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.
The Passenger
Stan Ridgway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the wall, just a passenger and that is all
Taking off on a midnight flight
The airline ticket in his hand held tight
Polar route, destination: oblivion
Can I take that little box that you're sitting on, sir?
No, that's alright, miss, I'll hold it right here
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
Long distance calling everyone around
Bad connection, better let the operator dial
I feel the speed of the traffic zoom
A train in a tunnel and an empty room
Time for take-off, extinguish all cigarettes
In emergency, you know where the exits are
His hands are white on the box he grips
No one knows but it's their last trip
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
Long distance calling everyone around
Bad connection, better let the operator dial
Taking off on a midnight flight
The airline ticket in his hand held tight
And one false move will give it all away
Just one false move will give it all away
The song "The Passenger" by Stan Ridgway describes the journey of a mysterious passenger, who seems to be on a mission with the intention of not being caught. He is carrying a box that is of great importance, and he is very careful not to make any mistakes that might reveal his intentions. The passenger seems to be in constant communication with someone, possibly someone who is helping him with his mission, as he knows exactly what needs to be done and when. In the end, we are left not knowing what happens to the passenger or what his mission was all about, but the song leaves us with a sense of tension and danger.
The lyrics of this song are open to interpretation, and many fans have speculated that the passenger is a spy or a criminal. The lyrics are full of imagery and metaphors, such as the "telepathic line to a shadow" and "a train in a tunnel and an empty room," which add to the mysterious nature of the song. The repetitive refrain "just one false move will give it all away" emphasizes the high stakes involved in the passenger's mission, and creates tension and suspense throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
A telepathic line to a shadow
He feels as if he has a connection with someone or something invisible and intangible.
On the wall, just a passenger and that is all
He's simply a passenger on this journey, existing but not standing out.
Taking off on a midnight flight
The journey is beginning and it's happening during the night.
The airline ticket in his hand held tight
He's holding on tightly to his proof of purchase, ensuring everything is in order.
Polar route, destination: oblivion
He's heading north, likely towards a dangerous or unknown fate.
Can I take that little box that you're sitting on, sir?
Someone is asking for something that he has in his possession.
No, that's alright, miss, I'll hold it right here
He declines and will keep hold of it himself.
I'll need it later on when I go up in the air
He has a purpose for the box during his flight.
And one false move will give it all away
He's aware of the risks and how a single bad choice could ruin everything.
Long distance calling everyone around
He's trying to reach out to others, possibly for help.
Bad connection, better let the operator dial
Communicating is tough and he may need assistance getting through.
I feel the speed of the traffic zoom
He senses the quick movement around him with great intensity.
A train in a tunnel and an empty room
He's travelling in a closed, tight space with little company.
Time for take-off, extinguish all cigarettes
The moment for departure is drawing near and he's required to follow safety protocol.
In emergency, you know where the exits are
In the case of an emergency, safety procedures are in place to lead everyone to safety.
His hands are white on the box he grips
He's holding the object so tightly that his hands have turned pale.
No one knows but it's their last trip
He suspects that this journey could be his or someone else's final voyage.
And one false move will give it all away
He repeats his earlier sentiment that one mistake could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: James Newell Osterberg, Ricky Gardiner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind