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
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 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 all fires burn cold
Leave behind a glowing husk
The ghost that I become again
Glides back into the dusk
Alone
The lyrics of "The Ghost I Used to Be" by Pallbearer speak to the pain of a life filled with regrets and dead ends. The "strange shards" and "relics of the past" represent the memories and experiences that have defined the singer's path, but which have ultimately left them feeling empty and broken. The scars that these experiences have left run deep, and as much as the singer tries to move on from them, they keep coming back to haunt them.
As the song progresses, the singer realizes that these shards can also be transformed into keys. These keys can unlock the deepest and darkest truths of the soul. The keys ultimately sink in, symbolizing the singer's acceptance of their fate, but also the acceptance that they are forever changed by their experiences. As the light disappears again, the singer becomes the ghost they used to be. The path they have chosen may never end, but as they search throughout the void for the scraps of life they have left behind, they come to the realization that they must be freed from their pain and regrets.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, as the singer becomes the ghost they used to be, wandering through life without direction or purpose. The search for something more feels endless and fruitless.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Ghost I Used to Be" paint a picture of a life filled with regret and pain, but also one that is full of the potential to transform that pain into something deeper and more profound. It encourages acceptance and an embrace of one's past and the ghosts that it may hold.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange shards
Unusual and bizarre remnants
All relics of the path
All remnants from the journey
That I have followed
That I have traveled along
To dead ends
Which lead to failure
Embed in wounds
Placed deep within injuries
All doors into the past
The ways to my previous life
They've barred themselves
They've blocked themselves off
But scars have failed
But the wounds have not fully healed
Torn open far too soon
Opened up again too early
And with time
And gradually over time
The shards transform to keys
The remnants turn into useful tools
Fit for lowest depths
Suitable for the darkest places
Unlocked truths to reveal
Revealing hidden realities
Sharpened fine
Made incredibly sharp
The keys all sink within
The tools are embedded within me
My time has come
It is time for me to move on
Accepting fate
Acknowledging my destiny
Light disappears again
The brightness fades away once more
Fading eyes
Eyesight is dimming
No paths I see now
I can no longer see any way forward
I become the ghost
I become a mere shadow
The ghost I used to be
The same shadow I have been before
I searched throughout the void
I looked everywhere without direction
For the scraps of life I have left behind
For anything left from my past experiences
Each one has left me knowing
But I realized that each one only brought me emptiness
This path may never reach an end for me
I feel like I will never find a way out
And with a spectral breath
Speaking with a ghostly voice
I'm begging to be freed
I plead to be released from my struggle
This burden of regret
This heavy weight of remorse
Kindling to ignite
Ready to start a fire
And a necessary end
It is essential for the end to come
To living in a lie
To keep living in falsehood
So when all fires burn cold
Once everything else has died down
Leave behind a glowing husk
Leave behind a burnt shell that still has a faint light
The ghost that I become again
I again become the same shadow I was before
Glides back into the dusk
Quietly returns to the darkness
Alone
By myself
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Morbidfeast
Strange shards
All relics of the paths
That I have followed
To dead ends
Embed in wounds
All doors into the past
They’ve barred themselves
But scars have failed
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 that I become again
Glides back into the dusk
Alone
Keldan Sands
Strange shards
All relics of the path
That I have followed
To dead ends
Embed in wounds
All doors into the past
They've barred themselves
But scars have failed
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 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 that I become again
Glides back into the dusk
Alone
Adam Curry
Strange shards
All relics of the path
That I have followed
To dead ends
Embed in wounds
All doors into the past
They've barred themselves
But scars have failed
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 I have left behind
Each one has left me knowing
(I feel nothing)
This path may never reach an…
J Daniels
Seen Pallbearer a few years back. The bar was empty. Most of the people there were members of the bands playing that night. Experiencing Pallbearer with a handful of other people in an empty venue was actually an amazing experience. Very intimate. My city missed out that night.
Troy Skinnard
I had the same experience in Lexington KY. I was fucking raging out like a hippie on acid at Woodstock. I’m pretty sure I was the only legit fan there and to see a 35yr old dude playing air guitar and singing every lyric, I wouldn’t doubt if I was watched more than the band. I had a goddamn headache for 2 days after that show
Artor
I would give up a lot of shit to get that experience, I envy you a little friend :D
Argentspear
Why was the venue empty though? (?_?)
Adolf Hitler
Now that’s a badass story mate
Falumil
ANTA BAKA
Decaying Reverie
Pallbearer is one of the best modern day doom metal bands. They really go to show that the current spike in popularity in doom metal isn't just a fad and there are some incredibly talented bands that are gracing the metal scene as a whole. I already preordered the new album and I highly encourage people to do the same. Listen to the first album as well because it is quite excellent.
Gret Terra
I listen to this when fly fishing. Sometimes it feels like the lake is slowly dragging me down and swallowing me whole. Fish whispering to me from the dark depths below. Good Doom envelops the mind like nothing else!
Tim G
Forest walks in the winter with doom or black surely expands one’s sentience a lot!
Ra's al Ghoul
Wow fly fishing, Doom metal and weed....I never made the connection.