Gary Jules attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California. Some of his early projects/bands were The Ivory Knights, Our Town Pansies, Woodenfish and The Origin.
Jules started off his solo recording career with the debut Greetings from the Side. Originally released by A & M, this album slipped through the cracks due to neglect on the label's part, and Jules was dropped. In 2001, together with friend Michael Andrews, Gary Jules recorded Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets. It was from this album that the remake of Tears for Fears' Mad World was subsequently used by Michael Andrews for Donnie Darko.
In December 2003, two years after Donnie Darko was released, Mad World finally reached the charts and became the Christmas Number One in the UK. In early 2004, the song surfaced in the US and Canada.
His most recent album, simply titled Gary Jules was released in 2006. The song Falling Awake from this album was recently used in the season 3 episode Six Days: Part Two of Grey's Anatomy.
Jules' Andrews' arrangement of "Mad World", was recently used in a trailer for the Gears of War for the XBOX 360, it was also used in a few episodes of CSI, Without a Trace, in some episodes of Dead Like Me, in an episode of Jericho, and an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Official Site: http://www.garyjules.com/
Ghosts
Gary Jules Lyrics
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And the water's as cold as the snow
The man is chasing behind me
And I can't afford to falter or slow
I find solace in what we believe
Or the hush of a cool gentle rain
But there's something we love in the mystery
Of a man in the midst of a change
She laughed and said I was going nowhere
'Cause it's nowhere that she's ever been
When I get to that place she'll remember my face
And say "Hey man, I knew him when he was younger"
But she never loved me at all
She laughed when I was in pain
'Cause there's something that we are all frightened of
In the man in the midst of a change
Out on the roof to inquire of the sky
The existence of ghosts in my life
Who's to blame you or I?
No one would answer me
They just stared with the weight of the world I pretend not to feel
The windmill is poised for the battle
But the fool understands not the game
He believes in his mission, predestined position
Amazing the grace of her name
Oh he loves her now as he loved her then
Rocinante remembers the days
When I whistled and sat waiting patiently
With the man in the midst of a change
Running along the rocks of the river
With the freedom to step where I choose
Though I can't stop to rest I like traveling best
And besides, I've got nothing to lose from it
I find solace in all the extremes
In pleasure as well as in pain
I just wish he would let me explain to you
The man in the midst of a change
The song "Ghosts” by Gary Jules is a powerful poetic exploration about a man who is chasing after change, searching for answers in his life. The song opens with a captivating image of the man running along the rocks of the river, the cold water symbolizing the mysteries and challenges that lie in his path. He is pursued by some unknown assailant or challenge, but he continues to push forward, determined not to falter or give in.
Throughout the song, the singer finds solace in what he believes and the hush of a cool gentle rain. Yet, there is something about the mystery of a man in the midst of a change that fascinates him. He reflects on the woman who never loved him and laughed at his pain. He wonders if she would remember him after he has achieved his goals. He looks out at the sky, searching for answers about the ghosts that haunt his life, but no one answers his queries. He longs to explain his innermost thoughts to someone, but it sounds like no one is willing to listen to him.
The lyrics of "Ghosts" are reflective and introspective, poetically exploring the various thoughts and emotions that come with embracing change in one's life. The powerful metaphors and images throughout the song offer insight into the singer's journey and the various obstacles he faces.
Line by Line Meaning
Running along the rocks of the river
The singer is on the move, taking on life's challenges
And the water's as cold as the snow
Life's obstacles can be dauntingly difficult
The man is chasing behind me
The singer is trying to outrun his past and stay ahead of his troubles
And I can't afford to falter or slow
He must keep moving forward to avoid being caught by his past
I find solace in what we believe
The artist seeks comfort in faith and shared beliefs
Or the hush of a cool gentle rain
He also finds solace in peaceful moments
But there's something we love in the mystery
The unknown fascinates and attracts people
Of a man in the midst of a change
The artist is undergoing an important transformation
She laughed and said I was going nowhere
A woman in the artist's past didn't believe in him
'Cause it's nowhere that she's ever been
She couldn't relate to the artist's aspirations
When I get to that place she'll remember my face
The singer imagines succeeding and being remembered by his former flame
And say "Hey man, I knew him when he was younger"
The woman will claim to have known the artist before he became successful
But she never loved me at all
The singer realizes that the woman never truly cared for him
She laughed when I was in pain
She seemed to derive pleasure from the singer's struggles
'Cause there's something that we are all frightened of
Fear can drive some people to behave in cruel ways
In the man in the midst of a change
The artist is changing and growing, which can scare those around him
Out on the roof to inquire of the sky
The artist looks for answers and guidance from a higher power
The existence of ghosts in my life
The singer is haunted by memories and regrets
Who's to blame you or I?
The singer questions who is responsible for his past problems
No one would answer me
The artist is left to find his own answers
They just stared with the weight of the world I pretend not to feel
The artist feels isolated and burdened by life's problems
The windmill is poised for the battle
The artist sees a metaphor for life's struggles in the windmill
But the fool understands not the game
The singer realizes he may not fully understand how to navigate life's challenges
He believes in his mission, predestined position
The artist has faith that he is meant to fulfill a greater purpose
Amazing the grace of her name
The singer is impressed by someone's graceful demeanor
Oh he loves her now as he loved her then
The singer's feelings for someone haven't changed over time
Rocinante remembers the days
The singer recalls a simpler time, invoking imagery from Don Quixote
When I whistled and sat waiting patiently
The artist remembers an idyllic, peaceful moment
With the man in the midst of a change
The artist was once again in a state of transformation
Running along the rocks of the river
The singer continues to journey through life
With the freedom to step where I choose
Despite difficulties, the singer feels empowered to make his own choices
Though I can't stop to rest I like traveling best
The artist doesn't have time to stop and rest, but enjoys the journey nonetheless
And besides, I've got nothing to lose from it
The artist sees no downside to taking risks in life
I find solace in all the extremes
The artist is comforted by extremes in life, whether pleasant or painful
In pleasure as well as in pain
Both joy and struggle are meaningful to the singer
I just wish he would let me explain to you
The artist wants someone to understand where he's coming from
The man in the midst of a change
The singer is still in the process of transformation
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALBERT AYLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind