A Passage To Bangkok

Rush

Our first stop is in Bogota
To check Colombian fields
The natives smile and pass along
A sample of their yield

Sweet Jamaican pipe dreams
Golden Acapulco nights
Then Morocco, and the East
Fly by morning light

We're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best

Wreathed in smoke in Lebanon
We burn the midnight oil
The fragrance of Afghanistan
Rewards a long day's toil

Pulling into Kathmandu
Smoke rings fill the air
Perfumed by a Nepal night
The Express gets you there

We're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best

We're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best

Yes, we're on the train to Bangkok
Aboard the Thailand Express
We'll hit the stops along the way
We only stop for the best


Lyrics submitted by MasterDuncan03, edited by Smurfman

A Passage to Bangkok Lyrics as written by Gary Lee Weinrib Neil Elwood Peart

Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP

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A Passage To Bangkok song meanings
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26 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment
    This song refers to smoking cannabis while traveling the world. Columbia, jamaica, thailand, and mexico are well know for being producers and exporters of cannabis (well, maybe not thailand, but it's still easy as hell to score it there). Acapulco nights is an obvious reference to the famous cannabis strain "acapulco gold" that is supposedly from that area in mexico. During the 70's, it was very popular to travel across the eastern part of the world to experience the "magic" of their ancient religions, and of course smoke hashish, the use of which was (and still is in some parts) quite prevelent in lebanon, afganistan, and nepal. It used to be pretty cheap to travel around there, too. Hashish has been used as a medicine, intoxicant, and religious sacrament in the east for hundreds of years. The laws governing it in many of those areas aren't enforced too heavily (especially on tourists) because of this.
    seedofzenoon December 10, 2006   Link
  • +3
    General Comment
    This song always makes me think of those younger days when sparkin' up a fattie and listening to 2112 was considered a good way to spend an afternoon... Aaaahhh... Mmmmm......
    Surgeonon October 16, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    Well, it's not just about the grass, cause Midnight Oil is slang for Opium, so I think it's just narcotics in general.
    MasterDuncan03on March 26, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    If you read the liner notes from the album, it says "With acknowledgment to the genius of Ayn Rand", which is obvious in the song "2112", but I've always if somehow it also applies to this song as well.
    thephonicsmonkeyon May 09, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    This song is about traveling around the middle east smoking different dopes!
    fcm2112on May 12, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    The opening riff is sweet. One of my favorites.
    Lateralus518on May 12, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    a crazy song about smoking good marajurna and where they go to smoke it crazy
    crackermcnaccaon July 09, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    one of the few Rush songs about drugs. great guitar solo in the middle
    shed27on June 23, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Most of the places mentioned in the second verse are unfamiliar with marijuana, and it's much more likely they'd be smoking various other plants out of a hookah.
    nemton April 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    a paen to pot and other drugs ^_^
    xJotunxon August 25, 2005   Link

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