In the mid 90's, Abecedarians' Chris Manecke and John Blake formed First Men on the Sun along with Jason Toney on drums. They released a self titled album on Southwest Audio Reproductions in 1995. Their sound is very similar to late Abecedarians.
Ghosts
Abecedarians Lyrics
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Listen to the rain fall down
I think there's something
Outside in the cold
It happened yesterday
Tipped my hat and walked away
I feel the freezing cold
Feels like they're here
I don't think they'll remember me though
Statues offer roses to me
Arms outstretched, for all to see
Stay away from my mind
It's all I have
Stay away from her clothes
They're all she has
It happened yesterday
Tipped my hat and walked away
The lyrics of "Ghosts" by Abecedarians depict a sense of melancholia and isolation. The singer stares out of a window and listens to the rain, feeling the cold of the outside world more intensely than before. The lyrical refrain "It happened yesterday, tipped my hat and walked away" indicates that the singer is haunted by some past occurrence or memory that they have tried to move beyond.
The imagery in the second stanza continues this sense of tension between the present and the past. The singer feels the cold pass through their soul, indicating a kind of emotional numbness or detachment. The statues offering roses with outstretched arms could represent a kind of static monumentality that contrasts with the transience of the natural world.
The third stanza introduces a sense of possessiveness and protectiveness as the singer instructs others to "stay away" from their mind and the possessions of a female subject. This could indicate a desire for emotional distance and independence, or a fear of being vulnerable.
Line by Line Meaning
Stare through the window
Gazing through the window, with your eyes flooding with emotions, endeavoring to find a cure for something that has been bothering you for a long time.
Listen to the rain fall down
With the pitter-patter of the rain, it feels like nature is washing away every worry and doubt that might be lurking inside.
I think there's something
It’s a vague feeling, yet deep-rooted and unsettling, and you just can't shake it off.
Outside in the cold
Out there, it's dark and cold, with the moon casting long shadows under the streetlights- signifying an omen of some sort.
It happened yesterday
Something occurred in the past that changed everything and every day since feels unreal, and you are still grappling to come to terms with it.
Tipped my hat and walked away
The singer has accepted their fate and moved on while distancing themselves from the weight of this unyielding burden.
I feel the freezing cold
The dampness of the surroundings in which the person stands penetrates their very bones, making them shiver with cold.
Pass through my soul
The personhood's soul is numb and bleak, touched by the tenebrosity of the atmosphere around them.
Feels like they're here
The shadows and silhouettes of the past dart around the corners, creating an illusion that they are still present in some form.
I don't think they'll remember me though
Despite the person's unwavering willingness to forget, the ghosts still whisper the memory of the past, oblivious to their existence.
Statues offer roses to me
The statues or the memories that keep coming back offer solace and heart's ease which the person cherishes secretly.
Arms outstretched, for all to see
But the person chooses to abide by the consequences and confronts the shades with open arms, civilly contesting them and the reality which they signify.
Stay away from my mind
The person wants to protect their thoughts and emotions, which are their private property, from being invaded or intruded upon.
It's all I have
The only thing that the person has power over is their mind and what involves in it, and they want to safeguard it and keep it at bay from anyone's reach.
Stay away from her clothes
The person focuses on keeping the memories of the past locked away in the closet and far beyond anyone's sight or reach.
They're all she has
The ghosts of the past are the only possessions left that tie the person to the past, and they want to keep what they have at all costs.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: KEVIN EDWARD MITCHELL, STEPHEN R PARKIN, JOSHUA JON PYKE, KAVYEN BEATON TEMPERLEY, KEVIN MITCHELL, KAVYEN TEMPERLEY, JOSHUA PYKE, STEPHEN PARKIN
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