Stan Ridgway
Stan Ridgway's tenure with Wall of Voodoo may have launched him to semi-sta… Read Full Bio ↴Stan Ridgway's tenure with Wall of Voodoo may have launched him to semi-stardom, but his solo musical style is more blues rock, almost Americana-ish, than WoV's big hit "Mexican Radio." Multiple solo albums and collaborations later, Ridgway morphs with each release.

Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway was the original lead singer for the band Wall of Voodoo, singing on their debut EP and first two albums, including their only hit song, "Mexican Radio". Wall Of Voodoo's genesis was in a Hollywood company called "Acme Soundtracks", a commercially unsuccessful venture founded in 1977 in Hollywood by Ridgway. Ridgway's intent for the company was to provide soundtrack music for independently produced low-budget horror films; unfortunately, the company found few takers for its services. Instead, Acme Soundtracks evolved into a band that played live shows.

The band was named Wall Of Voodoo by Ridgway before their first gig in reference to a comment made while recording and overdubbing a Kalamazoo Rhythm Ace drum machine, a gift to Ridgway by writer and iconic voice over artist Daws Butler, partner to Stan Freberg, voice of Yogi Bear and many other Hanna-Barbera characters. When someone jokingly compared the multiple drum machine and farfisa organ laden recordings to Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, Ridgway commented it sounded more like a "Wall Of Voodoo", and the name stuck.

Actually, for new listeners, the voodoo reference was a little misleading, as it referred to the music's often spooky quality, as opposed to any Haitian or Caribbean influences. In fact, WoV's music could fairly have been described as a cross between early synthesizer pop (especially that of Devo) and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks for Sergio Leone's "Man with No Name" films. Adding to the music's distinctiveness was Nanini's percussive experimentation, mixing drum machines with unconventional found instruments such as pots, pans and various kitchen utensils, as well as Marc Moreland's twangy spaghetti-western guitar. On top of the mix was Ridgway's unusual vocal style—a nasal Western drawl that combined the stoic ballad-style Sprechgesang of Johnny Cash, the declamatory theatrical delivery of Ethel Merman, and the ironic, clenched-jaw voice of a wisecracking ventriloquist's dummy. One of Ridgway's hobbies since childhood has been ventriloquism and he occasionally assumes the persona of a dummy named Jackie T. Lazar, such as in his cover version of "Behind Closed Doors" from Holiday in Dirt and in the video for "Big Dumb Town" from Black Diamond.

Ridgway embarked on a solo career in 1983, shortly after Wall of Voodoo's appearance and break up at the US Festival that same year. After collaborating on the song "Don't Box Me In" with Stewart Copeland from The Police for the soundtrack to the film Rumble Fish (1983), directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Mickey Rourke, Matt Dillon, Dennis Hopper and Tom Waits, he released his first proper solo album, The Big Heat (1986), which included the top 5 European hit "Camouflage". This was followed by numerous other solo recordings Mosquitos (1989), Partyball (1991), Black Diamond (1995), Anatomy (1999), The Way I Feel Today a collection of big band standards (2000) and Holiday In Dirt (2001) which also included a DVD of videos. Ridgway's most recent solo outing is Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs (2005) featuring the narrative song, "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1", a history of his former band in song that was especially poignant, having followed the recent deaths of Marc Moreland and Joe Nanini.

Since the early days of Wall of Voodoo, Ridgway has been interested in music for cinema. A list of films for which Ridgway has written scores and/or original songs is included below. Ridgway's album Holiday in Dirt was a quasi-cinematic project, with the release of the album accompanied by a showing of 14 short films by various independent film makers, each film corresponding to one of the songs on the album. A compilation DVD of the films was released in February 2005.

In 1994, Ridgway began work on a new project in the form of a trio called Drywall, the other members of the trio being Ridgway's wife, keyboardist/vocalist Pietra Wexstun of the band Hecate's Angels (who had previously worked with Ridgway on Mosquitos and Partyball), and former Rain Parade drummer Ivan Knight. In 1995, Drywall released its first album (first of a "trilogy of apocalyptic documents"), titled Work The Dumb Oracle. A short film directed by Carlos Grasso titled The Drywall Incident was released the same year. An extended, instrumental soundtrack album for The Drywall Incident was released in 1996.

