So Ghostly Then the Girl Came In
Kate Price Lyrics
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i never saw the turnstile twist,
down where the orchard trees begin,
lost in a reverie of mist
and in the windless hour between
the last of daylight and the night,
when fields give up their ebbing green,
i saw the turnstile glimmer pale
just where the orchard trees begin
but watching was of no avail,
invisibly the girl came in.
so ghostly then the girl came in,
i never saw the turnstile twist,
down where the orchard trees begin,
lost in a reverie of mist.
i took one deep breath of air
and lifted up my heavy heart,
it was not i who trembled there
but my immortal counterpart.
i knew that she had come again,
up from the orchard through the stile,
without a sigh to tell me when,
though i was watching all the while...
(Serhat Yilanli)
The lyrics of Kate Price's song "So Ghostly Then the Girl Came In" tell a story of a mysterious girl who appears out of nowhere, almost as if she were a ghost. The singer describes watching the turnstile glimmer pale, but no matter how hard she looks, she cannot see the girl who has seemingly come out of nowhere. The imagery is vivid, invoking a sense of mystery and bewilderment as to who this "ghostly" girl might be.
The second paragraph describes the moment when the girl appears, somewhere between daylight and night. The fields give up their "ebbing green," and two bats cross paths in the sky. The singer is overcome with a mixture of curiosity and fear, wondering who this girl is and why she has appeared. Despite her sense of unease, she is also strangely drawn to this enigmatic figure.
The final verse offers some insight into the singer's mindset. She takes a deep breath, summoning the courage to confront the situation. She realizes that it is not she herself who is trembling in fear, but her "immortal counterpart," suggesting that this encounter has a profound spiritual significance. The final lines suggest that the girl has come and gone without a word, leaving the singer to grapple with her own emotions and questions about what she has just experienced.
Overall, the song is a haunting meditation on the intersection of the physical and spiritual world, and the mystery that surrounds them both.
Line by Line Meaning
so ghostly then the girl came in,
The girl appeared suddenly and eerily, as if she was a ghost.
i never saw the turnstile twist,
The singer did not see the turnstile move, indicating that the girl appeared out of nowhere.
down where the orchard trees begin,
The girl appeared near the start of the orchard trees.
lost in a reverie of mist.
The area was covered in fog, making it difficult to see clearly.
and in the windless hour between
During the time when the wind had died down.
the last of daylight and the night,
The time period between daytime and nighttime.
when fields give up their ebbing green,
When the fields lose their green color and appear more brown or gray.
and two bats interweave their flight.
Two bats flying and circling each other in the air.
i saw the turnstile glimmer pale
The artist saw a faint glow or shimmer from the turnstile.
just where the orchard trees begin
Near the start of the orchard trees.
but watching was of no avail,
Despite watching, the singer was unable to see the girl come in.
invisibly the girl came in.
The girl appeared without being seen, as if invisible.
i took one deep breath of air
The singer took a deep breath.
and lifted up my heavy heart,
The singer's heart was heavy, but they tried to lift their spirits.
it was not i who trembled there
The singer did not tremble, indicating that someone else did.
but my immortal counterpart.
The artist's immortal self was the one who trembled.
i knew that she had come again,
The artist knew that the girl had returned.
up from the orchard through the stile,
The girl came from the orchard and through the stile.
without a sigh to tell me when,
The girl did not make any noise or give any indication of when she arrived.
though i was watching all the while...
Despite watching, the artist was unable to see the girl arrive, making her appearance all the more mysterious.
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.