1. A Swedish alternative metal band including members of In
Flames. Now filed under Passenger (SWE).
2. A Brighton (UK) based alternative folk band.
3. A San José, Costa Rica hardcore/screamo band.
4. A Mesa, Arizona based acoustic rock band.
5. A rap artist from Texas.
6. An old alias of DJ Tiësto.
7. A Chicago-based instrumental rock band.
8. A psytrance project of MFG's Guy Zukrel.
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Passenger was formed in 1995 by Sten and Engelin. Both members wanted to do something that was not Thrash metal or Melodic death metal unlike the bands they played in. At its early stages the band was originally called "Cliff". Under the name Cliff they recorded two demos in Studio Fredman that were never released. After a break in the band and after Engelin was hired as a session guitarist for In Flames' Whoracle tour, Anders Fridén, the vocalist of In Flames showed interest in Passenger and joined the band.
In the year 2000 the band came back from its break and went on to record a demo. In 2001 the band recorded another demo in which early versions of the songs "Used", "In My Head", "Circus" and "Drowning City" were recorded. After a third demo the band finally recorded and released their debut album entitled Passenger. A video for "In Reverse" was also released.
Sten noted in February 2004 on their official website that they were in the process of recording their second album. However, since then, Fridén, lead vocalist of both Passenger and In Flames has been noted saying that he has very little time for the project, due to other commitments, and the group is currently on hold. In an interview with Fridén he stated that as soon as he gets a break from In Flames, he wants to get all the group together to record a second album for early 2010. This did however not happen as Anders continued touring with In Flames until October 2010 when they entered their studio to record their next album.
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The brainchild of 26-year-old Brighton born singer/songwriter Mike Rosenberg, Passenger is redefining the troubadour for the 21st century. Formerly a five-piece band, Passenger has now pared back to basics, quite literally bringing music to the streets on a series of lengthy busking journeys across Australia, America and the United Kingdom. A classic journeyman musician, cut from the same mould as Van Morrison, Neil Young and John Prine, Passenger has the unique ability to move from the humorous to heartbreaking with every song.
After a year spent crisscrossing the UK and US with his debut album Wicked Man’s Rest, Passenger’s markedly stripped down and soulful second album Wide Eyes Blind Love was brought to the public as it was created: on the road. Setting up on street corners across the UK and Australia, Passenger halted passers by in their hundreds; all connecting to the mellifluous tones and powerfully hewn lyrics emanating from this lone figure and his guitar. This is music as Passenger means it to be, unvarnished and honest, just pure talent and powerful tunes that tap straight into the heart of the crowd.
Struck by the dynamic freedom of the troubadour life, Passenger developed the grass roots method of Wide Eyes Blind Love into the germ of a new album. Impressively and entirely self funded through busking income, Passenger set about recording a series of collaborations with musical friends met along the way. Flight Of The Crow is the remarkable result of Passenger’s intrepid journey, with Australian artists Lior, Josh Pyke, Katie Noonan, Boy & Bear, Kate Miller Heidke, Philadelphia Grand Jury, Brian Campeau and Elana Stone, Matt Corby, Jess Chalker and Dead Letter Chorus all lending their voices to this serendipitous creative venture. Flight Of The Crow was recorded in Sydney’s famous BJB studios over February and March of 2010, and co-produced by Berkfinger (AKA Simon Berkleman from Philadelphia Grand Jury).
As a second album born of the road, Flight Of The Crow speaks to the compelling quality of Passenger’s music and the striking sincerity of his lyrics, both of which are matched by his dedication to this grass roots style of craftsmanship and collaboration. How utterly remarkable that a lone musician can travel the globe, and literally from the street, connect with some of Australia’s finest musical talents to produce a self-funded album. This is the stuff of legend, with Passenger clearly evoking the humble, hardworking creativity of the troubadours of old.
www.myspace.com/passengerofficial
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Passenger or PSNGR is an active hardcore/screamo band formed in San José, Costa Rica born in 2004. Their EP "Get OFF the Rails!" (tentative title) will be out in 20/01/09. Band members: Alejandro Pacheco (vocals & guitar), Grego Rojas (guitar), Andres Moraga (bass), Jose Vargas (drums). www.myspace.com/passenger
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Passenger the acoustic rock band was formed in late 2000. They have a large archive of both original music and cover songs. They released their first pressed album, entitled "Four Letter Word", in September 2004 on indie label Crop Circle Records.
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Passenger is an Austin, Texas based MC. Born in Massachusetts, he spent most of his younger days growing up in New York and Houston, Tx eventually moving to Austin, Tx in 1996 attending college to try his hand as a sound engineer. During these years, his musical versatility had him playing bass in an alternative rock band, singing in another side project, DJing house, jungle and hip hop music at various venues in Austin. Eventually he became a full time DJ for the reggae/ska/hiphop/punk band, Indofin, which he was a member for years touring the country. His love for hip hop provoked him to purchase an MPC and has been making beats and rhyming ever since. "The Brick In A Glass House", his debut album, contains production from Nozebleed, Lazerbeak (Doomtree), amongst others as well as his own and has guests from Austin's own Emcee, Justin Cook, Weezel, as well as a few others. Currently, you can find him playing shows around the Austin area and will begin to venturing out to other Texas cities. He is also working on putting together a live band to back him at shows and working on new material.
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Passenger is also an old alias of DJ Tiësto. Tiësto only produced 2 tracks under his old Passenger-alias: "Blackspin" and "F.A.H.", both appearing on a record released on Momentum Records in 1996.
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Passenger began winter of 2002 when guitarist dustin covert and bassist/vocalist david mata collaborated on the bands first full length "alive" an 8 song full length about a disoriented and dark but intriguing view of love and romance. the album explored dissonant melodies and agonizingly slow chord progressions with the use of mark sampson on drums and sam billen on piano. in 2003 passenger progressed to a four person line up with michael oberlin on drums and james demis on keyboards and sound and began to play various rock venues in chicago, illinois and used silent film to accompany their live performance. numerous line-up changes took effect during the next year and a half, but in 2005 the concrete line-up of Dustin Covert and David D'Antonio on guitars, David Mata on Bass and Samuel Vincent on drums was achieved. In winter of 2005 Passenger recorded "The Owls are Restless", a 2 hour and 40 minute concept record about an ancient war between owls and rabbits and was recorded and engineered by Steve Whitney in a warehouse in Aurora, Illinois. Shortly after the recording drummer Samuel Vincent tragically passed away. Without his talent and with the grief of losing a dear, dear friend the band decided it was impossible to continue performing the material or anything that involved Passenger. These unfortunate events occurred before "The Owls are Restless" was able to achieve any sort of record label attention, and when it finally did it was too late. The remaining musicians have continued creating in their band White Devil, named after the vintage moog synth/organ that Sam would play in collaboration with his drums in Passenger.
myspace.com/whitedevilchicago
A Thousand Matches
Passenger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleeping, she looked like an actress, a theory I didn't practice, I said "There's got to be a better way"
She said: "You light a thousand matches when you finally set fire, well you run away
So why'd you go and do it, when you knew that you would go and I would stay"
I hit the wall in frustration, a conversation I'd been circling for days
She said: "Don't take it out on him, for the wall has always been supportive in the best of ways"
We're laughing and crying like mad men dying in the snow
And I said: "I love you know, I love you so, when you love someone well you've gotta let 'em know"
She said: "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go"
She handed me a stone in the perfect shape of a heart
She said: "I'm gonna take this home for I know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark
In some faceless hotel room where you, seem to lose everything you own."
She didn't mean it how it sounded, what she meant was she would stay and I would go
And I said: "I love you know, I love you so, when you love someone well you've gotta let 'em know"
She said: "Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go"
Sometimes you tear it all apart, to see the wood from the trees
Sometimes you break your own heart to set yourself free
I walked her to the station, hesitation in our movements and our tone
Words finally left after realising how uncomfortable they've grown
See what you want and what you need, well they seldomly succeed to grow
We reluctantly agreed that when you love someone, you've gotta let them go
The song "A Thousand Matches" by Passenger talks about a bittersweet goodbye between two people in a complicated relationship. The singer reflects on a recent night spent at his friend's house, sleeping on a mattress because his friend's sister took his bed. He observes the girl he has feelings for sleeping, comparing her to an actress. Despite his attraction to her, he knows that he cannot continue down this path, and there must be a better way.