Ridgway and Wexstun also collaborated on a suite of mostly instrumental and orchestral pieces to accompany an exhibition of post modern surrealist artist Mark Ryden's paintings, which was released as the album Blood- Miniature Paintings of Sorrow and Fear"in 2003 in a unique 3 panel packaging design by the artist which quickly sold out of its limited pressing of 7,500.

Stan Ridgway and Drywall regrouped in 2006 to release the album Barbeque Babylon, the third "apocalyptic document" with the single "The AARP Is Following Me". The new Drywall lineup features Rick King on guitars and bass and Bruce Zelesnik on drums and percussion.

Ridgway has also contributed to albums and projects by producer Hal Willner, Frank Black and the Catholics, The Flesh Eaters, The Divine Horsemen, The Ray Campi Quartet, The Fibonaccis, and Roger McGuinn.
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Stan Ridgway Lyrics


/ Uba's House of Fashions The door swung wide, I walked right in I was long…
/Beyond Tomorrow We will be driving in little time bombs everywhere One a…
/Overlords Well, I been breakin' rocks up on coolie number three I…
A Mission In Life Sue, turn out the lights It's time to close up¨c¨cwe're thro…
Afghan Forklift Ringin' on the telephone, pick it up and say What's a…
After the Storm After the storm We'll all need to dry out And the forecast…
Amnesia Remember me when it's over Remember me when it's done Rememb…
As I Went Out One Morning As I went out one morning To breathe the air around…
Beloved Movie Star My beloved movie star There's more than cold cream in your…
Beloved Movie Star Redux My beloved movie star There's more than cold cream in your…
Beyond Tommorrow We will be driving in little time bombs everywhere One a…
Big Dumb Town Now, when the city was in flame, you were on…
Big Green Tree Is there a home, a home for me? Where the people…



