Pallbearer released their debut album "Sorrow and Extinction" in February 2012 via Profound Lore Records to much critical acclaim.
The current line-up is:
Brett Campbell - vocals, guitar
Devin Holt - guitar
Joseph D. Rowland - bass
Mark Lierly - drums
04. The Ghost I Used to Be
Pallbearer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All relics of the path
That I have followed
To dead ends
Embed in wounds
All doors into the past
They've barred themselves
Torn open far too soon
And with time
The shards transform to keys
Fit for lowest depths
Unlocked truths to reveal
Sharpened fine
The keys all sink within
My time has come
Accepting fate
Light disappears again
Fading eyes
No paths I see now
I become the ghost
The ghost I used to be
I searched throughout the void
(I chose this)
For the scraps of life that I have left behind
Each one has left me knowing
(I feel nothing)
This path may never reach an end for me
And with a spectral breath
I'm begging to be freed
This burden of regret
Kindling to ignite
And a necessary end
To living in a lie
So when fires all burn cold
Leave behind a glowing husk
The ghost I become again
Glides back into the dusk
Alone
In "The Ghost I Used to Be," Pallbearer describes the experience of being haunted by the past and feeling trapped in a cycle of regret. The opening lines, "Strange shards, all relics of the path that I have followed to dead ends," set the tone for the rest of the song by suggesting that the singer has been pursuing something futile - perhaps a goal or a relationship - that has led only to disappointment. The "embed in wounds" line hints at the idea that these failures have caused lasting pain, while the reference to "barred" doors suggests that the singer has tried unsuccessfully to revisit the past and fix their mistakes.
As the song progresses, the singer begins to see these shards - or vestiges of the past - as keys that can unlock hidden truths. This metaphorical transformation is a sign of the singer's growth and acceptance of their fate: whereas before they were mired in regret and despair, the singer is now able to look back on their failures and see them as opportunities for growth.
The final stanza, which begins with "This burden of regret," is a plea for release from the cycle of pain and self-doubt. The singer acknowledges that their life - or at least a certain chapter of it - must come to an end in order for them to move forward. The repeated references to the "ghost" symbolize the singer's sense of being trapped in their past mistakes, while the final line ("Alone") underscores their feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange shards
Unfamiliar pieces
All relics of the path
All remnants of the way
That I have followed
That I have traversed
To dead ends
To nowhere
Embed in wounds
Imbed in injuries
All doors into the past
All gateways to yesterday
They've barred themselves
They have shut themselves
But scars have failed
But wounds have not healed
Torn open far too soon
Ripped apart too early
And with time
As time passes
The shards transform to keys
The pieces change to means of entry
Fit for lowest depths
Suitable for the abyss
Unlocked truths to reveal
Disclosed hidden facts
Sharpened fine
Narrowed to perfection
The keys all sink within
The entryways all disappear
My time has come
My fate has arrived
Accepting fate
Acknowledging destiny
Light disappears again
Brightness fades yet again
Fading eyes
Diminishing vision
No paths I see now
No directions visible
I become the ghost
I transform into a spirit
The ghost I used to be
The phantom I once was
I searched throughout the void
I scavenged through the emptiness
(I chose this)
(I deliberately picked this)
For the scraps of life that I have left behind
For the remnants of my life that remain
Each one has left me knowing
Each one has made me understand
(I feel nothing)
(I am numb)
This path may never reach an end for me
This way could go on forever for me
And with a spectral breath
And with a ghostly exhale
I'm begging to be freed
I am pleading for liberation
This burden of regret
This weight of remorse
Kindling to ignite
Fuel to start a fire
And a necessary end
And an essential finish
To living in a lie
To exist in a falsehood
So when fires all burn cold
So when all flames extinguish
Leave behind a glowing husk
Leave a radiating shell
The ghost I become again
The specter I transform into once more
Glides back into the dusk
Floats away into the fading light
Alone
By myself
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Brett Daniel Campbell, Joseph David Rowland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind