Formed in 19… Read Full Bio ↴Powderfinger were a rock band from Brisbane, Australia.
Formed in 1989, the band managed to keep the same line up since they hit the big time, Bernard Fanning (Vocals, guitars), Darren Middleton (guitars), Ian Haug (guitars), John Collins (Bass) and Jon Coghill (drums). Powderfinger are winners of nearly every major award in Australia – including the ARIA (Australian Record Industry Awards) for Album of the Year, Best Rock Album and Song of the Year.
Their musical style changed significantly over the years from a predominantly Grunge influenced one (Parables for Wooden Ears, Double Allergic) to their own brand of Alternative Rock on the following albums Internationalist and Odyssey Number 5. Several songs on Vulture street were in tribute to classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC and Songs on Dream Days at the Hotel Existence feature a prominent Neil Young influence- to whom they owe their band name from his song of the same name.
The band released seven studio albums and a greatest hits album, Fingerprints - The Best of Powderfinger 1994-2000, in 2004. Their final album, Golden Rule, was released in late 2009. Despite their popularity in Australia, Powderfinger never achieved similar success overseas.
They toured with Silverchair on the "Across the Great Divide" Concert, from August to October 2007, trying to raise awareness of the indigenous people of Australia.
On the 9th of April 2010, it was announced at a press conference and on the band's website that after 20 years together, Powderfinger would be disbanding after their farewell Sunsets Tour. Of the split, frontman Bernard Fanning stated:
With the completion of our last album, Golden Rule, we feel that we have said all that we want to say as a musical group. We firmly believe that it is our most complete and satisfying album and can't think of a better way to farewell our fans than with music that we all believe in and also with, hopefully, our best tour to date.
Passenger
Powderfinger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold so tight until your knuckles show
Escape
As far away as you could ever know
You sink them all down
Watch them float up
'til the wheel has spun around
Be bound by what you are
Stand in the corner, with your face stripped of colour
For what?
If you want to be a passenger
Climb aboard with me we're leaving now
Step outside and see
Another world
Only if you want to be a passenger
Chained
So many places you'd prefer to be
than framed
By a picket fence and salary
You sink them all down
Then watch them float up
Until the
Wheel has spun around
You will be bound by who you are
tied to the corner
With your
Hope twisted under
In knots
If you want to be a passenger
Climb aboard with me we're leaving now
step outside and see another world
Only if you want to be a passenger
Powderfinger's song Passenger is a powerful anthem about breaking free from the monotony of everyday life and exploring the world beyond our comfort zones. The song begins with the image of being caged and holding on so tightly that our knuckles show, symbolizing the restricting nature of conformity and the difficulties we face in trying to break away from it. The idea of escape is then introduced as a means of finding freedom and exploring the world beyond our boundaries. The lyrics are replete with imagery of sinking things down and watching them float up, which can be interpreted as the cyclical nature of our lives - always coming back to the same point but never breaking free. The lyrics speak to the idea that we are bound by who we are and that in order to truly break free, we must be willing to let go of the familiar and take risks.
The song speaks to the idea of being a passenger, of letting go of control and allowing ourselves to be taken on a journey. The lyrics suggest that we are chained to our current lives and that we would prefer to be elsewhere but are trapped by obligations and societal expectations. The chorus encourages us to climb aboard and leave, to explore the world beyond our walls and see another world. The song is a call to arms, a reminder that we have the power to take control of our lives and follow our dreams, even if it means leaving everything behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Caged
Feeling trapped or confined, unable to escape from a situation.
Hold so tight until your knuckles show
Holding on with desperation, to the point where it is physically visible from gripping too hard.
Escape
The desire to break free and get away from the current situation.
As far away as you could ever know
The longing to be as far from the current situation as possible, seeking the unknown and unfamiliar.
You sink them all down
Suppressing one's true feelings and desires, pushing them deep down within oneself.
Watch them float up
As these suppressed feelings resurface, they can be dealt with and addressed properly.
'til the wheel has spun around
Until the cycle of one's life or situation is complete and ready for change.
You will
It is inevitable that one will face the consequences of their choices and actions.
Be bound by what you are
One's identity, personality, and past experiences will dictate their future and hold them back from change.
Stand in the corner, with your face stripped of colour
Feeling shame or embarrassment for being stuck in a situation and unable to change it, losing one's sense of life and color.
For what?
Questioning why they are stuck in a given situation.
If you want to be a passenger
If you desire to let go and experience life without being in control.
Climb aboard with me we're leaving now
Joining someone who is willing to let go and explore the unknown.
Step outside and see
Venturing out of one's comfort zone to experience something different.
Another world
A new perspective, a fresh start, and a chance to see things in a different light.
Only if you want to be a passenger
No one is forcing you to let go and be a passenger, but it could be the key to breaking free from a negative situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JONATHAN ROBERT COGHILL, JOHN ANDREW COLLINS, BERNARD JOSEPH FANNING, IAN DAVID HAUG, DARREN STUART MIDDLETON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hannamasturina
Caged
You hold so tight, until your knuckles show
Escape
As far away as you could ever know
You sink them all down
And watch them float up
Until the wheel has spun around
You will be bound by what you are
You stand in the corner
With your face stripped of color
For what?
If you want to be a passenger
Climb aboard with me, were leaving now
Step outside and see another world
Only if you want to be a passenger
Chained
So many places youd prefer to be
Then framed
By a picket fence and salary
You sink them all down
Then watch them float up
Until the wheel has spun around
You will be bound by who you are
Youre tied to the corner
With your hope twisted under
In knots
If you want to be a passenger
Climb aboard with me, were leaving now
Step outside and see another world
Only if you want to be a passenger
Read more: Powderfinger - Passenger Lyrics | MetroLyrics
@vc8160
The reason I became an airline pilot! Sometimes I still listen to this song, when I am on layovers. It humbles me and makes me feel extremely grateful for my life and my journey!
@OhhShakeItBaby
3:08 - 4:40.....one of the all-time great choruses in Australian music....they just go for it....bloody hell they pull it off. What made Powderfinger so good was their musical tastes (Zep, Stones, Neil You, Beatles) and great talent - a wonderful combination. I grew up in Brisbane, Australia, and the 'finger were on and off the radio for a solid two decades with wonderful rock songs. They're up there with Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and the Skyhooks, imo. Thanks for the memory guys...
@PippiGallagher
2023 and I'm still listening to this brilliant song!!
@emmbee444
No doubt one of the greatest bands to have existed and I believe their limited fame contributed to their greatness.
@RichardOliver
I know what you mean. I am a UK fan. Saw them a few times over here. Love this band. Just listening to this makes me realise how much they mean to people and how good they were.
@theprinceoftides6836
Exactamundo, they did not overstayed their welcome.
@NxDoyle
Clearly there's more than one metric, so.
@nicoletipton5026
Well she's a junkified unit always had been so yeah that is part of the limited success etc only 1 of her solo songs r any good...
@lukejacobs5885
Yes they didn’t stop living there lives
This definitely helped them make good relatable stuff for everyone
@11vec
Now this is what you call real aussie 90's music from powderfinger I love it pete