Wall of Voodoo had its roots in Acme Soundtracks, a film score business started by Stan Ridgway, later the vocalist and synth player for Wall of Voodoo. Acme Soundtracks office was across the street from the Hollywood punk club The Masque and Ridgway was soon drawn into the emerging punk/new wave scene. Marc Moreland, guitarist for The Skulls began jamming with Ridgway at the Acme Soundtracks office and the soundtrack company morphed into a New Wave band. In 1977, with the addition of Skulls members Bruce Moreland (Marc's brother) as bassist and Chas Gray as keyboardist, along with Joe Nanini, who had been the drummer for Black Randy and the Metrosquad, the first lineup of Wall of Voodoo was born.
Wall of Voodoo released a self-titled EP in 1980 which featured a unique, synthesizer-driven cover of the Johnny Cash song, "Ring of Fire". The band's first full-length album, Dark Continent followed in 1981. Bruce Moreland left the band for the first time soon after this, and Chas Gray performed on both bass and keyboard during this time. The band recorded their biggest-selling album, Call of the West in 1982. The track "Mexican Radio" was their only Top 100 hit and the video for the song got a great deal of exposure on the newly-formed MTV. Bill Noland was added as a keyboardist soon after the release of this album.
Stan Ridgway claims that the situation around the band was increasingly chaotic at the time, with a great deal of drug use and out-of-control behavior on the part of the band members, as well as shady behavior by the band's management and record label. Wall of Voodoo appeared at the second US Festival on May 28, 1983 (the largest concert the band had performed), immediately after which Ridgway, Nanini, and Noland all left the band. Stan Ridgway soon went on to a successful solo career, appearing as guest vocalist on a track on the Rumble Fish score and releasing his first solo album in 1986. Joe Nanini soon resurfaced in the country rock band Lonesome Strangers. Joe Nanini passed away in 2000.
The remainder of the band, Marc Moreland, Chas Gray, and a returning Bruce Moreland carried on under the name Wall of Voodoo. Soon after, Andy Prieboy, formerly of the San Francisco New Wave band Eye Protection, joined as singer and Ned Lukhardt was added as drummer. The band continued to record and perform under this lineup until 1988, though their sound was very different from the style of music they played in the earlier Stan Ridgway-fronted lineup. During this period, the entire membership of Wall of Voodoo (with the exception of Andy Prieboy) were also members of Nervous Gender, a lineup that was nicknamed "Wall of Gender". In 1988, Wall of Voodoo split up.
Andy Prieboy went on to a solo career. Marc Moreland formed Pretty and Twisted with Johnette Napolitano and Danny Montgomery from Concrete Blonde and later formed Department of Crooks. Marc Moreland passed away in 2002, a posthumous solo album was issued later as the Marc Moreland Mess.
Their influence has reached an interesting and eclectic range of artists, for example Swiss Death/Thrash Metal Band Celtic Frost covered "Mexican Radio" on their album "Into the Pandemonium"
Factory
Wall of Voodoo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uhh...you gotta say it
And I still don't remember a thing since that funny gas
Came out of that pipe next to me / I guess they didn't ok it
Now I remember--did I tell ya?
Cut my thumb off at the knuckle on a broken band saw
Didn't see the belt buckle or the blade slip
And I remember when the doctor did it up with a stitch
Now I've brought the same piece of chicken in a bag to work everyday
For the last twenty years or so
And I really don't mind, work assembly line
Got an intercom blasting the news and the latest on the baseball scores
Come around every Friday, well I get a paycheck
Take the same road home that I come to work on, heck, it's a living
And I got another factory at home
Got a barbeque, pink mustang, fenders chrome
And at nine o'clock I sit there in my chair
And I don't know why I lose my hair
And then I go to / and then I go to / and then I go to sleep
Well I like to know what I'm doing when I do it
And I do what I'm doing 'cause I don't know what to do when I'm not doing it
Sometimes I remember as a boy my father told me I could grow up
To be anything I really wanted to be / anything
And everyday at lunch I still look for my lost digit
Still got that funny scratch, so maybe when I find it I can itch it
And I got a little rubber pool in the backyard for the kids to wade in
And i....i...i...i...i...i?
