Rush Was A Canadian Rock Band Formed In 1968 In Toronto That Was Comprised Primarily Of Geddy Lee bass Vocals Alex Lifeson guitar And Neil Peart drums Percussion Lyricist . The Band Was Formed In Toronto In 1968 By Lifeson Drummer John Rutsey And Bass Guitarist/vocalist Jeff Jones Who Was Immediately Replaced By Lee. After Lee Joined The Band Went Through Several Line-Up Configurations Before Arriving At Its Classic Power Trio Line-Up With The Addition Of Peart In July 1974 Read More On Last.Fm
"A Passage To Bangkok" Is The Second Song On Rush's Album 2112. Released In 1976 The Song Follows The Album's Title Song 2112. The Song Opens With A Driving Guitar Riff That Appears Throughout The Song. The Song's Lyrics Have Been Interpreted As Relating To Marijuana As The Song References Places Such As Colombia Mexico Cambodia Jamaica Morocco Thailand Afghanistan "golden Acapulco Nights" A Possible Reference To Acapulco Gold Nepal And Lebanon. Many Fans Believe The Song Tells A Story About Drug Smuggling With The Train As A Metaphor For World Travel. The Song's Length Is Approximately 3 34. In Earlier Performances Of The Song Such As The Version Recorded On Exit...Stage Left Geddy Lee Would Use A Doubleneck Rickenbacker Guitar So That He Could Play Rhythm Guitar During Alex Lifeson's Guitar Solo. However When The Song Was Played On The 2007-2008 Snakes And Arrows Tour Lee Used His Rickenbacker 4001 Bass To Play The Song. During The Performance Of This Song On The 2007 Snakes And Arrows Tour The Video Footage Projected Behind The Band Includes Close-Up Shots Of Marijuana Plants And Scenes From The Movie Reefer Madness Reinforcing The Common Intrepretation Of The Song. Green And Purple Lights Were Also Used During The Song In Conjunction With A Fog Machine To Create The Illusion Of Marijuana Smoke. A Shot Of Poppy Plants In A Field Is Also Shown Alluding To Opium. The Introduction And Finale Of The Song Both Incorporate The Asian Riff. Tool Frequently Uses The Main Riff Of "A Passage To Bangkok" As The Intro For Their Own Song "Cold And Ugly" And "Jambi" At Several Shows On Their 2006-2007 Tour When They Play It Live.