Down – Ghosts Along The Mississippi

In the morning, it takes me quite a while to clear my head
And as the day moves on, I find it hard to smile at something said
So I took control, priority number one, and that's me
Then I cut the dragon's head off, and put away my gun, so let it be
So let it be
I'm dying prematurely, I'm wasting my life for sure
I'm trying to kill what's happening to me
A ghost along the Mississippi
I never thought before, a life could be so strange, but it is
And I guess my one a day, became ten or twelve or more, and more
But I've got a gift, it's something called my friends or love
With them and I combined, I'll beat an early end, it's been done before
No time of passing away, of losing just one more day
I'm trying to kill what's happening to me
A ghost along the Mississippi
Can't happen to me
Won't do it to me
Can't happen to me
Won't do it to me
Can't happen to me
Won't do it to me
Destroying what's got ahold of me
No more the ghost of Mississippi


Lyrics submitted by 7

"Ghosts Along the Mississippi" as written by Bower Anselmo

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Ghosts Along The Mississippi song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment"And I guess my one a day, became ten or twelve or more, and more" POWERFUL! Anyone who has ever messed around with drugs knows what this line is all about. Powerful lyrics. Amazing song both lyrically and musically
    Jugzilla267on March 12, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment"Then I cut the dragon's head off, and put away my gun, so let it be
    So let it be"

    In rehab "the dragon" represents what you are addicted to. These lyrics are an obvious reference to Phil quitting heroin.
    Pyrrhonon March 15, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Commenti agree ^^

    he compares his addictions to the ghost along mississippi, and the last line, No more the ghost of Mississippi, says hes beaten his struggle
    BadAcidTripon April 16, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThis is the song that got me into Down. I downloaded it after remembering that Down was a side project of Phil's and wanting to see what they sounded like. I downloaded this song solely because of it's name and one other, can't remember which one now, but I really got into this song. I jammed it for a while and eventually it got lost amongst a sea of downloaded music as I was getting into other music. I found it over a year later, jammed it again and not too long after that I was jamming the entire Down II album repeatedly in my car.

    I also love the story of how Down II was conceived. It reminds me of how Lynnyrd Skynnyrd jammed together in an old building that they called "Hell House."

    As for what the song means, it well could mean beating addiction or any other problem that was keeping Phil from moving forward in his endeavors. I'm leaning towards addiction on this one, though.
    crossboneson June 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commentfucking awesome song, Phil is god
    bryankashon August 05, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song is awsome
    Bwoodingon September 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentYou guys hit the nail on the head with concerns of Phils battle with addiction being the theme of this song. Bring back Down the greatest metal band of all time. Fuck Superjoint! Fuck Necrophagia! Fuck Christ Inversion! Fuck Viking Crown! Phil come to your senses and heal your pain bro. Drop the talentless noise and bring back some metal with soul.
    Balljack70on January 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentCouldn't agree more, Balljack70.
    Shadowbitchon July 26, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentLook for Down III Later in '06
    stevuson April 28, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentYeah, hopefully, who knows when it'll be out after what happened in NOLA. It IS going to be released, though.

    Oh yeah, and Balljack70: Necrophagia is Killjoy's band, Phil was in that band for a very brief point in the band career. And Anselmo has had more side-projects than those... like The Swinging Anselmos, Southern Isolation, Arson Anthem and Eibon, to name just a few.
    Listen to them with an open mind, not as good as Down, but still quality stuff in their genres.
    Eliminationon May 01, 2006   Link

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