Throughout the 90's, Ghoulspoon forged its own path and gained a reputation and following in the SoCal area through hard work and regional touring with the likes of Incubus, Korn, 311, Deftones, No Doubt, Sublime, Kid Rock, System of a Down, Static-X, Sugar Ray, Foo Fighters, The Cult, Snot, Kottonmouth Kings, Powerman 5000, and (hed) pe among many others. The band earned a huge fan base and many accolades including handfulls of San Diego Music Awards nominations and 1 win for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Band" in 2001.
Over its career, Ghoulspoon released several demos and 3 albums - “To Serve Man (1993)”, “Medication (1996)”, and “Fever (1999)”, selling over 10,000 units without the help of a manager, booking agent, or major record label. After going through years of lineup changes and enough scandal and debauchery to fill a two part VH1 Special, the band changed a few members and was reborn as Divided by Zero in 2002.
Doppelganger
Ghoulspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me forget
That as a kid I had a twin
But I never knew him
If it were true
I would know, wouldn't you?
That there was another one like me
To take another form
I know he's takin' mine
Although you'd never know
About the inner flow
I know he's takin' mine
Talkin' about who shot who shot who shot who
Thinkin' about the things
That he did when he was me
I feel saddened overall
The first person cares
The second person, beware
I can not break down the wall
We are one but who are we
A victimless world
Would be a world without motive
Turn away from the ones who lay blame
Escape the truth
The sad death of your youth
Because you know that you're one and the same
The Ghoulspoon's song Doppelganger deals with the concept of identity crisis and the idea of having a twin that the main character never knew existed. The song makes an effort to explore the notion of multiple personality disorder or dissociative identity disorder. The singer speaks of his struggle to come to terms with the fact that he had a twin as a kid but never knew him, and he feels that people are constantly reminding him of this fact, refusing to let him forget. The singer is in turmoil as he tries to understand who he really is and whether the other twin is still a part of him.
The song takes a turn into an even darker space when the singer talks about taking different forms and feeling like the other twin is taking over and living his life. He is acutely aware of the inner turmoil and battle between the two identities. The idea of "who shot who" suggests that the two identities are at war with one another, and neither is willing to give in to the other. The singer feels an overwhelming sadness when thinking about the things that the other twin did while living his life, and despite their oneness, he cannot break down the wall that separates them.
The song is about the human mind, and the battle that takes place within one's self when dealing with identity issues. It talks about the importance of escaping blame and coming to terms with one's self to live a better life. The conclusion seems to suggest that only by embracing both the identities and acknowledging that they are the same, can one live a happy and fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
They won't ever let
People won't allow me to forget
Me forget
To forget about the fact that I had a twin as a kid
That as a kid I had a twin
As a child, I had a sibling who was my identical twin
But I never knew him
However, I never got to know him
If it were true
If that story was indeed true
I would know, wouldn't you?
I should have been aware of his existence, don't you think so?
That there was another one like me
That there was someone else in the world who looked exactly like me
Sometimes when I decide
Occasionally, when I choose
To take another form
To assume a different appearance
I know he's takin' mine
I am aware that he is taking over my identity
Although you'd never know
Although it's not obvious to the outside observer
About the inner flow
About the turmoil within myself
I know he's takin' mine
I am aware that he is taking over my identity
Talkin' about who shot who shot who shot who
Discussing violent crimes committed in the past
Thinkin' about the things
Reflecting on the actions
That he did when he was me
That my doppelganger performed when he was posing as me
I feel saddened overall
I am feeling generally upset about it all
The first person cares
I am the first person who is affected by this situation
The second person, beware
The second person encountering my doppelganger should be cautious
I can not break down the wall
I cannot overcome the barrier between my twin and I
We are one but who are we
Although we are identical, we are also separate individuals
A victimless world
A world without any harm being done to anyone
Would be a world without motive
Such a world would lack any compelling reasons for people to act
Turn away from the ones who lay blame
Ignore those who assign blame to you or others
Escape the truth
Avoid facing the reality of the situation
The sad death of your youth
The loss of your innocence or carefree days
Because you know that you're one and the same
Because you understand that you and your twin are essentially identical
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.