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.
Run
Indigo Girls Lyrics
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All melancholy sick from love
You prefer it uncomplicated
Things are tricky now I bet you hate it
Your mind?s eye finds the exit sign
And you?re off in perfect fashion
And you run, that?s all you?ve ever done
It?s all you know to do
I can?t hold that against you
And you?ll flee cause you?re born to be free
And if you go I?ll understand
But you better get out while you can
The party?s over, we had our fun
Flirting with madness a loaded gun
As much as nothing everything?s changed
I?m soaking in it, it falls like rain
You seek the sun to dry off what?s been done
You?ll heat up every corner of the world
As you run, that?s all you?ve ever done
It?s all you know to do
I can?t hold that against you
And you?ll flee cause you?re born to be free
And if you go I?ll understand
But you better get out while you can
Can you keep this pace forever
I have never seen it done
Up deep burn all you leave behind you
You are the surface of my sun
I measure to what degree
I can shape up what?s been forged in me
The cooper penny hissing in the pool
So much for wishes so much for cooling
Down this fire impossible desire
The further you get the more I?m drawn
And you run, that?s all you?ve ever done
It?s all you know to do
I can?t hold that against you
And you?ll flee cause you?re born to be free
And if you go I?ll understand
But you better get out while you can
The Indigo Girls’ song "Run" explores themes of liberation, change, and moving on. The opening lines, "You don’t want me calling you up, All melancholy, sick from love" establish the feeling of separation and distance present throughout the song. The singer is someone who prefers their life to be uncomplicated, as things are tricky now. They want to be free, and when the time comes, they will run without hesitation, and the singer understands this. The idea of leaving everything behind and starting anew is a recurring theme expressed in the lyrics, paired with the singer’s urge to move forward.
The chorus that repeats several times expresses the principal message of the song: running is all the subject knows how to do. The singer is born to be free, and if they go, the singer understands, but advises them to get out as soon as possible. The song’s title emphasizes the central theme, with the word "run" symbolizing the essence of the track.
The second half of the song is looking back at what was left behind, contrasting the party life and the singer's behavior of running away with "flirting with madness, a loaded gun" and the singer's careful evaluation of their life's situation. The lyrics "Can you keep this pace forever, I have never seen it done" imply that the singer's carefree attitude may eventually lead to disillusionment. The singer moves at full speed while others try to keep up, but their destination and purpose are unclear. The lyrics paint a picture of someone leaving everything behind but, as they run, the people and the things they left behind still have an impact on their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You don?t want me calling you up
The addressee does not want to communicate with the singer when she is sad because of love.
All melancholy sick from love
When the singer is dealing with love-related sadness, she becomes miserable and melancholy.
You prefer it uncomplicated
The addressee wants the relationship to stay simple without any complications.
Things are tricky now I bet you hate it
The complexity of the current situation makes the addressee upset as things have gotten complicated.
Your mind?s eye finds the exit sign
The addressee is always ready to escape or leave when the situation is not favourable.
And you?re off in perfect fashion
The addressee always departs when the situation becomes unpleasant in the most fitting manner.
And you run, that?s all you?ve ever done
Escaping from challenging situations is the primary reactant action that the addressee ever takes in life.
It?s all you know to do
The addressee doesn't have any other coping mechanisms other than escaping from troublesome conditions.
I can?t hold that against you
The artist does not resent the addressee for escaping when facing complex issues.
And you?ll flee cause you?re born to be free
The addressee can't help but run away whenever she becomes restricted or restrained as she finds personal freedom an essential attribute of her life.
And if you go I?ll understand
The singer will sympathize if the addressee decides to escape from their current situation.
But you better get out while you can
The addressee should leave the current situation because it might become more problematic with time.
The party?s over, we had our fun
The fun part of the relationship has come to an end.
Flirting with madness a loaded gun
The period of excitement in a relationship that reveals potential danger like an awaiting loaded gun.
As much as nothing everything?s changed
Nothing has changed yet so much seems to have changed in the relationship.
I?m soaking in it, it falls like rain
The change in the relationship has caused the artist distress, and she feels as if she is bathing in the rain.
You seek the sun to dry off what?s been done
The addressee is trying to move on from past events by looking for a brighter future.
You?ll heat up every corner of the world
The addressee's enthusiasm and excitement will light up the whole world if she manages to recover from heartbreak.
Can you keep this pace forever
The singer challenges the addressee to maintain her current life's breakneck pace forever.
I have never seen it done
The artist has never witnessed anybody maintaining high-speed escape forever.
Up deep burn all you leave behind you
The addressee leaves a scorched path behind as she runs headstrong and rapidly through life.
You are the surface of my sun
The addressee is the reason for the artist's bright sunshine and happiness in life.
I measure to what degree
The singer tries to analyse and determine the extent of their change in the relationship.
I can shape up what?s been forged in me
The artist seeks to develop the learned traits that the relationship taught her.
The cooper penny hissing in the pool
The singer hears the hissing sound of copper money as it flashes through the water.
So much for wishes so much for cooling
The singer reflects on her lost hopes and dreams and dissipating calmness in the relationship.
Down this fire impossible desire
The singer's romantic yearning has become impossible to achieve.
The further you get the more I?m drawn
The more the addressee runs away, the stronger the artist's attachment to her seems to be.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY, EMILY ANN SALIERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind