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.
Amnesia
Stan Ridgway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remember me when it's done
Remember me when it's rainin'
Remember me I'm the one
And if somewhere I let you down
Or ever made you blue
Remember me for the way it was
Remember me when you're happy
Flyin' free in the sky
At 3 a.m. and the car door slams
Remember me when you're high
Remember me when the picture fades
Or your doctor makes a call
Remember me just for old time's sake
Or you just might forget it all
And everybody's got lessons they must learn
These days I feel a lot less time to burn
What one love will lose another love will learn (earn?)
Remember me when it's midnight
Or when it's hot and high noon
Or when the wind won't stop blowin' cold
Or when you heat up your spoon
Remember me when you feel alone
Helpless, without a clue
Remember me for the way it was
And I'll remember you
In Stan Ridgway's song "Amnesia," the singer is addressing someone they love, asking them to remember them even after they're gone. The repetition of the phrase "Remember me" creates a sense of urgency and a desire to be remembered. The singer wants to be remembered during different times and in different ways - when it's over, when it's raining, when they're happy, and even when they're high. The idea is that no matter what happens or how much time passes, the singer wants to be remembered by the person they love.
The lyrics also hint at the idea that memories can fade or be forgotten, which is a natural part of life. The line "Or you just might forget it all" acknowledges that even though the singer wants to be remembered, it's possible that they won't be. However, they still ask to be remembered "just for old time's sake," which suggests a nostalgia for the past.
The final verse contains a reflection on the passage of time and the importance of cherishing memories. The line "What one love will lose another love will learn (earn?)" suggests that even though love can be lost, it can also be gained again through new experiences and relationships. Overall, "Amnesia" is a poignant reflection on the human desire to be remembered and the fleeting nature of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember me when it's over
Please don't forget me when everything is finished.
Remember me when it's done
Please keep me in your thoughts when all is said and done.
Remember me when it's rainin'
Please don't let the rain wash away thoughts of me.
Remember me I'm the one
Please remember that I'm the person who once meant so much to you.
And if somewhere I let you down
I'm sorry if I ever disappointed you or caused you pain.
Or ever made you blue
I deeply regret if I ever made you feel sad or upset.
Remember me for the way it was
Please hold onto the memories of the good times we had.
And I'll remember you
I promise to keep you in my thoughts as well.
Remember me when you're happy
I hope my memory can bring you joy during happy moments.
Flyin' free in the sky
Or when you're feeling free and unburdened.
At 3 a.m. and the car door slams
Or in the early hours of the morning when you hear a distinctive sound.
Remember me when you're high
Or when you're experiencing a certain state of mind.
Remember me when the picture fades
Don't forget me even when the memories start to fade.
Or your doctor makes a call
Or when you receive news about your health.
Remember me just for old time's sake
Even if it's just for nostalgia's sake, please remember me.
Or you just might forget it all
If you don't remember me, it could all be forgotten.
And everybody's got lessons they must learn
Everyone has their own journey and things they need to learn.
These days I feel a lot less time to burn
As I get older, I feel like time is running out for me to accomplish what I want to.
What one love will lose another love will learn (earn?)
One person's loss in love could be another person's gain or eventual learning experience.
Remember me when it's midnight
Remember me at any time of day or night.
Or when it's hot and high noon
Even on the hottest days, please keep me in your thoughts.
Or when the wind won't stop blowin' cold
Even during tough times, don't forget me.
Or when you heat up your spoon
During moments of addiction, remember me.
Remember me when you feel alone
I hope to be a source of comfort during times of loneliness.
Helpless, without a clue
Please remember me when you feel lost and don't know what to do.
And I'll remember you
I will always keep you in my thoughts and memories.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RIDGWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind