A free EP entitled 'The Sound of Strangers' sidled into the public domain in June 2010. It gained him a coveted spot in The Guardian's "New Band of the Day" feature and a record contract with Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings imprint.
Ghostpoet dropped his debut single 'Cash and Carry Me Home' on 24th January 2011, followed by his album 'Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam' on 7th February. The 19th of July saw the debut album nominated for the Mercury Prize '2011 Albums of the Year. His single 'Survive It' was launched in Rough Trade East Record store, on May 9th 2011. A third single, 'Liiines' was promoted on September 2011 with a remix by xxxy.
In February 2013, Ghostpoet premiered ‘MSI MUSMID’ on Gilles Peterson’s Saturday BBC 6Music show; a teaser track from his second album ‘Some Say I So I Say Light’. The sophomore album was co-produced with Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Darkstar, Egyptian Hip-Hop) and released on the 6th May 2013 through Play It Again Sam.
Off Peak Dreams was premiered on January the 7th, 2015. It was announced that Ghostpoet's third album, "Shedding Skin", would be released on March 2nd. The album was recorded with a traditional live set up with what has become his touring band; Joe Newman on guitar, bass player, John Calvert and John Blease on drums. The self-produced album also features guest vocals from Nadine Shah, Etta Bond, Melanie De Biasio, Lucy Rose and Maxïmo Park’s Paul Smith.
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Ghostpoet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life's too short so I've got to make haste and
And I don't want to get old and be a waste, man
No these new shoes need pace, man
Break this ball and chain round my waste, man
Please give me the strength to go all the way
And negative vibes butterfly away
I'm at that age I ain't come to play
Let's get relevant
Breathe it, Breathe it in
Maybe it just ain't my day today
Got to take stock and just start again, start again, start again
Working in the job right
It's alright, it's like, it's like
Old-aged pensioners with stories and white lies
Who moan moan moan moan
About the points they haven't got
And I can't hear you
Might have fallen on fur ears
And scribbling my thoughts away
Clocking time away
[?]
Big dreams and hideaways
And wasting my life away
Or is this a stepping stone
And I plan to find out
Some folk will never know
Take a deep breath
And live life a little bit
Don't be afraid
It won't hurt a little bit
Take a deep breath
And live life a little bit
Don't be afraid
It won't hurt a little bit
Take a deep breath
And live life a little bit
Don't be afraid
It won't hurt a little bit
Just take a deep breath
Take a deep breath
Take a deep breath
So what should I do?
Where should I navigate?
A finger in the wind
Checking stars for the pathways
Mind over fear we're smoking far-east cigarattes
And I ain't living yet so I need to breathe more
Take in all the good times and blow out the negatives
Forgive my old foes, yeah we all make mistakes
Think I'll be alright, got a head on my shoulders
I could chat all night and confess til all is over, just...
In this song, Ghostpoet expresses his desire to make the most out of his life while he still can. He acknowledges that life is too short to waste and he needs to break free from the chains of conformity and negative thinking. He wants to move forward in life with confidence and determination, and not let the mundanity of everyday life drag him down. He admits that he might have made mistakes in the past, but he intends to learn from them and move on.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of aging and how society views it negatively. Ghostpoet mentions old-aged pensioners who moan about the points they haven't got, implying they are wasting their time complaining instead of making the most out of their lives. He doesn't want to end up like them, instead, he wants to take a deep breath, step out of his comfort zone, navigate through life and find his path.
The song emphasizes the importance of living life to the fullest without any regrets, and how it's necessary to let go of negative thoughts and people, and focus on the good times.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh no no no
Expressing disbelief or dismay
Life's too short so I've got to make haste and
Life is brief, hence I need to act quickly
And I don't want to get old and be a waste, man
I want to avoid wasting my life as I age
No these new shoes need pace, man
I need to move quickly because of these new shoes
Break this ball and chain round my waste, man
I must get rid of anything that is holding me down
Please give me the strength to go all the way
I require strength to reach my goals
And negative vibes butterfly away
I want to get rid of negative emotions or feelings
I'm at that age I ain't come to play
I am not interested in playing or wasting time at my age
I'm here to stay
I plan to stick around for a while
Let's get relevant
Let's focus on what matters and is important
Breathe it, Breathe it in
Encouragement to take a deep breath
Maybe it just ain't my day today
Today may not be a great day for me
Got to take stock and just start again, start again, start again
I need to evaluate my situation and begin anew
Working in the job right
Being in the suitable job
It's alright, it's like, it's like
The job is good enough
Old-aged pensioners with stories and white lies
Elderly persons who tell tales and untruths
Who moan moan moan moan
Those who complain repeatedly
About the points they haven't got
Complaining about something they do not have
And I can't hear you
I cannot hear what you are saying
Might have fallen on fur ears
My ears are not paying attention
And scribbling my thoughts away
Writing down what I am thinking
Clocking time away
Passing time while working
[?]
Unclear or unknown message
Big dreams and hideaways
Ambitious goals and places to escape to
And wasting my life away
Using up my life unproductively
Or is this a stepping stone
Wondering if this is a temporary stage or not
And I plan to find out
I intend to discover for myself
Some folk will never know
Some people will never understand
Take a deep breath
Encouragement to breathe deeply once again
And live life a little bit
Lead life a bit more
Don't be afraid
Do not fear anything
It won't hurt a little bit
There will be no pain in it
So what should I do?
Asking oneself what to do
Where should I navigate?
Wondering where to direct oneself
A finger in the wind
Making decisions arbitrarily
Checking stars for the pathways
Trying to figure out one's path by looking at the sky
Mind over fear we're smoking far-east cigarettes
Overcoming fear while smoking foreign cigarettes
And I ain't living yet so I need to breathe more
I have not lived much; therefore, I need to take more deep breaths
Take in all the good times and blow out the negatives
Savor the positive moments and let go of the negative ones
Forgive my old foes, yeah we all make mistakes
Pardoning one's previous enemies and acknowledging that everyone errs
Think I'll be alright, got a head on my shoulders
Believing that everything will be fine; being a sensible person
I could chat all night and confess til all is over, just...
I could talk for hours and reveal everything until it is all out, but...
Contributed by Violet B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Albertine No
Solid lyrics, I translate it in my head in French.
Dannyboy *
Dark and catchy
Lighthouse Photography Dream Weddings
amazing!
IIIIIIIIII
Nice