Bing Can't Walk If you've got a friend that you want messed up Just…
Brand New Special and Unique Youth is truth they say And old is rolled away Grey is…
Call Box I press the buttons now Voice keeps poppin' on the call…
Call of the West He got the high sign so he jumped a bus Along…
Calling Out To Carol Calling out to carol She could really twist the screws What'…
Camouflage I was a PFC on a search patrol huntin' Charlie…
Camouflage (single remix edit) I was a PFC on a searchpatrol, hunting Charlie down. It…
Can "How you doin' bert? "Wel, not so good Charlie. My back's…
Can't Stop the Show There's a man in a booth with a quarter in…
Cannon Song John was all present and Jim was all there And Georgie…
Classic Hollywood Ending Hear the wind blow back those sycamore trees There's a scree…
Crow Hollow Blues Workin' in the sun, a-scrapin' down the tar If we made…
Crystal Palace Movin' kinda slow, no I never had much balance Why does…
deep blue polka dot Swimmin' in the slime Peelin' off th' dock Baby got a purple…
Dogs One dog buries a bone And then the other dog digs…
Don You walk I'll run And follow right behind you You call I'll…
Down the Coast Highway He took a drive down the coast highway Blowin' where the…
Drive She Said Sittin' right behind me I could smell her perfume It was…
End of the Line Commissioned for the french film terminus. You are my only …
Factory Now I know I had something to say But the problem…
Floundering Tonight I'm looking for someone to tell my troubles to Some…
Foggy River Originally published on the B-side of the Camouflage single …
Garage Band In an old garage Rain is comin' down Half a block away You…
Garage Band '69 In an old garage Rain is comin' down Half a block away Yo…
God Sleeps in a Caboose Hear that train rollin' down the track Passin' by this old…
Goin Tell not a word that you heard it here But there's…
Gone the Distance Ocean wide and water deep Noddin' off, you fall asleep No on…
Harry Truman John Wayne was always bald And he had a woman's name Valenti…
I Wanna Be A Boss Well, I've been doodling on this notepad And I been taking…
Into The Sun Here, where the air's too thick to breathe I'll hit the…
Jack Talked Jack talked, Jack talked like Jack talked like a man on…
King For A Day Yeah, I'm drivin' down your freeway In a brand new car…
Knife and Fork [Chorus:] I'm comin' back home to you Stuck to you like craz…
Last Honest Man A crowd came in and sat down And then a man…
Lonely Town They all say that it's a lonely town They all say…
Lost Weekend Driving out of vegas in their automobile She was in the…
Luther Played Guitar Now we were young and we were bold We were three…
mama had a stove They say that I'm a loner They say that I'm a…
Man of Stone It could have been a million years ago or maybe…
Mexican Radio I feel a hot wind on my shoulder And the touch…
mission bell Mission bell is ringin' for you No one 'round and nothin'…
Mission in Life Sue, turn out the lights It's time to close up¨c¨cwe're thro…
Monsters Of The Id Monsters of the id No longer stayin' hid And terrors of the…
murray's steakhouse story (instrumental)…
My Exclusive Sex Club Kind ladies and good gentlemen You've thrown your dollar dow…
My Own Universe One night I was lookin' high up at the sky A…
My Rose Marie Well, now, I'm out here under guard tonight I wear the…
Nadine As I got on a city bus and found a…
Newspapers I work for the newspapers Any news is good news I…
One Spring Morning As I went out one morning To breathe the air around…
Operator Help Me Operator help me There's a sound out in the street And it…
Our Manhattan Moment The city streets burst at their seams And flood the earth…
Overlords Well, I been breakin' rocks up on coolie number three I…
Peg And Pete And Me I can feel the life runnin' out of me workin'…
picasso Like a monster back from hell I sit and watch the…
Pick It Up A signal swings and the lights turn off And a missing…
Pile Driver There is a big click clack machine Whose engines don't pump…
Pink Parakeet Your pink parakeet still waits for you to free her So…
Right Through You You look them in the eye To show them you're brave But…
Ring of Fire Love is a burnin' thing And it makes a fiery ring I…
Runnin with the Carnival Oh, down by the river where the wildflower grow All the…
Salesman Now, I've been travelin' long and hard And all over this…
Sixteen Tons Some people say a man is made outta mud A poor…
Snaketrain Comin' into Southbend headin' towards the graveyard shift Bl…
Southbound Tell not a word that you heard it here But there's…
Stormy Side Of Town Originally published on the B-side of the Camouflage single …
Stranded She was standin' near the railroad track when she first…
susie before sunrise Here where the carousel spins On an ocean of blame We pick…
Talk Hard Life is tough and full'a stuff Life is hard as rock No…
That Big 5-0 Yeah! Bring me water, bring me coal We just missed hittin' t…
The Big Heat The room was dark It looked like someone had to get…
The Gumbo Man Water is crashin' on the rocks down below A side window…
The Last Honest Man A crowd came in and sat down And then a man…
The Overlords Well, I been breakin' rocks up on coolie number three I…
The Passenger A telepathic line to a shadow On the wall, just a…
The Roadblock News travels fast in a small desert town So it wasn't…
Throw It Away Bobby had a background He'd done some prison time He borrowe…
Time Inside Time is lifeless Time is here Time is frozen And it seems li…
Tomorrow We will be driving in little time bombs everywhere One a…
train of thought I've wandered far and wide This road keeps winding on Can't …
Twisted Chorus: You're twisted, that's what you are Just like a bee …
Uba The door swung wide, I walked right in I was long…
Underneath the Big Green Tree Is there a home, a home for me Where the people…
valerie is sleeping Watch the planes take off and touch the clouds Thinkin' I'm…
Wake Up Sally Spoken: Okay, now, try to stay quiet. Chorus: Wake up, Sa…
Walkin Now there's last Sunday's paper Crumpled up and rollin' down…
What Ever Happened to You Now you're a long way from graduation and the age…
whistle for louise Bring your offering¨c¨cside door, she's your ride Born to ca…
Wild Bill Donovan In a time between two wars When a slip could get…
Your Rockin' Chair A gamblin' man was dealin' I drew a jack a' spades A-way…


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