The Passenger Lyrics
And I ride and I ride
I ride through the city's backsides
I see the stars come
Out of the sky
Yeah the bright and hollow sky
You know it looks
So good tonight
I stay under glass
I look through my
Window so bright
I see the stars
Come out tonight
I see the bright
And hollow sky
Over the city's
Ripped backside
And everything looks good tonight
Singing la la la la
La-la-la-la
La la la la
La-la-la-la
La la la la
La-la-la-la
La la
We'll be the passenger
We'll ride through the city tonight
We'll see the city's ripped backsides
We'll see the bright and
Hollow sky
We'll see the stars that shine
So bright
Stars made for us tonight
How how he rides
O the passenger
He rides and he rides
He looks through his window
What does he see
He sees the sign and
Hollow sky
He sees the stars
Come out tonight
He sees the city's ripped backsides
He sees the winding ocean drive
And everything was made
For you and me
All of it was made for
You and me - 'cause it
Just belongs to you and me
So let's take a ride and
See what's mine
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window inside
He sees the things he knows are his
He sees the bright
Hollow sky
He sees the city
Sleep at night
He sees the stars
Come out tonight
And all of it is yours and mine
And all of it is yours and mine
So let's ride and ride
And ride and ride
Well, what I have learned about it - it is inspired by some poem by Jim Morrison. There is a relation from a concert when he puts a little light for all the people who like to think more about lyrics. Maybe he didn't thought much about it as it occurs that he was really high on drugs when he had written it but it isn't as it was meaningless.
He said - that it is about being a passenger in life - not really having much influence on it, lack of means, knowledge or whatever, so the only thing what you can do (when you cannot actually steer your life) is to be like passenger who can only watch through the windows, meet everything he experiences etc. So it is as if this song was written for teenagers or people feeling like this - that they don't have much control in their lifes and the only thing they can do is to wait "look through the mirror".
I think the song is about having fun and seeing wonderful things if we really see that in life you do what you do instead of you wanna do, choose to do, plan to do etc. Noticing beauty of this life, this world..
Ever sat in a car with too many drugs in your body. All thoughts spin around your head. Sometimes seeing elementary things of life. a falling star, the hollow look of the night sky. Maybe a taxi driving you home after too many drinks at night. Leaning with your head against the window of the car....Imagine! ;-)
@merrybreeder That's what it always conveys to me somehow. In the back of a taxi travelling through back streets. Night time and looking at all the sights.
@merrybreeder That's what it always conveys to me somehow. In the back of a taxi travelling through back streets. Night time and looking at all the sights.
Great interpretations. I agree with the idea of relinquished control and simply experiencing what is. The passenger is looking out his window passively and the world/life is flying by. All of it belongs to him and he just watches and lets it be.
In the song everything the subject sees is is beautiful but the song is unnerving. This makes me think that he is startled by it all. The LSD comment works here - its like he is seeing the world for the first time through a new set of eyes (acid) and its kind of freaking him the fuck out. The realization that he owns everything is overwhelming and frightening.
Bowie's backing vocals are not surprising as he was the producer and this album is considered one of his Berlin-trilogy albums. It was released as an Iggy album, but in reality it was a collaboration w/ Bowie.\
Anywho. This album is a masterpiece.
I think the sentiment is very Camus. The whole idea that he sees how wonderful everything is once he relinquished control, became the passenger instead of the driver. Though he has no say in the destination, he is now able to take in all the sights of the world along the way. "It doesn't take a degree to serve", that kind of mindset. On a side note, the book Time Traveler's Wife mentions this song when the main character is doped out in a car. Neat scene.
I've always thought this song was about a perspective of seeing life as a dream, and feeling that although it seems we can control our destinies to some extent in the relative world, ultimately whatever ends up happening to us is pretty much totally beyond our control, and this is the experience of the passenger; seeing and feeling and living everything that happens to you very intensely in the present moment, and yet knowing you have absolutely no control over where you're headed but that you're just another rider, a passenger on this incredible, miraculous, cosmic journey.
LALA basically mean s3x the 'passenger-i like to ride' is like riding your partner or doing it in the car and they are clearly both caught up in that moment for that night, just the two of them matter, aunion of two people having an amazing moment together and the pleasure kinda transcends them to the heavens. A short definition that is as blunt as it can get.
I love this song. i just feel like hopping in a car and driving anywhere with the windows down the music loud and just thinking.
wasn't punk good back then now you have ur blink 182 who is about lets go skate back then it was about the circle pits and the mosh pits and the blood the screams the alcohol the drugs the true way to rock is the way iggy did. FOUNDER OF PUNK RIGHT HERE IGGY POP!
my friend partly says this is about heroine. what is this about i dont know.
i end up humming this song to myself whenever im on a train or subway at some horrible hour of the morning and dead tired but enjoying the trip anyway. love it.