Friendly Ghost

It is beyond me that nobody commented on this song, it's one of my favs! I think it's about the same thing 'P.S. You Rock My World' is about: living life to the fullest, because this is the only thing we really know exists.

I agree with eelsrule about living life to the full. But the only way you can live forever is to live and die at the same time if you see what i mean? I think the writer is both the gut in the song and the friendly ghost. ''I've been carrying round a grudge...'' Ghosts are famous for staying in the living world because of some sort of grudge.

It's kind of one of those Carpe Diem (seize the day) things you know? He's just waiting for something to happen (Counting days till the old pawn shop...). But the Friendly Ghost shows him that he shouldn't waste his time while he's alive, he should just go out and do stuff.

If you read E's autobiography 'Things the Grandchildren Should Know', this is one of the songs where he explains exactly what this song means. I didn't think the book was going to be that interesting, but I was leant a copy from a die-hard EELs fan when I had only listened to the Souljacker album, and now I'm a huge fan of both the book and all the album, he's truly a genius and the emotions in all his songs are very justified considering some of the amazing and horrific things he's been through.

"A friendly ghost, is all I need" seems to me to be a double-entendre, which can be interpreted in two completely different/opposing ways... It can either be seen as an unhappy person's negative reaction to an event they see as just another incident in their bad-luck streak. You know the old cliche "oh - that's all I need!"; resultingly, in this scenario, they are dismissing any personal desire to interact with the ghost (and would supposedly be happy if it tunred out that the ghost was in fact, not real). On the other hand, they seem to be openly longing - and potentially grateful for - any opportunity that life can offer them, including the strange situation they seem to have found themselves in (in this manner, they are hopeful the ghost is real). I like this, as he repeats this refrain throughout the song, and although the prospect of a ghost inhabiting his house is a scary and an unwanted proposition at first (and seemingly a nuisance), he grows steadily more curious and open to the idea (as is evident throughout the various verses of the song, as it progresses). I think this cleverly demonstrates the potentially contradictory nature of our instincts and desires - here the narrator's character is hesitant and defensive at the prospect of embracing the unknown (and potentially leaving himself vulnerable - especially emotionally), however, underneath he truly wants to be able to open himself up, and cure his loneliness by striking up a relationship with this 'ghost'. I won't patronise by quoting all the relevant lyrics and moments in the song to which I've referred to, I'm sure it's all obvious to you. Anyway, love this song - musically very fun too.

I forget to mention how the lines, "If you're scared to die you better not be scared to live" are similar in meaning/sentiment to these found in 'P.S You Rock My World' : - "a careful man tries To dodge the bullets While a happy man takes a walk"

The protagonist in 'Friendly Ghost' is scared of the unknown (the ghost) at the start of the song, as he fears for his physical safety (reflecting his fear of death), whilst also seeking to protect his emotional self from becoming vulnerable (reflecting his fear of life). However, by the end of the song, he chooses to embrace the consequences, whatever they may be, and thus, gives up both his elemnts of his fear simultaneously.