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.
Strange Fire
Indigo Girls Lyrics
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I make an offering of love
The incense of my soil is burned
By the fire in my blood
I come with a softer answer
To the questions that lie in your path
I want to harbor you from the anger
Find a refuge from the wrath
This is a message
A message of love
Love that moves from the inside out
Love that never grows tired
I come to you with strange fire
Fire
Mercenaries of the shrine
Now who are you to speak for god
With haughty eyes and lying tongues
And hands that shed innocent blood
Now who delivered you the power
To interpret calvary
You gamble away our freedom
To gain your own authority
Find another state of mind
You know it's time we all learned
To grab hold
Strange fire burns
With the motion of love
Fire
Fire
When you learn to love yourself
You will dissolve all the stones that are cast
Now you will learn to burn the icing sky
To melt the waxen mask
I said to have the gift of true release
This is a peace that will take you higher
Oh I come to you with my offering
I bring you strange fire
This is a message
A message of love
Love that moves from the inside out
Love that never grows tired
I come to you with strange fire
Fire
Fire
I come to you with strange fire
The lyrics of Indigo Girls's song Strange Fire convey a message of love that moves from the inside out. The singer offers an incense of love coming from the strange fire burning in her blood as a softer answer to the questions that the listener might have. The song is about the power of love that never grows tired and can be used to find refuge from anger and wrath. The singer criticizes the people who claim to speak for God but only shed innocent blood and gamble away freedom to gain power. She calls them "mercenaries of the shrine" and questions who gave them the power to interpret Calvary. The singer encourages the listener to love themselves, dissolve all stones that are cast, and learn to burn the icing sky to melt the waxen mask. She offers her gift of true release as a peace that will take the listener higher.
Line by Line Meaning
I come to you with strange fire
I am approaching you with an unfamiliar passion
I make an offering of love
I am presenting my love to you as a gift
The incense of my soil is burned
The aroma of my land is being consumed
By the fire in my blood
Ignited by the passion that fuels me
I come with a softer answer
I am bringing a gentler response
To the questions that lie in your path
To the inquiries obstructing your way
I want to harbor you from the anger
I desire to shelter you from fury
Find a refuge from the wrath
Seek a place of safety from the indignation
This is a message
The following is an announcement
A message of love
An announcement about affection
Love that moves from the inside out
Love that originates internally and radiates outward
Love that never grows tired
Love that never becomes exhausted
Fire
Passion
Mercenaries of the shrine
Forces hired to protect the holy place
Now who are you to speak for god
Why are you assuming to represent the divine?
With haughty eyes and lying tongues
Being arrogant and dishonest in speech
And hands that shed innocent blood
An evil act of taking an innocent life
Now who delivered you the power
Who granted you the authority?
To interpret calvary
To explain the significance of the crucifixion
You gamble away our freedom
You are risking our liberty
To gain your own authority
To obtain power for yourself
Find another state of mind
Find a different mental perspective
You know it's time we all learned
It is crucial for everyone to understand
To grab hold
To firmly take a grip on something
Strange fire burns
Unusual passion blazes
With the motion of love
Carried by the movement of affection
When you learn to love yourself
Once you start to have affection for yourself
You will dissolve all the stones that are cast
You will eliminate any barriers that may be thrown at you
Now you will learn to burn the icing sky
Now you will understand how to produce a revolutionary change
To melt the waxen mask
To get rid of the artificial facade
I said to have the gift of true release
I mean to offer the skill of genuine liberation
This is a peace that will take you higher
This is a level of tranquility that will elevate you
Oh I come to you with my offering
I am presenting you with what I have
I bring you strange fire
I am handing you my peculiar passion
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind