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.
Lost Weekend
Stan Ridgway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was in the backseat while he was at the wheel
With the windows wide open
All the money from the store they'd gambled away
He said, "...the best laid plans often go astray."
She took the page of her book and turned it down
She lit a cigarette...she didn't make a sound
"I know--we'd finally hit the big one at last," she said
See instead of another lost weekend / lost weekend
another lost weekend / lost weekend
"Pull over soon," she said, "it's no big deal,
You can take any exit that you happen to feel is the right one."
The right one
As she slowly blew her smoke out of the rear wind vent
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
"Maybe I shoulda stayed in school," he said
"Yeah, I know--start your own business cleaning swimming pools," she said--see
She leaned forward over the front seat and twiddled with the radio dial
She looked out the window, saw a sign and both of them began to smile
"There's a place we could stay at...it's up another mile."
The song "Lost Weekend" by Stan Ridgway tells a story of a couple driving out of Las Vegas after squandering all of their money in a gamble. The woman is sitting in the backseat while the man is driving, both feeling disappointed and regretful but still trying to hold on to hope that they will hit the jackpot one day. As they drive, they start talking about what they should have done differently, and the woman reflects on how she should have pursued her education instead of entering a quiz show contest.
This song reflects a common theme in Stan Ridgway's music- characters who feel defeated by the American Dream. The couple in this song took a gamble and it didn't pay off, leaving them feeling lost and hopeless. However, there is still a glimmer of optimism in their conversation about what they should do next since they're not too far gone yet. The line "see instead of another lost weekend" repeated throughout the song emphasizes that they don't want to continue this cycle of disappointment and want to take a different path in the future. Overall, the song captures a moment of reflection and a plea for change in the midst of disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving out of vegas in their automobile
Leaving Las Vegas in their car
She was in the backseat while he was at the wheel
She sat in the back and he drove
With the windows wide open
The car windows were open
All the money from the store they'd gambled away
They lost all their money gambling
He said, "...the best laid plans often go astray."
He said their plans didn't go as intended
She took the page of her book and turned it down
She marked her place in the book
She lit a cigarette...she didn't make a sound
She smoked quietly
"and I know if we'd had just one more chance," he said
He said they needed one more opportunity
"I know--we'd finally hit the big one at last," she said
She said they would have won big
See instead of another lost weekend / lost weekend
They didn't want another failed, unproductive weekend
"Pull over soon," she said, "it's no big deal,
She asked him to pull over
You can take any exit that you happen to feel is the right one.
He can exit wherever he wants
The right one
The correct exit
As she slowly blew her smoke out of the rear wind vent
She calmly exhaled smoke
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
She reflected on her past actions
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
She submitted letters to participate in a quiz show
"Maybe I shoulda stayed in school," he said
He regretted not completing his education
"Yeah, I know--start your own business cleaning swimming pools," she said--see
She suggested he start a business cleaning pools
She leaned forward over the front seat and twiddled with the radio dial
She moved forward and adjusted the radio
She looked out the window, saw a sign and both of them began to smile
They both saw the same sign and smiled
"There's a place we could stay at...it's up another mile."
He suggested a place they could stay
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHARLES T. GRAY, MARK W. MORELAND, OLIVER NANINI, STANARD RIDGEWAY FUNSTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@massimotazzioli9415
Drivin' outta Vegas in their automobile
She was in the back seat while he was at the wheel
With the windows wide open
All the money from the store, they'd gambled away
He said "the best laid plans often go astray"
She took the page of a book and turned it down
She lit a cigarette, she didn't make a sound
"And I know, if we'd had just one more chance," he said
"I know, we'd finally hit the big one at last", she said
(Instead of) another lost weekend
Lost weekend
Another lost weekend
Lost weekend
"Pull over soon," she said, "it's no big deal,
You can take any exit that you happen to feel
Is the right one"
The right one
As she slowly blew her smoke out the rear wind vent
She thought back on all the letters she'd sent
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
"Maybe I shoulda stayed in school," he said
"Yeah, I know - start your own business cleanin' swimming pools," she said
(instead of) another lost weekend
lost weekend
another lost weekend
lost weekend
She leaned over the front seat and twiddled with the radio dial
She looked out the window, saw a sign, and both of them began to smile
"There's a place we can stay at...
... it's up another mile."
@treesloth9
If you are listening to this then you are in a exclusive club of people with great musical taste Very underrated band saw them in Del Mar and Irvine
@michaelwolf6424
Saw them do 2 shows at the famed club "688" in Atlanta. . .back in '82. The band was touring to support "Call of the West". While in town, they had band equipment stolen and had to use borrowed instruments and yet, the shows were the best I can ever remember seeing at that club. Ever. Really incitement writing and a strong sense of timing with their Western theme tales of dark noir lives. Stan Ridgway was a fabulous frontman and lyricist. Marc Moreland's guitar work, Chaz Gray's keyboards and synthesizer and drummer/percussionist Joe Nanini excellent rhythms left an indelible impression. This could have easily been a super band had they not broken up. It's hard to believe that this was 40 years ago.
@halfcabdisaster7
Call of the West had such a great atmosphere, dark, melancholy, and mysterious without making me feel depressed.
@lefkytheshin
Great track by an underrated artist.
@nuggetprich7069
Top ten album on any list! No need to correct, no need to apologize!
@bandfromtheband9445
Absolutely!
@gogoyubari366
What makes you believe they're underrated?
@fullario
@@gogoyubari366 everyone’s favorite band is…
@giacomotiberia235
It's as if johnny cash had been abducted by an alien spaceship, truly amazing still today.
@ralphjohnston9483
Hiowdy!!! One of THE most beautiful songs ever written!!! I had the pleasure of seeing Wall of Voodoo in Vancouver, BC, back in the early '80s...better than most shit that followed...Cheer!!! Tyrone.