I got another factory back home
Got a little backyard, pink mustang, fenders chrome
At nine o'clock I'm in my chair sat down
Just lately now when my wife talks back to me I slap her around
And then I go to / and then I go to / and then I go to sleep
The song "Factory" by Wall of Voodoo depicts the monotony of daily life as an assembly line worker in a factory. The first stanza highlights the struggle to find something meaningful to say, along with the memory loss caused by exposure to dangerous chemicals. The subsequent stanzas detail the singer's experiences working in the factory, including an accident that resulted in the loss of a thumb, a paycheck that keeps him going, and a bleak home life. The lyrics also hint at the violence and frustration that build up under such conditions, culminating in the statement that the singer has started abusing his wife.
Overall, the song is a scathing critique of the dehumanizing effects of capitalist labor, which forces people to work meaningless jobs just to survive. The imagery of the "pink mustang, fenders chrome" and the "little rubber pool in the backyard" serve as a stark contrast to the singer's unfulfilling work life, emphasizing the emptiness of his existence and the tragic consequences that can result from this kind of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I know I had something to say but the problem is to say something
I have a thought, but articulating it is difficult
Uhh...you gotta say it
Communication is essential
And I still don't remember a thing since that funny gas
I experienced memory loss due to inhaling unusual gas
Came out of that pipe next to me / I guess they didn't ok it
I suspect the gas was an unauthorized substance
Now I remember--did I tell ya?
I suddenly remembered something important
Cut my thumb off at the knuckle on a broken band saw
I had a workplace accident and injured my thumb on a damaged saw
Didn't see the belt buckle or the blade slip
I was not aware of the machinery's malfunction
And I remember when the doctor did it up with a stitch
I recall seeking medical attention and receiving stitches
Funny thing...still got a scratch that I can't itch where my thumb was
Despite being healed, there is a lingering discomfort in the area where my thumb used to be
Now I've brought the same piece of chicken in a bag to work everyday
I bring a bagged lunch to work every day with a repetitive and predictable meal
For the last twenty years or so
This routine has gone on for an extended period of time
And I really don't mind, work assembly line
I don't dislike my repetitive job on an assembly line
Got an intercom blasting the news and the latest on the baseball scores
The workplace has an intercom that broadcasts news and sports updates
Come around every Friday, well I get a paycheck
I receive my salary every Friday
Take the same road home that I come to work on, heck, it's a living
I follow the same daily commute routine for the sake of earning a living
And I got another factory at home
I have a personal life outside of work
Got a barbeque, pink mustang, fenders chrome
I have a specific lifestyle and preferences outside of work
And at nine o'clock I sit there in my chair
I have a regular evening routine
And I don't know why I lose my hair
I am experiencing hair loss but do not know the reason
And then I go to / and then I go to / and then I go to sleep
I end my day in a predictable fashion
Well I like to know what I'm doing when I do it
I prefer having a set routine and structure
And I do what I'm doing 'cause I don't know what to do when I'm not doing it
I find comfort in structure and do not know how to relax outside of a routine
Sometimes I remember as a boy my father told me I could grow up
I recall my father's advice from childhood
To be anything I really wanted to be / anything
My father's advice was to pursue any career I desired
And everyday at lunch I still look for my lost digit
I still have some lingering effects from my workplace accident
Still got that funny scratch, so maybe when I find it I can itch it
I still experience discomfort from my injury and hope to find relief
And I got a little rubber pool in the backyard for the kids to wade in
I have created an outdoor play area for children
And i....i...i...i...i...i?
The artist becomes disjointed, perhaps reflecting his mental state
I got another factory back home
I have a complete life outside of work
Got a little backyard, pink mustang, fenders chrome
I have specific interests and possessions
At nine o'clock I'm in my chair sat down
I have a regular nightly routine
Just lately now when my wife talks back to me I slap her around
I am experiencing domestic violence and have become abusive towards my spouse
And then I go to / and then I go to / and then I go to sleep
I conclude my day with sleep, continuing my cyclical routine
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHARLES T. GRAY, MARK W. MORELAND, OLIVER NANINI, STANARD RIDGEWAY FUNSTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind