In part because of his expressive phrasing and graceful interpretation, Astaire was chosen to introduce many now-classic songs, including standards by Cole Porter (example, "Night and Day"), his friend Irving Berlin ("Let's Face the Music and Dance"), Jerome Kern ("The Way You Look Tonight"), Johnny Mercer ("One for My Baby") and George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away from Me").
Fred Astaire is interred at Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, California, USA, the same cemetery where Ginger Rogers, is located. (http://encyclopaediaoftrivia.blogspot.com/2011/09/fred-astaire.html)
Me and the Ghost Upstairs
Fred Astaire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While I pondered weak and weary
From a long trip on the Erie
Comes a rappin' on my chamber door
It's an ectoplasmic tapping
That disturbs my nightly napping
Like a shroud that's gently flapping
Buddies are we, me and the ghost upstairs
Sipping our tea, me and the ghost upstairs
But he's inclined to moan when left alone
So I think of things that'll tickle his funny bone
Lonely old ghost upstairs
Regular folks, droppin' our worldly cares
Swappin' our jokes, me and the ghost upstairs
And then he slaps his shroud and laughs out loud
And says "Oh boy, that'll paralyze all the crowd"
Jolly old ghost upstairs
He's quite a cook, he serves a beautiful drink
He wrote a book and in invisible ink
I took a look and the title 'pon the page
Was 'The Groups of Wraith'
Once in a while he brings a gang of friends
Does it in style, careless of what he spends
And though the place is small we have a ball
'Cause you know those spooks don't require no room at all
We have some mighty fine affairs
Me and the ghost upstairs
We have some mighty fine affairs
Me and the ghost upstairs
In Fred Astaire's song Me and the Ghost Upstairs, the singer describes his relationship with a friendly ghost who lives in his building. The song opens with the singer, who is awake late at night, hearing a tapping on his chamber door. He assumes it is the ghost, who he refers to as an "ectoplasmic tapping." While he initially seems frightened, it soon becomes clear that he is friends with the ghost upstairs. The two are described as "buddies" who enjoy taking tea together and swapping jokes. The ghost, who the singer describes as being "jolly" and quite a good cook, brings a group of friends along to their parties.
Despite the fact that the singer can't see his ghostly friend, the two seem to have a deep connection. The singer specifically mentions that they are "regular folks, droppin' our worldly cares" and that they "have some mighty fine affairs." It is clear that the singer values their friendship, even if it is with someone who can't be seen by anyone else. Overall, the song suggests that true friendships can exist between very different people or beings, and that empathy and a shared sense of humor can bring us together despite our differences.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a midnight dreary
Late at night, as the hours tick by
While I pondered weak and weary
As I was lost in thought and feeling tired
From a long trip on the Erie
After spending a lot of time traveling on the Erie Canal
Comes a rappin' on my chamber door
Suddenly, there is a knocking sound on the door to my room
It's an ectoplasmic tapping
The tapping is caused by a ghostly presence
That disturbs my nightly napping
Which interrupts my sleep
Like a shroud that's gently flapping
It's akin to a cloth covering that's swaying softly
Emanating from the second floor
Coming from the level of the building above me
Buddies are we, me and the ghost upstairs
The ghost upstairs and I are good friends
Sipping our tea, me and the ghost upstairs
We enjoy drinking tea together
But he's inclined to moan when left alone
When he's by himself, he often makes moaning noises
So I think of things that'll tickle his funny bone
To make him laugh, I come up with amusing ideas
Lonely old ghost upstairs
Despite his cheerful demeanor, the ghost is still lonely
Regular folks, droppin' our worldly cares
We're like ordinary individuals, putting aside our troubles
Swappin' our jokes, me and the ghost upstairs
We share amusing anecdotes
And then he slaps his shroud and laughs out loud
He finds something hilarious and shows his elation by hitting his garment and laughing heartily
And says "Oh boy, that'll paralyze all the crowd"
In his eyes, something is so comical that it will stun onlookers
Jolly old ghost upstairs
The ghost above is lively and cheerful
He's quite a cook, he serves a beautiful drink
He's also talented in the kitchen and can mix drinks perfectly
He wrote a book and in invisible ink
He wrote a book, but the ink he used was invisible
I took a look and the title 'pon the page
When I read it, the title was visible
Was 'The Groups of Wraith'
The book was titled 'The Groups of Wraith'
Once in a while he brings a gang of friends
Occasionally, he introduces me to his other ghostly companions
Does it in style, careless of what he spends
He hosts them in a grand way, without worrying about money
And though the place is small we have a ball
Even though the space is limited, we have a great time
'Cause you know those spooks don't require no room at all
After all, they are spirits and don't need actual space
We have some mighty fine affairs
Together, we have a lot of enjoyable events
Me and the ghost upstairs
So does me and the ghost upstairs
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNARD D. HANIGHEN, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marek Claussen
The legendary Spike Jones on drums and cowbells ;-)
Chattyroz
Jolly old ghost.