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"
Lost Weekend
Wall of Voodoo 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 Wall of Voodoo tells the story of a couple who are driving out of Las Vegas in their car, with all the money they had gambled away. The woman is sitting in the backseat, while the man is driving, and they seem to be reminiscing on their past mistakes. The man says that "the best laid plans often go astray," acknowledging that their attempt to gamble and win did not work out. The woman, who is smoking a cigarette, seems resigned to their current situation, saying that they could have hit it big with just one more chance.
As they drive, the woman suggests that the man should pull over soon, and take any exit that he feels is the right one. This seems to be a metaphor for their lives, as they are lost and uncertain of which direction to take. The woman remembers back to a time when she sent in letters for a quiz game show, wishing that she had stayed in school instead. The man suggests that they could have started a business cleaning swimming pools, but it seems that they are now resigned to their current situation.
Despite their misfortunes, they both seem to find solace in the fact that they have each other. As they drive, they see a sign for a place to stay up another mile, and both begin to smile. The song suggests that even though they may have had a lost weekend, they are still hopeful for what the future may bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving out of vegas in their automobile
They left Las Vegas in their car.
She was in the backseat while he was at the wheel
She was sitting in the back, he was driving.
With the windows wide open
The windows of the car were open.
All the money from the store they'd gambled away
They had gambled away all the money from the store.
He said, "...the best laid plans often go astray."
He said that even the best plans can go wrong.
She took the page of her book and turned it down
She marked her place in the book she was reading.
She lit a cigarette...she didn't make a sound
She lit a cigarette and didn't say anything.
"and I know if we'd had just one more chance," he said
He said that if they had one more chance they could hit the jackpot.
"I know--we'd finally hit the big one at last," she said
She agreed that they could hit the jackpot if given one more try.
See instead of another lost weekend / lost weekend
Instead of wasting time like last time, they should do something else.
another lost weekend / lost weekend
They wasted time like this previously.
"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
She suggested they pull over and take the next exit if they feel like it's 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
She blew smoke out of the car's rear window and remembered all of the letters she had written.
For a contest to be on a quiz game show
She had written letters for a quiz show contest.
"Maybe I shoulda stayed in school," he said
He regretted not staying in school.
"Yeah, I know--start your own business cleaning swimming pools," she said--see
She sarcastically suggested he could start his own business cleaning pools.
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."
She leaned forward to change the radio station and saw a sign, they both smiled at each other and realized there was a place to stay a mile away.
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.