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Passenger (Powderfinger song)
Encyclopedia
"Passenger" is a song from Powderfinger
's third studio album Internationalist
. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards
. "Passenger" was also featured as the opening song performed by Powderfinger while supporting Crowded House
's Farewell to the World
charity concert in November 1996.
", both performed on 11 October 1998 at Sydney Opera House
. A version of "These Days
" was also included, and this was the first time the song was released. "Passenger" was released on 9 August 1999 in Australia, and was one of two Powderfinger songs that were actively being played on commercial radio
at the time; the other being "These Days
", which also appeared on the soundtrack
for Two Hands. At the time, Powderfinger were performing in clubs
and universities
around Australia on their P2K tour, and the release of the single resulted in a large boost in ticket
sales.
’s song writing emerged; "a fascination with the banality of routine". Esky Magazine’s Kelsy Munro cited the lines "So many places you’d prefer to be / Than framed by a picket fence and salary" as an example of this, as well as examples from future songs "These Days
" and "My Kind of Scene
". When asked about this, Fanning offered no direct explanation, saying it wasn’t a conscious theme, but did suggest that it could be a "part guilt-complex" because of his relatively care-free lifestyle.
In "Passenger", the key signature
is D major
, however the verses begin with the G chord
, while the choruses and outro are in the D major's relative minor
key, B minor
. The song is a completely straight rock feel in the time signature
of 4/4.
"Passenger" featured Brisbane
trio Tiddas
for the first time, providing backing vocals. Tiddas also accompanied Powderfinger live, although some of the elements of "Passenger", such as the brass
sections, were replicated using a keyboard
. Powderfinger's Drummer
Jon Coghill
described some elements of "Passenger", including the horn
section, as being based on the work of Elvis Presley
, and his big band
. Coghill said "We tried to do it like Elvis would, in a big band arrangement. There are backing vocals, horns and a la la sound."
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Powderfinger enlisted Brisbane-based production company Fifty Fifty Films to direct and produce the music video
for "Passenger". This was the group's first experience with Fifty Fifty, and its success encouraged the group to direct future videos.
The video for "Passenger" begins with the band members packing themselves and their musical instruments into suitcases. They are transported to an airport while the song's first verse is played. During the first chorus, the cases are loaded onto a baggage carousel
with a bomb
, whilst security personnel are distracted. The suitcases and bomb are then loaded onto an aeroplane. During the second verse, the bomb explodes, and the suitcases containing the band members fall out of it and are swallowed by an unnamed creature resembling a whale
. They are later ejected from the blowhole of the creature into zero-gravity, when the second chorus commences. At the end of the chorus, the suitcases re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The video ends with the suitcases floating in the ocean.
Carmine Pascuzzi, in an article about the band’s P2K tour, wrote that "Passenger" was "...accompanied by an excellent video".
, jokingly noted in an interview with Rod Yates of Massive Magazines that "the guitars are out of tune at the start of Passenger", whilst guitarist
Darren Middleton
explained that "there are not regrets with any of that sort of stuff, it’s part of who we are and what we’ve done", in reference to the out of tune guitar
s.
Upon its release, "Passenger" was hailed as one of the songs on Internationalist
to come close to "the big FM radio hits of Double Allergic
", according to lead singer Bernard Fanning
. Not that it mattered to him - he still believed Internationalist was a better record, but was probably not as "likable" as its predecessor. Juice
's Simon Wooldridge agreed with Fanning, stating that "Passenger" "demonstrated their flair for the big hook was no longer being suppressed
. On 2 August 2007, Australian television station Max published the Top 500 90s Songs, placing "Passenger" as the only Powderfinger song in the top 100, at #48, just ahead of Fatboy Slim
's "Praise You
".
in 2000 for the ARIA Music Awards
for Best Cover Art, Single of the Year and earned Powderfinger the nomination for Best Group, though won none of these awards. The song was also nominated and did win the award for Song of the Year from the Australasian Performing Right Association
for their annual APRA Awards
. The song also achieved the 100th position on the 1999 Triple J Hottest 100
.
.
Powderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
's third studio album Internationalist
Internationalist (album)
Internationalist is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band, Powderfinger. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works....
. It was released as a single on 9 August 1999, and reached #30 on the Australian music chart. The single was nominated for Single of the year in 2000 at the Australian ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
. "Passenger" was also featured as the opening song performed by Powderfinger while supporting Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
's Farewell to the World
Farewell to the World
Farewell to the World is a 1996 concert by rock group Crowded House. The concert was recorded on the outside footsteps of the famed Sydney Opera House as a charity event to raise funds for the Sydney Children's Hospital. The event was originally scheduled to occur on the night of the 23 November...
charity concert in November 1996.
