A Passage to Bangkok

Infobox Single
Name = A Passage to Bangkok


Artist = Rush
from Album =
2112
Released = 1977
Format =
Recorded = Toronto Sound Studios in Toronto, 1975
Genre = Hard rock, heavy metal
Length = 3:34
Label =
Producer =
Last single = "2112 Overture/The Temples of Syrinx"
(1976)
This single = "A Passage to Bangkok"
(1977)
Next single = "Fly by Night" (Live)
(1977)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = 2112
Type = studio
prev_track = "2112"
prev_no = Track 1
this_track = "A Passage to Bangkok"
track_no = Track 2
next_track = "The Twilight Zone"
next_no = Track 3Extra tracklisting
Album = Exit...Stage Left
Type = live
prev_track = "YYZ"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "A Passage to Bangkok"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Closer to the Heart
next_no = 5

"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, [http://www.amazon.com/dp/customer-reviews/B000001ESF] 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. Fact|date=January 2008

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 uses the main riff of "A Passage to Bangkok" as the intro for their own song "Cold and Ugly" (and at one point, "Jambi") whenever they play it live.