When the disappearing begins
The ghosts we kept within
Can break free from inside
And untie our blindfold eyes

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts...

So when the ghosts find you
Be careful but be graceful
For all will be revealed
When ghosts become set free

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

Build bridges and not roads
Make love, make hate, make war

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts


Lyrics submitted by matt675

To Repel Ghosts Lyrics as written by Jones Bradfield

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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To Repel Ghosts song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is so vague. I could see them referring to the lessons to be learned by exploring the literal dead, and not advocating the atrocities always going on in the world. Repelling them, freeing them, as we free ourselves from the cycles of aggression/war/terror.

    Or maybe they're referring to the faceless people ("ghosts") the first world never interacts with, but is often unwillingly the victim of our apathy or exploitation ("A soul in pain has no image to reclaim").

    I don't bloody know.

    tikbalangon December 22, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Maybe the ghosts are like, ghosts of your past, like painful memories that you lock inside yourself? Hence, 'a soul in pain', and 'ghosts we kept within'. When you come to terms with these 'ghosts' and break free of them ('break free from inside'/'set free'), you become enlightened about your true self ('untie our blindfolded eyes'/'all will be revealed') and can finally begin to live with grace, to deal with the pain that haunts you with grace & dignity ('So when the ghosts find you, be careful but be graceful'). The 'Build bridges and not roads/Make love make hate not war' stanza probably just refers to future relationships, or a new way to live your life now that 'all [is] revealed'.

    Or something like that, it's pretty vague.

    taviangoon June 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    nice sounding guitar.. sounds like some coldplasong

    sunrizeron February 15, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    No.

    Songmeaningsuseron March 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It seems to me that the ghosts are the inner emotions and thoughts that everyone has inside of them, but would never admit to anyone else or even themselves. This song is about someone who has suffered great loss and/or sadness and they've lets their ghosts free, hence "A soul in pain has no image to reclaim". As a whole this song to me is about the way people can fall apart when something tragic happens. There were a few lyrics I couldn't quite understand, but this is just my opinion

    MDanielson September 19, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment

    To me this song's about feeling empowered by learning to withhold love from those who would just take and not return it. Think people you might know who are maybe very giving and appear to not wish to be reciprocated, well I'm sure there are some who truly deal with that, but for some the intention when offering their 'best' is it will be noticed and rewarded. "To Repel Ghosts" I think is speaking to those people who learn the hard way that to withhold can also be rewarding. Of course the "Ghosts" in this song are people who come and go in life offering little to enrich each our experiences but instead only want to take or rather sap a kind individual's soul of whatever they can. It might sound like an aggressive analysis - and I'm not referring to personal experiences - but I think it's a relevant fact of life that the band are acknowledging here. Be careful of who you give your love to etc... Apart from that, beautiful song really. "Lifeblood" has finally started to grow on me!

    lateleighon December 15, 2010   Link

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