As with several other songs on "In the Aeroplane over the Sea", “Ghost” blends seamlessly into the following track, “[untitled]”. The song begins as a simple unaccompanied acoustic track, but several horns, extremely distorted electric guitars, and drums join Mangum as the song continues, reaching a crescendo as an eerie synth – likely representing the ghost themself – delivers the outro melody in Mangum’s place.
Ghost
Neutral Milk Hotel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel you as you fly
In thunder clouds above the city
Into one that I love
With all that was left within me
Until we tore in two
Now wings and rings and there's so many
And she was born in a bottle rocket, 1929
With wings that ringed around a socket
Right between her spine
All drenched in milk and holy water
Pouring from the sky
I know that she will live forever
She won't ever die
And she goes
And now she knows she'll never be afraid
To watch the morning paper blow
Into a hole where no one can escape
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee
And one day in New York City, baby
A girl fell from the sky
From the top of a burning apartment building
Fourteen stories high
And when her spirit left her body
How it split the sun
I know that she will live forever
All goes on and on and on
And she goes
And now she knows she'll never be afraid
To watch the morning paper blow
Into a hole where no one can escape
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee, dee, dee
Dee, dee, dee, dee
The lyrics to Neutral Milk Hotel's "Ghost" are haunting and poetic. The song seems to be about a ghost that lives within the singer, and the emotions and memories associated with it. The ghost feels like a part of the singer, flying in thunder clouds above the city, until they are torn apart. The singer believes that the ghost lives on, even as they are separate. The song jumps to a different story, about a woman born with wings that ring around a socket in 1929. She is drenched in milk and holy water, and the singer believes that she will live forever.
The third verse tells the story of a girl falling from a burning apartment building in New York City. The singer believes that when her spirit left her body, it split the sun. Again, the idea of eternal life is present, and the girl will "live forever." The song ends with the repetition of "And she goes," as if the singer is saying goodbye to the ghost, or the women in the previous verses. Overall, the song seems to be grappling with the concept of death and the afterlife, and the idea that some things might be eternal.
Line by Line Meaning
Ghost, ghost I know you live within me
Acknowledging the presence of a ghost or spirit within oneself.
I feel you as you fly
Sensing the presence of the ghost as it moves around.
In thunder clouds above the city
The ghost moves through the sky, specifically in thunderstorms.
Into one that I love
The ghost moves towards someone the artist cares for deeply.
With all that was left within me
The artist gave all they had to the person the ghost is now connected to.
Until we tore in two
The relationship ended and the two parties were separated.
Now wings and rings and there's so many
There are many symbols and memories of the lost love.
Waiting here for you
These symbols wait for the person to return and reignite the relationship.
And she was born in a bottle rocket, 1929
The ghost was a woman who was born during a time of great innovation and change.
With wings that ringed around a socket
The ghost had wing-like tattoos around her spine or other circular emblem on her back.
Right between her spine
The tattoos or other markings were located at a central point of the ghost's back.
All drenched in milk and holy water
The ghost was baptized and/or blessed with holy water.
Pouring from the sky
The blessing occurred during or in conjunction with a rainstorm.
I know that she will live forever
Belief in the immortality of the ghost/spirit.
She won't ever die
The ghost's memory and impact will live on indefinitely.
And now she knows she'll never be afraid
The ghost has achieved a state of fearlessness.
To watch the morning paper blow
The ghost observes the physical world, including the passage of time and the decay of physical objects.
Into a hole where no one can escape
The finality of death, where nobody can escape its grasp.
Fourteen stories high
The height from which the girl fell, emphasizing the violent and sudden nature of her death.
And when her spirit left her body
The moment of the girl's death and transition to becoming a ghost/spirit.
How it split the sun
A metaphorical expression of the girl's powerful presence and the impact of her passing.
All goes on and on and on
The cyclical nature of life and death, and the eternal existence of the universe.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeff Mangum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind