A Ghost Story
Atlas Sound Lyrics
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now
Well, I've got to do a different one
start again, okay
Once upon a time there was a ghost, and his name was Charlie.
He, um, he died and then came alive - no, he was alive and then he died, and he came up as a ghost.
Everyone that, um, went there...
Charlie always scared it away and um...
so they started to um...
So eberyone that went there got scared away from Charlie.
Soon, Charlie moved out into a different haunted house, and a lot of scary things happened to that haunted house...
but Charlie wasn't afraid, he just...
Charlie wasn't afraid.
Ghosts aren't supposed to be afraid.
Cause, um, he didn't...'cause he liked it!
So, he lived there until he didn't want to live there anymore.
Moved back into the place he lived before.
That's the end
The song "A Ghost Story" by Atlas Sound seems to be a spoken word piece that tells a story about a ghost named Charlie. The opening lines suggest that the singer is starting the story again, as if searching for the right words or the correct version of events. The story itself is simple and somewhat playful, like a fable or a bedtime story. We learn that Charlie was once alive but died and became a ghost. Charlie lived in a haunted house where he had a habit of scaring away anyone who came near. Eventually, Charlie moved to a different house that was also haunted. But unlike the others, Charlie was not afraid of the scary things that happened there. He lived there for a while, enjoying his ghostly company, until he decided to move back to his old house. The story ends on a lighthearted note.
Interpreting the meaning of the song is difficult as it seems to be more of a stream-of-consciousness style of storytelling. The repetition of the opening lines suggests that the singer is trying to work out the details of the story as they tell it. Perhaps the point of the song is that stories themselves are important, even if they don't always have a clear meaning. It is also worth noting that the playful nature of the story might be attributed to Charlie's ghostly perspective. He seems to find joy in the things that scare the living, which could suggest that death is not so scary after all.
Line by Line Meaning
Start all over again, it's on...now
We're starting over and beginning something new right now.
Well, I've got to do a different one
start again, okay
I need to try something else and begin anew, is that alright?
Once upon a time there was a ghost, and his name was Charlie.
Let me tell you a story about a ghost named Charlie.
He, um, he died and then came alive - no, he was alive and then he died, and he came up as a ghost.
Charlie died and then became a ghost, although the sequence of events was unclear.
Everyone that, um, went there...
Charlie always scared it away and um...
so they um...
so they started to um...
Everyone who went there was frightened away by Charlie, causing them to hesitate and speak in stuttering uncertainty.
Soon, Charlie moved out into a different haunted house, and a lot of scary things happened to that haunted house...
but Charlie wasn't afraid, he just...
Charlie relocated to a new, eerie dwelling and several eerie happenings occurred, but Charlie was unafraid and simply...
Charlie wasn't afraid.
Ghosts aren't supposed to be afraid.
Charlie, being a ghost, was not scared as it is expected of ghosts not to be scared.
Cause, um, he didn't...'cause he liked it!
Actually, Charlie wasn't afraid because he enjoyed the frightful sensations.
So, he lived there until he didn't want to live there anymore.
Moved back into the place he lived before.
Charlie resided there until he decided to leave and then returned to his previous residence.
That's the end
That concludes the story of Charlie the ghost.
Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.