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.
Point Hope
Indigo Girls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there's something that you should know
this thing is gonna outlive us all
this thing it won't let us go
gonna take us down to nothing
gonna eat us from the inside out
and hey little darling
i don't want you feeling the fallout
when the cancer finally took him
i was watching the trucks pull in
me and your daddy we had a job
under the ground mining uranium
some things your daddy leaves you
and there's some things he don't
some things are gonna be here anyhow
and some things just won't
one thing i want you to understand
is you ain't gotta be no mining man
i curse the day that i went down
and i pulled that shit out of the ground
ah
ah
now we were living over in nevada
that's where your people come from
your grandma would take me and your daddy
on down to the gunnery range
we'd sit and watch the bombs blow
and when the sun goes down
all them colors running like the painted desert
and you get to see it now
them government boys had something so damn secret
they had to hide it in the desert sand
out there the skies so big
and there ain't no mistaking it
whose got the winning hand
ah
ah
now i've been all the way to alaska
to a town they call point hope
where they took some of what we got down here
just to see how it would grow
i hear the lichen bought it
now it's running through the caribou
i said soon little darling
ah you get to feel it too
you get to feel it too
ah now soon little darling
you get to feel it too
oh yeah
yeah
ah
feel this
ah
(unknown) hold you
ah
get to feel this (unknown)
ah
to heal this land
ah
ah
ah
ah
ah
words and music by amy ray
The Indigo Girls’ “Point Hope” is a thoughtful and somber reflection on the aftermath of uranium mining and atomic production in the United States, and the lasting effects that haunt future generations. The song opens with the sobering message that despite the many lives it has taken, the atomic bomb and other forms of nuclear waste “won’t let us go" and will continue to affect us for many years to come. The singer is wrestling with her role in the industry, admitting that her previous work in uranium mining alongside the singer's father caused her to question the ethics of her actions. She doesn’t want her child to bear the weight of the fallout from the nuclear industry, both environmental and psychological.
The second verse refers to the mining of uranium that took place around the singer and her father's home in Nevada, where the family could see the detonation of atomic bombs. She describes the government’s sinister need to conceal its activities by burying them in the sand in the middle of a vast desert, where they can’t be seen. The song has a dreamlike quality to it, with the melody and rhythm capturing the idea of time moving forward and taking us all down with it, despite our actions.
Overall, "Point Hope" is a powerful reminder of the destructive potential of the nuclear industry, and the importance of acknowledging the still-ongoing impact of atomic bombs and waste on the environment and the health of people who work in and live near nuclear facilities. It is a call for people to face the consequences of the past and take steps towards a sustainable future.
Line by Line Meaning
hey little darling
Starting off the song with a sweet call to a loved one.
there's something that you should know
There's something important that the singer wants to share with the listener.
this thing is gonna outlive us all
Referring to the harmful effects of uranium mining and how it will continue to impact future generations.
this thing it won't let us go
The singer is acknowledging the hold that the mining industry has on them and their community.
gonna take us down to nothing
The environmental and health impacts of uranium mining will eventually destroy everything that they hold dear.
gonna eat us from the inside out
The destructive forces of uranium mining will slowly rot away the fabric of their community.
and hey little darling
Reassuring the listener that they don't want them to get hurt in the fallout of the mining industry.
i don't want you feeling the fallout
The singer is trying to protect their loved one from the negative consequences of uranium mining.
when the cancer finally took him
The singer is referring to someone who developed cancer, possibly from exposure to radioactive materials from mining uranium.
i was watching the trucks pull in
The singer witnessed the effects of uranium mining and its impact on the community.
me and your daddy we had a job
The singer worked with the listener's father in the uranium mining industry.
under the ground mining uranium
The work involved extracting uranium from below the earth's surface.
some things your daddy leaves you
The singer is acknowledging that the listener's father has passed on, leaving them with experiences and memories.
and there's some things he don't
However, there are some things that the father didn't leave behind, possibly referring to valuable things like money or possessions.
some things are gonna be here anyhow
Some things will persist, regardless of what they do, like the effects of uranium mining.
and some things just won't
While some things will stick around forever, there are some things that won't, like time and memory.
one thing i want you to understand
The singer wants to impart some wisdom to the listener.
is you ain't gotta be no mining man
You don't have to follow in your father's footsteps and work in the dangerous and harmful mining industry.
i curse the day that i went down
The singer has a deep regret for the day they began working in the uranium mining industry.
and i pulled that shit out of the ground
The singer is referencing the act of extracting uranium.
now we were living over in nevada
The singer is reflecting on their past experiences and where they used to live.
that's where your people come from
The singer is referring to the listener's family lineage and roots in Nevada.
your grandma would take me and your daddy
The singer has a fond memory of spending time with the listener's grandparents and father.
on down to the gunnery range
The singer is referring to a firing range where live ammunition was used for target practice.
we'd sit and watch the bombs blow
The singer and the listener's family watched the military test bombs nearby.
and when the sun goes down
The creator adds a description of the beautiful colors that light up the sky during sunset.
all them colors running like the painted desert
The breathtaking colors of the sunset remind the singer of the painted desert in the southwestern United States.
and you get to see it now
The listener can now experience the beauty of desert sunsets themselves.
them government boys had something so damn secret
Referring to military and government personnel who were testing bombs and other top-secret military technology.
they had to hide it in the desert sand
The secrecy surrounding military testing caused them to bury hazardous materials and waste in the desert sand.
out there the skies so big
The desert sky is vast and seemingly never-ending.
and there ain't no mistaking it
There is no mistaking the ownership of the land.
whose got the winning hand
The military and other government players have the ultimate advantage in the situation and will always win.
now i've been all the way to alaska
The singer has traveled to Alaska, possibly on another mining job.
to a town they call point hope
Referring to the small village of Point Hope, located on Alaska's Arctic coast.
where they took some of what we got down here
The dangers of uranium mining have spread to a distant land, potentially through trade or the migration of people or animals.
just to see how it would grow
Scientists and researchers are experimenting with dangerous materials, without considering the long-term effects on people or the environment.
i hear the lichen bought it
The lichen, a type of organism, has been impacted by exposure to radioactive materials and has absorbed them, potentially causing illness.
now it's running through the caribou
The radioactive lichen has spread throughout the food chain, causing harm to other animals and people who eat caribou.
i said soon little darling
The creator is warning the listener that they too will soon experience the negative consequences of uranium mining that their father did.
you get to feel it too
The listener will be forced to endure the pain and suffering caused by the mining industry.
ah now soon little darling
The creator adds an emotional cry as they warn the listener of the negative impacts of uranium mining.
oh yeah
A pause, potentially for dramatic effect or reflection.
yeah
Continuing with the emotional delivery of the song.
ah
The creator adds some vocal effects for stylistic purposes.
feel this
The creator is urging listeners to experience the emotions and messages that the song is conveying.
ah
Adding more vocal inflection to the song.
(unknown) hold you
Unclear, potentially due to overlapping vocal tracks or mumbled lyrics.
ah
The creator repeats a vocal effect from earlier in the song.
get to feel this (unknown)
The singer urges listeners to be aware of the negative impacts that humans have on the planet through mining and other harmful industries.
ah
The creator repeats another vocal effect from earlier in the song.
to heal this land
The singer is urging listeners to take steps to heal the earth from the scars of uranium mining and other harmful actions.
ah
Repeating a vocal effect, likely as an outro to the song.
ah
Closing out the song with another repetition of the vocal effect.
Contributed by Lucy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.