Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band that hails from Bloomington, IN. G… Read Full Bio ↴Ghost Mice is a two-piece folk-punk band that hails from Bloomington, IN. Ghost Mice was created from the ashes of former pop-punk bands The Devil is Electric and Operation: Cliff Clavin. Chris Johnston (aka Chris Clavin) and Hannah who played guitar and bass respectively for OP:CC and TDIE, decided to make their act acoustic so they could tour more easily and play almost anywhere. In their own words: "We play 100% acoustic. We never use amps or mics (except once at Plan-It-X Fest). We have been playing in bands together for about 7 years. We started Ghost Mice in 2002 because we tired of being restricted. We were tired of having to travel in big vans and depend on amps, PA systems and electricity. With Ghost Mice we can travel very light and we need nothing to play. We often play in back yards or on the street corner in front of the venue. We have toured the USA many times and we toured Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, France, Spain, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland) by foot. We hitch-hiked and took trains to all of our shows. It was fun and very liberating. We sing a mix of personal and political lyrics, we are anarchist, we are dedicated to the DIY ethic and the struggle to make the world a better place. We play music and travel for fun and to meet new people. Music is our lives. We love travel. We are nice and a little shy." The previous quote can be found here. Hannah dropped her bass in favor of a violin. Ghost Mice's lyrics mostly involve having a positive outlook on life; riding bikes, eating healthy food, being in love, and being punk. Ghost Mice's slogan, "Punk as Folk", is a fantastic way to describe their music, lyrics, and just about everything that is Ghost Mice.

In August 2017, several people came forward with accusations of sexual assault towards the lead singer, Chris Clavin, leading to a short hiatus until late 2019. Bands he had collaborated with condemned his actions, renouncing their work on Plan-It-X Records, and vowed to remove Clavin's work from future printings of split albums.

The Pines
Ghost Mice Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Under the pines a hundred yards from the center of the universe,
And alarm goes off half the night.
We'll pass around a cucumber and we'll peel a giant grapefruit,
And hope it doesn't rain on our leaky tent.
After that horrible night of riding, we're glad to just be here
And soon enough we'll all be fast asleep.
After that horrible night of riding, we're glad to just be here
And soon enough we'll all be fast asleep.

Oh no these roads weren't made for the likes of you and me (but they're all I got)
A little shoulder could ease my troubled mind.
Oh no these roads weren't made for the likes of you and me (but they're all I got)
A little shoulder could ease my troubled mind.

And we'll pass around the cucumber and we'll share this can of beans,
Soon enough we'll all be fast asleep

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ghost Mice's song "The Pines" describe a group of travelers seeking refuge under some pine trees after a difficult journey. The group is subjected to the sound of an alarm going off half the night, adding to their already frustrating night of riding. However, they remain united and supportive of one another, passing around a cucumber and peeling a giant grapefruit as they hope for better weather conditions for their tent. The singer emphasizes that despite the difficult roads they have traveled, they find comfort in being together and enjoying simple moments of sharing food and sleep.

The first stanza describes the physical surroundings of the group of travelers and the challenges they face in finding a comfortable place to rest. The imagery of "the pines a hundred yards from the center of the universe" sets the scene and adds to the feeling of isolation and detachment from society. The alarm going off half the night emphasizes the lack of control that these travelers have over their environment, and adds to their vulnerability. However, the second stanza emphasizes the importance of support from others during these difficult journeys. Despite the challenging roads and lack of amenities, the group finds solace in their companionship and simple pleasures like sharing a can of beans.

Overall, the lyrics to "The Pines" highlight the resilience and resourcefulness of travelers facing difficult journeys. Despite the lack of control they have over their environment, they find comfort in their companionship and the simple pleasures of sharing food and rest.

Line by Line Meaning

Under the pines a hundred yards from the center of the universe,
We are secluded under some pine trees on the outskirts of the world

And alarm goes off half the night.
We keep being disturbed by a loud noise throughout the night

We'll pass around a cucumber and we'll peel a giant grapefruit,
We'll share some food and hope the weather doesn't ruin it

And hope it doesn't rain on our leaky tent.
We're anxious that the rain may seep in through the holes in our tent

After that horrible night of riding, we're glad to just be here
We're relieved to have made it here after a stressful journey

And soon enough we'll all be fast asleep.
We hope to get some rest soon

Oh no these roads weren't made for the likes of you and me (but they're all I got)
These paths aren't fit for us, but we have no other option

A little shoulder could ease my troubled mind.
Having some space on the road could ease our worries

And we'll pass around the cucumber and we'll share this can of beans,
We're sharing what little food we have left

Soon enough we'll all be fast asleep
We're all hoping to fall asleep soon and forget our troubles

Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.