Single release and history
The single for "Passenger" included five companion tracks, including two live tracks. These were "Passenger" and "Pick You UpPick You Up
"Pick You Up" is the first single released from Powderfinger's second album Double Allergic. The single was released on 13 April 1996, and was Powderfinger's first moderate success both on commercial and Indie radio stations, and the most successful single from the album reaching #23 on the ARIA...
", both performed on 11 October 1998 at Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
. A version of "These Days
These Days (Powderfinger song)
"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
" was also included, and this was the first time the song was released. "Passenger" was released on 9 August 1999 in Australia, and was one of two Powderfinger songs that were actively being played on commercial radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
at the time; the other being "These Days
These Days (Powderfinger song)
"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
", which also appeared on the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
for Two Hands. At the time, Powderfinger were performing in clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
and universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
around Australia on their P2K tour, and the release of the single resulted in a large boost in ticket
Ticket (admission)
A ticket is a voucher that indicates that one has paid for admission to an event or establishment such as a theatre, movie theater, amusement park, zoo, museum, concert, or other attraction, or permission to travel on a vehicle such as an airliner, train, bus, or boat, typically because one has...
sales.
Song structure
In "Passenger", a recurring theme in Bernard FanningBernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
’s song writing emerged; "a fascination with the banality of routine". Esky Magazine’s Kelsy Munro cited the lines "So many places you’d prefer to be / Than framed by a picket fence and salary" as an example of this, as well as examples from future songs "These Days
These Days (Powderfinger song)
"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
" and "My Kind of Scene
My Kind of Scene
"My Kind of Scene" is a song by Australian rock band Powderfinger. the song was initially written for their fourth studio album Odyssey Number Five however the band was requested to contribute a song to the soundtrack for the 2000 film Mission: Impossible 2...
". When asked about this, Fanning offered no direct explanation, saying it wasn’t a conscious theme, but did suggest that it could be a "part guilt-complex" because of his relatively care-free lifestyle.
In "Passenger", the key signature
Key signature
In musical notation, a key signature is a series of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating notes that are to be consistently played one semitone higher or lower than the equivalent natural notes unless otherwise altered with an accidental...
is D major
D major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
, however the verses begin with the G chord
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, while the choruses and outro are in the D major's relative minor
Relative key
In music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures. A major and minor scale sharing the same key signature are said to be in a relative relationship...
key, B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
. The song is a completely straight rock feel in the time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of 4/4.
"Passenger" featured Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
trio Tiddas
Tiddas
Tiddas are a three piece all-girl folk band from Victoria, Australia.-Biography:Originally the three women, Amy Saunders , Lou Bennett and Sally Dastey combined their vocal talents as backing singers for Aboriginal band Djaambi, led by Saunder's brother Richard Frankland in 1990...
for the first time, providing backing vocals. Tiddas also accompanied Powderfinger live, although some of the elements of "Passenger", such as the brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
sections, were replicated using a keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
. Powderfinger's Drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill
Jon Coghill is an Australian drummer best known for his work with Australian rock band, Powderfinger, although he has also toured with Regurgitator. Coghill replaced Powderfinger's original drummer Steven Bishop in 1991 when Bishop wanted to pursue further studies...
described some elements of "Passenger", including the horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
section, as being based on the work of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, and his big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
. Coghill said "We tried to do it like Elvis would, in a big band arrangement. There are backing vocals, horns and a la la sound."
Music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Passenger". This was the group's first experience with Fifty Fifty, and its success encouraged the group to direct future videos.
The video for "Passenger" begins with the band members packing themselves and their musical instruments into suitcases. They are transported to an airport while the song's first verse is played. During the first chorus, the cases are loaded onto a baggage carousel
Baggage carousel
A baggage carousel is a device, generally at an airport, that delivers checked luggage to the passengers at the baggage claim area at their final destination. Not all airports use these devices...
with a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
, whilst security personnel are distracted. The suitcases and bomb are then loaded onto an aeroplane. During the second verse, the bomb explodes, and the suitcases containing the band members fall out of it and are swallowed by an unnamed creature resembling a whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
. They are later ejected from the blowhole of the creature into zero-gravity, when the second chorus commences. At the end of the chorus, the suitcases re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The video ends with the suitcases floating in the ocean.
Carmine Pascuzzi, in an article about the band’s P2K tour, wrote that "Passenger" was "...accompanied by an excellent video".
Response
Powderfinger’s bass guitarist, John CollinsJohn Collins (Australian musician)
John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarst for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School as a three piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a...
, jokingly noted in an interview with Rod Yates of Massive Magazines that "the guitars are out of tune at the start of Passenger", whilst guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Darren Middleton
Darren Middleton
Darren Stuart Middleton is an Australian lead guitarist for alternative rock band Powderfinger. He is also the lead singer for Drag....
explained that "there are not regrets with any of that sort of stuff, it’s part of who we are and what we’ve done", in reference to the out of tune guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s.
Upon its release, "Passenger" was hailed as one of the songs on Internationalist
Internationalist (album)
Internationalist is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band, Powderfinger. The album was released on 7 September 1998 and was often labelled Powderfinger's most adventurous work, with greater experimentation than in previous works....
to come close to "the big FM radio hits of Double Allergic
Double Allergic
Double Allergic is the second studio album by Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger. Released in Australia on 2 September 1996 Polydor, the album was produced by Tim Whitten and widely considered Powderfinger's mainstream breakthrough....
", according to lead singer Bernard Fanning
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning is a musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and frontman of Australian alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989 to its dissolution in 2010....
. Not that it mattered to him - he still believed Internationalist was a better record, but was probably not as "likable" as its predecessor. Juice
Juice (magazine)
Juice is a well known German hip hop magazine and the biggest of its kind in Europe. In every issue readers find interviews with rappers and record reviews...
's Simon Wooldridge agreed with Fanning, stating that "Passenger" "demonstrated their flair for the big hook was no longer being suppressed
. On 2 August 2007, Australian television station Max published the Top 500 90s Songs, placing "Passenger" as the only Powderfinger song in the top 100, at #48, just ahead of Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
's "Praise You
Praise You
"Praise You" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was released as the third single from his second studio album, You've Come a Long Way, Baby, in 1999. It reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1999 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on 11 May 1999....
".
Charts
The single for "Passenger" achieved a peak position of #30 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart in 1999. The single reached #33 in its first week, then reached its #30 peak in the second week and remained on the singles chart for eleven weeks. The single failed to chart outside of Australia.| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 30 |
Awards
As the final single from Internationalist, "Passenger" received nominations and awards from various institutions Australia-wide. Most notably, it was nominated three times by the Australian Recording Industry AssociationAustralian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
in 2000 for the ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2000
The 14th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 24 October 2000 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre...
for Best Cover Art, Single of the Year and earned Powderfinger the nomination for Best Group, though won none of these awards. The song was also nominated and did win the award for Song of the Year from the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
for their annual APRA Awards
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
. The song also achieved the 100th position on the 1999 Triple J Hottest 100
Triple J Hottest 100, 1999
The 1999 Triple J Hottest 100, announced in January, 2000, was the eighth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J...
.
| Year | Organisation | Ceremony | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Triple J Triple J triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation... |
Hottest 100 Triple J Hottest 100, 1999 The 1999 Triple J Hottest 100, announced in January, 2000, was the eighth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J... |
N/A | #100 |
| 2000 | APRA Australasian Performing Right Association The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth... |
APRA Awards APRA Awards The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.... |
Song of the Year | Won |
| ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
ARIA Music Awards ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association... |
Best Cover Art | Nominated | |
| Best Group | Nominated | |||
| Single of the Year | Nominated |
Track listing
All tracks written and performed by PowderfingerPowderfinger
Powderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill....
.
- "Passenger" – 4:09
- "These DaysThese Days (Powderfinger song)"These Days" is an alternative rock song from Powderfinger's fourth studio album, Odyssey Number Five, which was released in 2000. The song was also released on Powderfinger's 2004 compilation album Fingerprints: The Best of Powderfinger, 1994-2000....
" – 4:59 - "Passenger (LiveLive MusicLive Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
)" – 4:41 - "Pick You UpPick You Up"Pick You Up" is the first single released from Powderfinger's second album Double Allergic. The single was released on 13 April 1996, and was Powderfinger's first moderate success both on commercial and Indie radio stations, and the most successful single from the album reaching #23 on the ARIA...
(LiveLive MusicLive Music is a reggaeton company owned by DJ Giann.-Artists:* Jowell & Randy* Tony Lenta* Watussi* De La Ghetto* Guelo Star* Galante "El Emperador"-Producers:*DJ Blass*Dexter*Mr. Greenz*DJ Giann*Los Hitmen*Dirty Joe*ALX...
)" – 4:47 - "Maxwell's Great Mistake" – 2:58
- "That Ol' Track" – 3:47