The guitarist on here is Ricky Gardiner, and the song also features piano and backing vocals by David Bowie.
In fact, the song was partly inspired by riding around in David Bowie’s car, which is something Bowie used to do a lot at a certain period in his life, which is recorded on the song “Always Crashing In The Same Car”.
Anyway, Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger” is a song that, although containing a rich array of instruments and some great playing, is really held together by Gardiner’s classic guitar riff, and of course Iggy’s singing. The drums have a swinging feel to them, which helps to maintain the feeling of motion that accentuates the “travelling” theme of the song.
The bassline is pretty tidy as well, following the guitar and adding some depth.
The lyrics are mainly descriptive in nature, and speak to a carefree way of life, the idealised lifestyle of a rockstar on tour.
The song was released on Lust For Life in 1977.
A good song for reflection…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0nlygb1Qfw