Passenger

"I did this song with Maynard from Tool. Basically, I told him I wanted to create a scenario of being in a car and being taken for a drive when you don't really know what's going on. I wanted him to create a lot of imagery. he wrote a majority of the of the lyrics and left blanks for me to fill in. it seems like you're being held captive, but enjoy what's going on." - Chino

I have heard many opinions as to the meaning of this song, such as giving fellatio while driving or being physically disfigured and being in the back seat on a ride, but I have a different opinion. I think it is about entrusting your life blindly into someone else's hands. Its like comparing it to a car ride where you dont know where you are going.

Here's my take on it: Being recently cheated on by a girl who had sex with the guy in the back of his car, it gives this song a completely different meaning. The way I see it is two people having sex in the car. Since most deftones songs are about sex, this comes as no surprise.

"Roll the windows down This cool night air is curious Let the whole world look in Who cares who sees anything"

Who cares if they get caught?

"Chrome buttons, buckles and leather surfaces These and other lucky witnesses"

Objects witnessing them having sex

"Drop these down and Put them on me Nice cool seats There to cushion your knees"

Getting comfortable

"This time wont you please drive faster"

This is a bit of a stretch, but I think when it says "drive faster" I don't really think it's about driving the car, I think it's about the sex getting faster.

"Roll these misty windows down To catch my breath again"

Heavy breathing and sweat causes the windows to get misty or foggy.

"And then go and go and go just drive me home Then back again""

Finish up and drive me home, then do this again.

Anyways that's my take on it. It really hits me since this is the exact way my girlfriend cheated on me twice.

This is someone completely under the control of others. But the person likes the experience, and doesn't want it to end. He doesn't want to have the responsibility of finding his own direction, so he just follows other, and let's them decide who he becomes. They give him things that look good, but don't necessarily have real value (chrome buttons, etc.). And that's pretty much the direction he's headed in, something that looks good but is fake and meaningless. Even if he knew this, he wouldn't care, because he is too intimidated by others to try to form his own identity. Even if he doesn't like who he's becoming, he'll still go on with it. He'll just want it to keep going so maybe he can see that in the end things will turn out okay. And even if he has doubts, he'll always go back. And if he tries to be his own person, he'll fail. He'll be under the control of others. He just wants it to end, but it won't. It can't.

"I did this song with Maynard from Tool. Basically, I told him I wanted to create a scenario of being in a car and being taken for a drive when you don't really know what's going on. I wanted him to create a lot of imagery. he wrote a majority of the of the lyrics and left blanks for me to fill in. it seems like you're being held captive, but enjoy what's going on." - Chino :)

I do believe it has sexual references though, but that's my opinion.

lol figured that everyone would be arguing about sex.. It's not about sex people. It's about addiction, LIKE the entire White Pony album is about.( save the song Digital Bath, which is about murdering a chick)

Maynard's voice rocks and it perfectly compliments Chino's

My interpretation of the song is this: You are in the back of a hearse, you are for whatever reason dead..but..still able to see and think and hear. And youre on your way to the funeral to be buried, and obviously you dont want to go. You dont want to be put in the ground, so you beg and plead inside your box in your head, that this persom driving will just

I believe this song is about a controlling relationship. The words resonate deeply with me.

My idea about what this song means seems to be way different than most of these interpretations . I believe that the car is a metaphor, and that the narrator of the song is a person who is being held hostage by his alter ego whom has taken control and is “driving” his life . The alter-ego may well be a killer , or some other impulsive , self gratifying persona , but he has taken over and is driving this persons life into new uncharted territory . Despite themselves , or maybe because of themselves , the passenger likes it and has no desire to reflect upon the morality of the choices or the loss of the old life .( Mirror turned sideways, who cares what’s behind .) The person is letting go of all their repression , and realizing that they can become who they want ( roll the window down the cool night air is curious , let the whole world look in , who cares who sees anything) because the people of the world are all too self-absorbed to notice anything outside of themselves , except maybe a few “lucky witnesses “ to his becoming . Rolling down the fogged windows is a metaphor for releasing the pressure of living a double life and giving in to the control of his inner-self , becoming a “passenger” to his true nature .

Dark? Maybe so , but then it’s a pretty dark world, and the song’s tone is pretty dark as well .

Or maybe I’m just a repressed serial killer . Lol .

Anyway , that’s my take , the sex and drugs seem way too mundane , we are talking about the dark genius Maynard here .