Afraid of Ghosts
Butch Walker Lyrics

Well there's a man
The song starts by referring to a man who tries to absolve his sins by stepping into holy water.

Who dips his feet in holy water
This man tries to absolve himself of his sins by stepping into holy water.

And so he throws the rest of his body in
He believes that stepping into holy water will cleanse him of his sins, so he immerses himself completely.

Says it'll take more than wading
The man believes that a more impactful action is required to absolve himself of his sins, rather than just stepping into the holy water.

To keep the memories fading
Despite his efforts to absolve himself of his sins, his memories continue to haunt him.

I'm at least up to my neck in sin
The man realizes that he has committed numerous sins and has much to atone for.

He said I'm coming to terms with a ghost
The man is referring to his past and the memories that continue to haunt him.

Learning to deal
He is trying to learn how to cope with his past and the memories that have lingered with him.

I'm gonna take what scares me the most
He is determined to confront his fears and the things that have been haunting him the most.

And turn it into something real
The man wants to turn his past and fears into something tangible and real, rather than allowing them to linger as intangible memories.

I try to go to the hospice every Friday
The singer makes an effort to visit a hospice every Friday.

Sit in traffic, thicker than blood
The traffic is so thick that it feels like it is thicker than blood.

Try to know a man that I never really knew
The singer is trying to get to know a man who he never truly knew, possibly someone who has passed away.

And swim away from a forty year flood
The singer is trying to escape from his memories and the past, which have been haunting him for forty years.

Sometimes she takes a little longer getting ready
The singer shifts his focus to a woman who takes a little longer to get ready, possibly because she wants to feel better about herself.

To pretend there's someone to show
The woman is possibly trying to give the impression that she has someone to show off to, perhaps to avoid feeling lonely or rejected.

Did she ever find love
The singer wonders if the woman ever found love in her life.

Or did this town have enough
The singer questions if the woman failed to find love because the town she lives in did not have enough options for her.

I kinda bet, she'll never let you know
The singer believes that the woman will never reveal the truth about her love life.

But I can tell from the caked on powdered makeup
The singer can tell that the woman is likely trying to hide her age or past hardships with heavy makeup.

Covering wrinkles from smoking away tears
The woman has wrinkles from smoking and crying, and is trying to conceal them with makeup.

She wants it either way
The singer believes that the woman still wants to find love and be happy, regardless of her past or current struggles.

And I want so bad to say
The singer wishes he could tell the woman to love and accept herself for who she is, rather than trying to hide her imperfections.

Love yourself for once my dear
The singer wants the woman to love and accept herself for who she is, and not worry about trying to impress others.

She said...
The song switches back to the man who was trying to deal with his past and confront his fears.

I bet she's coming to terms with a ghost
The woman is likely also dealing with her own ghosts and past struggles.

Learning to deal
She is also trying to learn how to cope with her past and the things that continue to haunt her.

Gonna take just what scares her the most
She is determined to confront the things that have been haunting her the most as well.

Turn it into something real
The woman also wants to turn her fears and struggles into something tangible and real, rather than letting them continue to be intangible memories.