To Repel Ghosts
Manic Street Preachers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the disappearing begins
The ghosts we kept within
Can break free from inside
And untie our blindfold eyes

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts...
So when the ghosts find you
Be careful but be graceful
For all will be revealed
When ghosts become set free

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

Build bridges and not roads
Make love, make hate, make war

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim

To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

A soul in pain has no image to reclaim





To repel ghosts
To repel ghosts

Overall Meaning

The song "To Repel Ghosts" by Manic Street Preachers is a contemplative piece about the idea of confronting and dealing with one's inner demons. The lyrics suggest that these "ghosts" we keep within ourselves can break free and "untie our blindfold eyes" when we are at our most vulnerable, urging the listener to be careful and graceful when confronted with these internal struggles, as all will be revealed. The repeated refrain of "To Repel Ghosts" seems to be a mantra of sorts, a call to action, to take control and not let these ghosts consume us.


The middle section of the song sees a repetition of the line "A soul in pain has no image to reclaim", implying that when one is in deep emotional turmoil, there is no easy way out or way to resume a normal life. This is reiterated in the final verse, which suggests that in order to overcome these internal struggles, we should focus on building bridges rather than roads, and make love, hate or even war as we see fit.


Overall, the song offers a powerful message of introspection and self-reflection, inviting the listener to look within themselves and confront their own "ghosts" head-on.


Line by Line Meaning

When the disappearing begins
When things start to disappear or change drastically


The ghosts we kept within
The memories or unresolved issues that we have kept inside us


Can break free from inside
These issues can resurface and cause emotional distress


And untie our blindfold eyes
Causing us to see the truth and face reality


To repel ghosts
To ward off the ghosts of our past or unresolved issues


To repel ghosts...
Repeating the line for emphasis


So when the ghosts find you
When these issues resurface or come back to haunt you


Be careful but be graceful
Handle them with caution and grace


For all will be revealed
Because the truth will eventually come out


When ghosts become set free
When these unresolved issues are finally confronted and dealt with


A soul in pain Has no image to reclaim
When someone is hurting emotionally, they may lose sight of who they are or what they want in life


Build bridges and not roads
It's better to try and repair damaged relationships instead of creating distance


Make love, make hate, make war
Life is full of different emotions and experiences


To repel ghosts
To try and move on from past traumas or unresolved issues


To repel ghosts
Repeating the line for emphasis


A soul in pain Has no image to reclaim
Repeating the line to emphasize the importance of addressing emotional pain


To repel ghosts
Repeating the line as a call to action


To repel ghosts
Repeating the line for emphasis




Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRADFIELD, JONES, MOORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@orderofmagnitude-TPATP

One of the Weaker tune on The album yet still amazing...shows you actually how good it is...
Hey lads - any chance of allowing me to use askew Road song on my video that was up for years, and then suddenly you block it world wide...
I mean, why couldn't you just claim the monetisation on it?
Please do me a solid as that video of us leaving our black moulded house in my saab 93 turbo convertible, bought by a subscriber of ours who passed from cancer not long after, is important to my "lor"
....please?
I've bought so much off you guys with albums etc and you have no idea the impact you had on my life.
Just getting 3 mins talking to you JDB...that was a highlight of my life...
Can't you reverse the block on this vid?
Left me a bit sour to be honest.
Don't kick a loyal long term devoted lover of what you do for strange ego.
(I say ego because you just blocked the vid as opposed to claim the ad rev...wtf??!)



@orderofmagnitude-TPATP

@@cultureofcritique9735 yea I thought so.
Surely though they have some say.
Example
I had a Marilyn manson tune I did a vid too. Had no issue with them claiming revenue, when really it should be 50/50 (its their music, but MY video. )
- it stayed like this for a bit, then all of a sudden it was suddenly relinquished and as a 1 off I was allowed to have the monetisation!
I didn't put in any counter claim or anything....
Id like to think mr manson saw it and thought "awww"

Probably unlikely and probably just a glitch lol.

But really a band, especially at the level the manics are at - SHOULD really be able to call the shots to some degree.

Like I say, I care not for monetisation. Keep the 20quid or whatever it earned.
But to block it world wide sorta says they feel threatened by the vid or something πŸ˜†
Who knows... but yeah I believe you are probably right.



All comments from YouTube:

@jarigustafsson7620

One of the best songs Manics have made.

@lemonbunny3

Agreed.

@antoniojesus177

Espectacular

@thesoundlikechameleons2082

up there.

@paaul028

Another classic, had this on loop for weeks when it 1st came out, I can still can rarely listen to it just once at a time.

@LikkleFreakie

Such a fantastic song ❀❀ Lifeblood is such an underrated album, so glad it's getting it's moment now x

@7Venom

The rock is Back. Brutal song.

@markdawson-smith1950

One of the best tracks from my all-time favourite Manics albums. Love it to bits.

@jamesjukebox2386

My Fav on the album, atmospheric.

@annalizardi

When I first heard this album and this song I realized that, at the time, it was a strong experiment for the sound that the band has always had. I liked. You can close your eyes and let go; It's so ambient that you can see the music in your mind.

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