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.
Three County Highway
Indigo Girls Lyrics
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And every one of them town's got a firework show
It's 4th of July and I'm just now getting home
On the horizon I can see them all unfold
It's been a warm winter and a cold spring
Everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me
Everything I kept
What I never should have thrown away
I wanted you for all those yesterdays
I was wishing for you one Sunday morning
Walkin' down the road in some debtor's town
From every church a hymn came blendin' and
Everyone of them wantin' to be found
Did you say it took a long time to find
A lot less man and less harm done?
Did you say it took a long time to find
A handsome one to keep you young?
One day I'm gonna make it up to you
One day we're gonna laugh instead of cry
One day I'm coming home to stay, it's true
And baby that's the last ticket I'm ever gonna buy
'Cause it's been a warm winter and a cold spring
Everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me
So put your head on my heart, lay down in the crook of my arm and
Everything's okay, I've been found again
I've been found again
The song "Three County Highway" by Indigo Girls is a melancholic account of a restless traveler who is returning home after an extended period of wandering. The singer has been driving along a three county highway, passing through towns where people are celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks. She can see the colorful displays on the horizon, but she is feeling disconnected and out of place. The warm winter and cold spring have added to her sense of displacement. The singer has been searching for something, or someone, but nothing has felt right until now.
The lyrics are steeped in nostalgia and longing for a lost love. The singer has kept everything that reminds her of the person she misses, and she wishes for a time machine that could transport her back to the past. She remembers a Sunday morning when she was walking down the road in a town that she owed money to. She heard hymns coming from every church and felt a sense of yearning for spiritual and emotional fulfillment. She wonders if her lost love has found that kind of peace and acceptance, and if he has found someone else to keep him young.
The last verse offers hope and a sense of resolve. The singer is determined to make amends and to come home for good. She wants to replace her restlessness with a sense of stability and love. The final line, "I've been found again," suggests that the singer has found what she has been searching for, even if it took a long time to get there.
Line by Line Meaning
I drive a three county highway
I'm driving on a road which passes through three counties.
And every one of them town's got a firework show
Every town along the way is lighting fireworks.
It's 4th of July and I'm just now getting home
I am arriving home late on Independence Day.
On the horizon I can see them all unfold
I can see the firework shows happening in the distance.
It's been a warm winter and a cold spring
The past season has been unusual with warmer winter and colder spring temperatures.
Everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me
I've been feeling out of place in every location I've visited.
Everything I kept
All the things I held onto,
What I never should have thrown away
are the things I should have kept but didn't.
I wanted you for all those yesterdays
I have wanted to be with you for all the days gone by.
I was wishing for you one Sunday morning
On a Sunday, I was hoping and longing for you.
Walkin' down the road in some debtor's town
I was strolling through a town where people are in debt.
From every church a hymn came blendin' and
All the churches were singing together in harmony,
Everyone of them wantin' to be found
Each congregation was hoping to be found and saved by God.
Did you say it took a long time to find
Did you mention that it took a lot of time to discover,
A lot less man and less harm done?
a man who has caused less harm to others?
Did you say it took a long time to find
Did you mention that it took a lot of time to discover,
A handsome one to keep you young?
a good-looking man who can keep you young at heart?
One day I'm gonna make it up to you
I will compensate for past mistakes someday.
One day we're gonna laugh instead of cry
We will share laughter instead of tears one day.
One day I'm coming home to stay, it's true
I am planning to come back and live with you permanently one day.
And baby that's the last ticket I'm ever gonna buy
I won't ever have to buy another ticket once I return home.
So put your head on my heart, lay down in the crook of my arm and
Rest your head on my chest, curl up in the bend of my arm and,
Everything's okay, I've been found again
Everything is alright now that I have found my way back to you.
I've been found again
I have rediscovered the home and happiness I sought.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AMY ELIZABETH RAY, EMILY ANN SALIERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind