A multi-instrumentalist from an early age, he wandered through jazz bands, orchestras and medieval ensembles before finding his home on the acoustic guitar.
Heralded by Sing Out! magazine as "one of the leading singer-songwriters on the current scene," Jud has won eight nationally recognized songwriting contests, including the Dave Carter Memorial, Boston Folk Festival, and Kerrville New Folk contests. His song "Blackberry Time" is being taught in the songwriting curriculum at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Jud is currently supporting the release of his latest CD, “Blackberry Time,” released in 2007.
Ghosts
Jud Caswell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I came to California for the gold
I fought the Indians, I fought Tuberculosis
But now I mostly do as I am told.
I work in San Jose for Sarah Winchester
She's the widow of the rifle-maker's son
Her family fortune has cursed and blessed her
With the bounty and the burden of the gun.
Thirteen walls, thirteen doors
Thirteen chandeliers like spiders on the ballroom floor
Thirteen stairs, thirteen posts
To spare Sarah Winchester from ghosts
She dreams in blueprints of twisted architecture
Of a window in a ceiling or a floor
And doors to nowhere designed to foil the specters
Of half a century profit off of war
Thirteen walls, thirteen doors
Thirteen chandeliers like spiders on the ballroom floor
Thirteen stairs, thirteen posts
To spare Sarah Winchester from ghosts
Some say it's the ghost of Sitting Bull
Some say it's the karma of the muzzle-flash and trigger-pull
But more than this I'll never tell
Sarah pays her carpenters too well
So I keep my silence and I keep my hammer swinging
As we bend this aging mansion to her schemes
Never knowing what tomorrow's bringing
Only knowing that tonight will bring more screams
The song "Ghosts" by Jud Caswell tells the story of a carpenter named Shanachie who works for Sarah Winchester, the widow of a rifle-maker's son in San Jose, California. The mansion they work on is famous for its strange design, said to be built to confuse and ward off ghosts. Sarah Winchester has been cursed and blessed with the bounty and burden of the gun, which she inherited after her husband and daughter died. Shanachie recounts his experiences working on the mansion, his dreams of twisted architecture, and the mystery surrounding the Winchester family.
The lyrics are filled with symbolism and historical references that paint a picture of the legacy of Sarah Winchester's family fortune. The thirteen walls, thirteen doors, thirteen chandeliers, thirteen stairs, and thirteen posts are all meant to ward off ghosts, as the number thirteen is believed to have supernatural significance. The twisted architecture and doors to nowhere are also designed to foil the specters of half a century profit off of war. The mansion is a physical manifestation of Sarah Winchester's attempt to escape the ghosts of her past and the burden of her family's wealth.
The song also touches on themes of karma and the violence that comes with the gun, but ultimately focuses on the silence and hard work of Shanachie as he helps to transform the mansion into Sarah Winchester's vision. The repetition of "thirteen" throughout the lyrics and the eerie tone of the music create a haunting atmosphere that mirrors the mansion and its haunted history.
Line by Line Meaning
My name is Shanachie, I am a carpenter
Introducing himself as Shanachie- a carpenter
But I came to California for the gold
Shanachie came to California to search for gold
I fought the Indians, I fought Tuberculosis
Shanachie fought against both illness and Indigenous people in the past
But now I mostly do as I am told.
Shanachie now follows orders obediently
I work in San Jose for Sarah Winchester
Shanachie is employed by Sarah Winchester in San Jose
She's the widow of the rifle-maker's son
Sarah Winchester is the widow of the son of the manufacturer of the Winchester rifle
Her family fortune has cursed and blessed her
Sarah's family wealth has both deprived and benefitted her life
With the bounty and the burden of the gun.
She has both gains and losses because of the rifles her husband's family created
Thirteen walls, thirteen doors
The mansion Sarah Winchester owns has 13 walls and 13 doors
Thirteen chandeliers like spiders on the ballroom floor
In the mansion, there are 13 chandeliers that can resemble spiders hanging from the ballroom floor
Thirteen stairs, thirteen posts
There are 13 stairs and 13 posts in Sarah Winchester's mansion
To spare Sarah Winchester from ghosts
The design of the house was to prevent Sarah from feeling any presense of ghosts
She dreams in blueprints of twisted architecture
Sarah Winchester daydreams about intricate house plans
Of a window in a ceiling or a floor
Sarah's dreams focus on designing unusual house features
And doors to nowhere designed to foil the specters
She wants to design doors that do not lead to anything in order to trick the ghosts
Of half a century profit off of war
Sarah's husband's family earned money for over 50 years through the wars
Some say it's the ghost of Sitting Bull
There are rumors that Sitting Bull's spirit is inside of Sarah Winchester's mansion
Some say it's the karma of the muzzle-flash and trigger-pull
Others say that the mansion is cursed due to the harm that the Winchester rifles caused
But more than this I'll never tell
Shanachie knows more about the rumors, but he decides not to share more information
Sarah pays her carpenters too well
Sarah wins her carpenters over by paying them well
So I keep my silence and I keep my hammer swinging
Shanachie does his job diligently without speaking up about his knowledge of Winchester's mansion
As we bend this aging mansion to her schemes
Shanachie helps to execute Sarah Winchester's plans for the mansion
Never knowing what tomorrow's bringing
Shanachie never knows what will happen the next day
Only knowing that tonight will bring more screams
Shanachie expects there to be more screams on this particular night
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COUSINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pleasuretrip
We have the same last name and one of the lyrics I caught had to do with Canada which is also where I'm from... I wonder if we're related somehow lol. Catchy tune by the way.