling one's vitality or spirit draining out, calling for help before all is lost.
Onto the pristine sheets
The purity of the sheets contrasting with the pain and messiness of life’s struggles.
Of the hotel bed in Leeds
The exhaustion of travelling or staying in unfamiliar places, creating a sense of isolation and detachment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY, EMILY ANN SALIERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind