All songs mean different things to different people, so I might not have the answer. But this is my understanding.
I think the song describes a struggling artist whose work is brilliant but is hard pressed to make a name for himself and is frequently misunderstood. The refrain "How does it feel to be the only one that knows that you're right?" describes his frustration after having put so much into his work but have it pass over everyone's heads. He experiences a brief stint of popularity and builds a fanbase but never amounts to anything more than a one hit wonder despite the fact that his work is good ("up at the address all the widows write" suggests that when his popularity ends the only fan letters he gets are from little old ladies, people whose lives are waning along with his career). He is "deep down underground", suggesting that his work is both deep and obscure. Thus, 'the Ghost at Number One' is a metaphor for every singer, songwriter, poet or artist whose career is defined by one chart topping single before fading away. Actually, it's ironically a good description of Jellyfish themselves, who made quite a few excellent songs, but sadly fell apart too soon.
Anyway, that's just my take on the song. I'd go into a line by line analysis but I doubt that either myself or any of you have the patience for one at the moment. ^^
All songs mean different things to different people, so I might not have the answer. But this is my understanding.
I think the song describes a struggling artist whose work is brilliant but is hard pressed to make a name for himself and is frequently misunderstood. The refrain "How does it feel to be the only one that knows that you're right?" describes his frustration after having put so much into his work but have it pass over everyone's heads. He experiences a brief stint of popularity and builds a fanbase but never amounts to anything more than a one hit wonder despite the fact that his work is good ("up at the address all the widows write" suggests that when his popularity ends the only fan letters he gets are from little old ladies, people whose lives are waning along with his career). He is "deep down underground", suggesting that his work is both deep and obscure. Thus, 'the Ghost at Number One' is a metaphor for every singer, songwriter, poet or artist whose career is defined by one chart topping single before fading away. Actually, it's ironically a good description of Jellyfish themselves, who made quite a few excellent songs, but sadly fell apart too soon.
Anyway, that's just my take on the song. I'd go into a line by line analysis but I doubt that either myself or any of you have the patience for one at the moment. ^^