The band released their album Black & White, Dark & Light in 2010, then two years later the EP Death To The Red Ribbon Army. In 2015 they released a single called Young @ Heart.
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Ghost Town
The Red Ribbon Army Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And these ghosts are all waiting for me
To give up and give in, realize I'm just like them
Nor visible or audible, I'm miserable and alone
And as I roam these streets
Lit only by the flashing lights meant to alert the weak
That their angel has come to pass them on
I'm just a ghost
So let the sirens blare
Cuz death is in the air
This town's a graveyard
Of talent and broken dreams
And all I ever see
Is life in black and white
I just wish I knew someone
Who is grey like me
This town is home to many angels who are unlike me
Who found their place, found their purpose or just stopped caring
And year after year the fewer ghosts I see
It gets me thinking that the only ghost is me
As I ride in this transport vessel
For those about to be deceased
I oh I try to save them
But there'll be no miracles from me.
So let the sirens blare
Cuz death is in the air
This town's a graveyard
Of talent and broken dreams
And all I ever see
Is life in black and white
I just wish I knew someone
Who is grey like me
cause I'm only here to bare witness
To the end of all things
And I won't try to stop him
Or try to save you
Cuz my life means nothing
this town has more ghost per square foot than I can remember
And these ghosts are all waiting for me
To give up and give in, realize I'm just like them
But I'm not like them, no I'm not like them.
So let the sirens blare
Cuz death is in the air
This town's a graveyard
Of talent and broken dreams
And all I ever see
Is life in black and white
I just wish I knew someone
Who is grey like me
cause I'm only here to bare witness
To the end of all things
And I won't try to stop him
Or try to save you
Cuz my life means nothing
The Red Ribbon Army's song "Ghost Town" is a powerful and introspective depiction of the feeling of isolation and despair. The opening lines set the stage for a town that is full of ghosts, both metaphorically and literally. The singer is surrounded by the ghosts of people who gave up on their dreams and their lives, waiting for him to do the same. The sense of hopelessness is palpable, with the character feeling invisible, miserable, and alone. As he wanders the streets, the only lights he sees are those meant to warn people of danger, making him feel even more lost and alone.
The chorus repeats the same haunting refrain, "let the sirens blare, cuz death is in the air." The town is portrayed as a graveyard of broken dreams and lost talent. The singer longs to find someone who is "grey like me," a reference to the gray area between black and white, the spectrum of possibilities that lies between extremes. But he sees only life in black and white, a reflection of the hopelessness that surrounds him.
The central theme of the song is the acceptance of one's fate. The singer understands that he cannot stop the end of all things, and that his life means nothing. He sees himself as an observer, bearing witness to the slow death of a town that is all but dead already.
Line by Line Meaning
This town has more ghost per square foot than I can remember
The town is filled with people who have given up on their dreams and exist as ghosts of their former selves.
And these ghosts are all waiting for me
The singer feels like they are one of those ghosts, and these other lost souls are waiting for them to join them.
To give up and give in, realize I'm just like them
The other ghosts want the singer to accept that they are all hopeless and have no chance of improving their lives.
Nor visible or audible, I'm miserable and alone
The artist is also a ghost but they are invisible and cannot be heard. They are unhappy and feel isolated.
And as I roam these streets
The artist is wandering around the town.
Lit only by the flashing lights meant to alert the weak
The streets are only illuminated by neon lights that signal bad things to vulnerable people.
That their angel has come to pass them on
The flashing lights serve as a metaphor for death, and the singer is not an angel of salvation but a part of this deadly process.
But I'm no angel
The artist is emphasizing that they are not here to help others but only to observe.
I'm just a ghost
The artist feels detached and invisible like the other ghosts in this town.
So let the sirens blare
The artist is resigned to the death and destruction happening around them.
Cuz death is in the air
The town is filled with a sense of finality and negativity.
This town's a graveyard
The town is a place where dreams come to die, and people are buried in their hopelessness.
Of talent and broken dreams
The town is full of people who were once talented and had aspirations but have lost them along the way.
And all I ever see
The singer's experiences in this town have been bleak and without hope.
Is life in black and white
The world around the singer feels dull and lifeless, unable to offer any color or vibrancy.
I just wish I knew someone
The artist longs for a connection with someone else who understands their loneliness and disillusionment.
Who is grey like me
The artist is looking for someone who shares their same sense of detachment and hopelessness.
cause I'm only here to bare witness
The singer does not have an active role in the town's problems but is only here to observe the chaos.
To the end of all things
The singer believes that the town is beyond saving and is headed towards total destruction.
And I won't try to stop him
The artist is fatalistic and accepts that nothing can be done to change the course of events.
Or try to save you
The artist is not attempting to rescue anyone from the town's fate.
Cuz my life means nothing
The artist feels powerless and believes that they have no influence on the events happening around them.
But I'm not like them, no I'm not like them.
The singer does not want to fully accept that they are like the other ghosts and still see themselves as different.
Contributed by Leo R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.