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.
Twisted
Stan Ridgway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're twisted, that's what you are
Just like a bee buzzin' in a jar
Frayed and ragged, spent and strained
Watchin' that water spin down the drain
You think that no one sees ya hidin' your dirt
There's a big empty room there behind your eyes
When you look in the closet, you'll find a surprise
What do you do in the middle of the night
When no one sees you there?
Does your head start to shrink? do your eyes bug out?
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
I bet you've got an awful itch
A scratch that you can't touch
You're rollin' and weavin' all over the floor
You're scrappin' and scrapin' your nails at the door
Chorus repeat x2
Now what do you do in the middle of the night
When no one sees you there?
Does your head start to shrink? do your eyes bug out?
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
I bet you send out for all your food
I bet you think this that phone call is rude
Your body's all bent and hairy and warped outta shape
So take this number and call it, 'cause the zoo needs an ape
Chorus repeat x2, then repeat the first line x4
The song "Twisted" by Stan Ridgway is an observation of a person who is living a twisted life. The chorus repeats, "You're twisted, that's what you are, just like a bee buzzing in a jar, frayed and ragged, spent and strained, watching that water spin down the drain," which paints a picture of the person being confined and limited in their movement, like a bee buzzing around inside of a jar. The imagery of watching the water spin down the drain refers to the feeling of being stuck or stagnant in life.
The lyrics suggest that this person is hiding something, represented by the spots and stains on their shirt, and that they have an empty room behind their eyes. The verse also asks what they do in the middle of the night when no one is watching, implying that they may have secrets to hide or questionable behaviors. The line, "I bet you've got an awful itch, a scratch that you can't touch," suggests an unsettled feeling that they can't seem to soothe or alleviate.
The final verse is harsh and mocking, accusing the person of living like an animal and suggesting that they should call the zoo to donate themselves as an ape. The repeated refrain of "You're twisted" emphasizes the point that the person's life is distorted and unnatural.
Line by Line Meaning
You're twisted, that's what you are
You are mentally and emotionally distorted and abnormal
Just like a bee buzzin' in a jar
Your behavior is erratic and confined like a trapped bee in a jar
Frayed and ragged, spent and strained
You are worn out, tired and emotionally exhausted
Watchin' that water spin down the drain
You are wasting your life away by indulging in meaningless activities
You think that no one sees ya hidin' your dirt
You believe that you can successfully conceal your flaws and shortcomings from others
And no one sees the spots and stains on your shirt
You think that nobody can notice the imperfections that you wear on your sleeve
There's a big empty room there behind your eyes
You lack depth and substance in your thoughts and emotions
When you look in the closet, you'll find a surprise
You will discover some unpleasant truths about yourself if you look deep within yourself
What do you do in the middle of the night
Your behavior changes when you are alone and unobserved
When no one sees you there?
You engage in activities that you are ashamed of and wouldn't want others to know
Does your head start to shrink? do your eyes bug out?
You experience psychological distress and paranoia
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
You are uncertain and anxious about distinguishing between right and wrong
I bet you've got an awful itch
You have an insatiable urge to do something inappropriate or dangerous
A scratch that you can't touch
You restrain yourself from acting on your impulses for fear of the consequences
You're rollin' and weavin' all over the floor
You are restless and unsettled, unable to find peace or comfort
You're scrappin' and scrapin' your nails at the door
You are desperate to escape the prison of your own mind and thoughts
I bet you send out for all your food
You are slothful and avoid the effort of even basic self-care
I bet you think this that phone call is rude
You are easily offended and paranoid, thinking that others are against you
Your body's all bent and hairy and warped outta shape
Your physical appearance is a reflection of your mental and emotional state - disheveled and distorted
So take this number and call it, 'cause the zoo needs an ape
Your behavior is akin to that of an animal, unable to exercise self-control or reason
Chorus repeat x2
Reiterating the main theme of your twisted nature
Now what do you do in the middle of the night
Continuing the inquiry into your secret behavior
When no one sees you there?
When you can be yourself without any outside observation
Does your head start to shrink? do your eyes bug out?
Repeating the idea of psychological distress and paranoia
Do you wonder what's cheatin' and what's playin' fair?
Repeating the idea of moral uncertainty and anxiety
Chorus repeat x2, then repeat the first line x4
Affirming the main message of your twisted nature through repetition
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STANDARD RIDGWAY FUNSTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind