Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
My head is full of ghosts
But I'm no revenant
Despite my resident's rivalry
And I'll be the faithful pilot
On our blind trajectory
Do you want to know a secret
Will you hold it close and dear
This will not be made apparent
But you and I are not alone in here
My head is full of ghosts
No apparition
A partition from the host
A temple of cognition
And forbidden to approach
Oh to hell with superstition
There's a stranger in the house
I don't need no exorcism
I need a key
And the lock is inside out
Now meta-cognition is just intuition
And dreamers we'll bark at the moon
The weaver's unknown by the loom
My head is full of ghosts
And I'm the pilot
Of ultra-violent ancestry
And I'll destroy these passers-by
With zest and artistry
Ghost!
Part apparition
A partition from the host
A temple of the hidden
And unbidden to approach
But I'm no revenant
Despite my resident's rivalry
And I'll be the faithful pilot
On our blind trajectory
Do you want to know a secret
Will you hold it close and dear
This will not be made apparent
But you and I are not alone in here
My head is full of ghosts
No apparition
A partition from the host
A temple of cognition
And forbidden to approach
Oh to hell with superstition
There's a stranger in the house
I don't need no exorcism
I need a key
And the lock is inside out
Now meta-cognition is just intuition
And dreamers we'll bark at the moon
The weaver's unknown by the loom
My head is full of ghosts
And I'm the pilot
Of ultra-violent ancestry
And I'll destroy these passers-by
With zest and artistry
Ghost!
Part apparition
A partition from the host
A temple of the hidden
And unbidden to approach
Lyrics submitted by MIKERUPTION, edited by Mellow_Harsher
My Head Is Full of Ghosts Lyrics as written by Greg Graffin Brett W. Gurewitz
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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I don't think this has anything to do with God or even metaphysics, as evidenced by: "Oh to hell with superstition There's a stranger in the house I don't need no exorcism I need a key And the lock is inside out"
I think it's about trying and failing to understand consciousness, and specifically your own mind. The ghosts are part of that consciousness, but not the primary ones, evidenced by "a partition from the host." So I suppose he's trying to find himself, trying to find what he truly thinks and believes. Maybe the ghosts are humans' inherent biases and illogical thoughts that have to be weeded out before truly understanding something.
I think this song deals with Descartes' problem of the "Ghost in the Machine." It's about trying to differentiate the soul from the body, the soul being the ghost and the body the machine. They talk about cognition (thoughts) and meta-cognition but we still can't isolate where thoughts occur in the brain (ie are they in the synapse, the cells, etc). In some ways this is a criticism of psychology. But really it is a criticism of mind-body dualism of Descartes.
I see the ghosts not only as something Faith related but as all the important people that passed on our lives and they somehow are still in our heads, and sometimes we try to hide them putting into a temple and shit. But i guess this can go both ways.
The guy who wrote this is an expert in evolution (as in neodarwinism). When he says We are the pilots of ultra-violent ancestry, he probably refers to our ancestors' behaviour, which is part of us, part of our genes. We are not alone, inside each living being there's a ton of ancestors, a genetic heritage, things such as practical instincts like being afraid of lightning and/or a basic set of instructions for everyday life (look for food when you're hungry, sleep when you're tired, etc.). And of course our ancestors are also in our culture, which is also inside of us, the things you learned (and cared about) in school, the books you read with attention (it's like the author is in some part of your mind), the deep values your parents (hopefully) gave you.
I guess the message is we can be ourselves, despite such influences, such intruders (ghosts), by zest (courage, will) and artistry (skill). We can overcome what's bad, we don't have to act like animals, or like our ancestors, we can be better than that. We don't need exorcism to get rid of this bad influence, we just need a key to our own freedom.
Can you believe in freedom of will in a mechanistic universe? is there a part of your consciousness that isn't of your brain, yet you can only "observe" through your cognitive faculties? This is the partition from the host, recognizing it's ineffability is like realizing you "need a key to a lock that is inside out".
This is also the source of many a person's intuitive grasp on the irreducible aspect of reality, that, if everything is information at it's most basic basic level, there must be some sort of over-mind or meta-consciousness. God does not fall into this conversation. Though I would posit that movement without inertia requires at the least an intention.
The ghosts are god or some form of deity, or the ghosts are the unanswerable questions of faith. I'd bet on the second. Someone trying to figure out their faith, or lack of it. There's more to it, I'm sure, but I need more time to digest.
I think this song is about metaphysical experiences.