interpretations Options

[gotigrz]

hey, i know i'm not a pin up here, but i got some advice in another thread that really helped me. with that said... let's move on with a topic that may intrest us all.

i don't know if this type of thread has ever been done, but if so... let's do it again. name a song that you would like to know what someone else interprets the meaning as. i'll start:

Ghost????????????

This post has been edited by gotigrz: May 20 2009, 3:26 pm

[Sonic Tonic]

Does it matter? You're just going to come back and disagree and say it's all about Jesus.

[Pokey]

I'm up for threads like this, people's interpretations of different songs, what I like about interpretations is what someone gets out of the song, doesn't have to be exactly what the song is about, hell even if we know the intentions behind certain lyrics, I still find it interesting if other people have their own take on them.

[SecretInsomnia]

I think Ghost is a good choise to start with

But I have no idea what it means. "where did I go wrong ?? "
"I don't need no woman, to make me feel "

Anyone?

This post has been edited by SecretInsomnia: May 20 2009, 5:37 pm

[Schlomo]

I think Ghost is a good choise to start with

But I have no idea what it means. "where did I go wrong ?? "
"I don't need no woman, to make me feel "

Anyone?

Pretty sure it's "I need a woman to help me feel."

[VoodooLady]

not one of my favorite songs.. so hadnt really listened hard enough.. but in thinking about it.. i would say

temptation?

boy loses rib = adam/eve?

[Distance to Me]

Ghost, I believe, mostly has to do with the fallacies of human nature, with love and religion as the examples (those are the examples in many Live songs).

Everybody has a "ghost" (which could be a religion), and the scalpel bit of the song is saying that religion "never leaves a scar," or at least not a physical one (because there is no scientific proof), but it then talks about how "you could keep the blood," while he can keep his myth.

There is also the love version of the song, in which the protagonist "loses his rib" (another religious reference) for a girl, but it turns out she's not the one, or she's a bitch or something, and he wonders where he went wrong, so he turns to prostitutes ("eyein' up the whores") and drugs ("ether"). "Ether" is also a lot more mystical (and therefore fake) sounding than, say, crack or weed.

On another note, I was listening to a Turn My Head, and it popped into my mind that the song is about a group raping someone (metaphorically or literally) and Ed knows it is wrong. If you look at the lyrics, it makes sense. Of course, this could also mean religion (or religious zealots) raping people, and it's about Ed telling everyone that God is not there ("Whatever we called you, is just a name"). The way he sings the name part makes me feel like he was calling a woman a "whore" or something while he did bad things to her, and he didn't mean it.

Sorry for the big post.

[Hoodstock]

First of all love the SS album but never liked Ghost. That being said I always thought of "everyone has a ghost" as a metaphore like everyone has a skeleton in their closet or something they are trying to hide.

boy loses rib in New Orleans
he can't help eyein' up the whores

and

where did I go wrong?
I never needed this before
I need a woman to help me feel

I always interpreted these lyrics, and the rest of the song, as Ed's ghost regretting cheating on somebody he loved by falling for a random woman - probably at a show in New Orleans.

I thought the boy loses a rib line was an Adam and Eve reference about falling for the forbidden temptation.

"Good doctors never leave a scar, no proof again" - slick people pull off cheating an nobody ever knows

"I'll take the myth, you take the blood" - possibly a reference that he thought or was hoping it would end up all right and things went really bad

"Trades some ether for a chance" - could refer to trading his relationship for a hookup

"Summond to the mud" - the shit he went through because of this

"Crying where did I go wrong" - the pain and regret of the breakup

Just my thoughts but that's how I've always seen it.

On another note, I was listening to a Turn My Head, and it popped into my mind that the song is about a group raping someone (metaphorically or literally) and Ed knows it is wrong.

About this song, I vividly remember one of the Chad's talking about it in an interview well before the album came out during the TC tour (in some magazine). I used to buy every magzine that I could find Live in. I don't have them anymore and I don't remember which Chad or magazine it was because it was about 13 years ago.

He said that Ed was in the process of writing a new love song (Turn My Head) for his girlfriend (whoever it was at the time) and he was practicing it on stage. by himself before shows. At the time it was a work in progress. He said that the band loved it and whenever he played it people working at the venue would stop and listen to it. Some would even dance. Because of this statement I remember highly anticipating this album just to hear this song.

This post has been edited by Hoodstock: May 20 2009, 9:04 pm

[SecretInsomnia]

On another note, I was listening to a Turn My Head, and it popped into my mind that the song is about a group raping someone (metaphorically or literally) and Ed knows it is wrong.

interesting thought!!
But it would be weird if it was about that, as Ed at recent concerts often introduce the song as "this is for my lady ... [big smile] "

[Gertjan]

For more interpretations on Ghost and other Secret Samadhi songs, you can check out the thoughts I collected from the now defunct SOY-mailinglist long ago:

http://gertjan.deback.net/sod

This post has been edited by Gertjan: May 22 2009, 8:56 am