In the second verse, the singer becomes frustrated with a conversation he has been having for days. The girl advises him not to take out his frustration on someone else, leaving him to hit the wall instead. However, she provides some comic relief, and the two laugh and cry like "mad men dying in the snow" about the situation. The girl tells the singer that she loves him all the same, but sometimes one has to let someone go.
In the final verse, the singer walks the girl to the station, both of them hesitant to say the final goodbye. They agree that sometimes you have to break your own heart to set yourself free. It's a poignant moment, filled with regret and hopes for the future.
Overall, the song's lyrics deal with a bittersweet goodbye between two people who care deeply for each other but cannot continue down the path they are on.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying on a mattress 'cause my friend's crazy sister took my bed away
I am currently lying on a mattress because the sister of my friend, who is mentally unstable, took away my bed.
Sleeping, she looked like an actress, a theory I didn't practice, I said 'There's got to be a better way'
While she was asleep, she looked as though she could be an actress. This thought led me to wonder if there was a better way to handle the situation.
She said: 'You light a thousand matches when you finally set fire, well you run away. So why'd you go and do it, when you knew that you would go and I would stay'
She stated that lighting numerous matches and then setting fire is redundant, as the fire is already started. She wanted to know why I would start a fire when I knew that I would be the one to leave, and she would be left behind.
I hit the wall in frustration, a conversation I'd been circling for days
I became extremely frustrated while discussing a topic that I had been going in circles about for days, and hit the wall.
She said: 'Don't take it out on him, for the wall has always been supportive in the best of ways'
She told me not to blame the wall for my frustration, as the wall has always been a support to me in the best possible way.
We're laughing and crying like mad men dying in the snow. For just one second, it was funny that she would have to stay and I would go
We were both laughing and crying uncontrollably, similar to how crazy people would act if they were dying in the snow. We found it amusing for a moment that she would be the one left behind while I would leave.
And I said: 'I love you know, I love you so, when you love someone well you've gotta let 'em know'
I expressed my love for her and stated that when you love someone, it's important to let them know.
She said: 'Nothing's changed I love you the same, but when you love someone sometimes you gotta let 'em go'
She informed me that nothing has changed in the way she loves me, but sometimes, if you love someone, you have to let them go.
She handed me a stone in the perfect shape of a heart. She said: 'I'm gonna take this home for I know you'll only lose it somewhere after dark. In some faceless hotel room where you, seem to lose everything you own.' She didn't mean it how it sounded, what she meant was she would stay and I would go
She gave me a heart-shaped stone, but planned to take it home as she believed I would likely lose it in a dark hotel room, where I seem to lose everything I own. She didn't mean it to sound harsh, but what she really was trying to say was that she would stay while I would go.
Sometimes you tear it all apart, to see the wood from the trees
At times, it's necessary to break everything apart to gain clarity and see the bigger picture.
Sometimes you break your own heart to set yourself free
Occasionally, you must break your own heart to free yourself from a situation.
I walked her to the station, hesitation in our movements and our tone. Words finally left after realizing how uncomfortable they've grown
I accompanied her to the station, and both of us seemed hesitant with our movements and tone. Finally, we spoke up, acknowledging how uncomfortable the current situation had become.
See what you want and what you need, well they seldomly succeed to grow. We reluctantly agreed that when you love someone, you've gotta let them go
It's rare for what you want and what you actually need to align and grow together. We both reluctantly agreed that when you love someone, you have to let them go.
Contributed by Ryan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yifan Wu
Anyone else gets goosebumps every time hearing the part "sometimes it breaks your own hear~t, to set yourself free"?
Journal life
Yes ...
Wambli Paytah
You are not alone. In a song so rife with real life you are bound to find goosebump moments. That was one for me too. Not in a "good feels" moment... Just one I recognize from before....
Katarina Jonsson
Yes 🙏 it's hard to not get goosebumps doesn't matter what he sing 🙏❤❤❤🙏
Josh R.
@Katarina Jonsson very true <3
Kaleb Mooneyham
Every single time. That lyric is so powerful.
thomas brady
I recently lost my love and wife of 54 years and I listen to this song and it gives me help. Thank you Passenger!
Just Lilly
I'm sorry for your loss <3
Marie Tracy
I'm sorry for your loss
Zoe Cheng
Music is the remedy❤