His father was a drummer and a musician. For his 15th or 16th birthday, his father got him some time in his friend's recording studio. He made his first record, which was mostly sold to his friends and family. At Idyllwild School for the Arts, an international boarding school east of Los Angeles, he studied classical guitar. In his senior year of high school, he signed a record deal with Geffen Records. After graduation, he moved to LA and began working with producers such as John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews) and The Laboriel Brothers (Sting, Paul Mccartney). Other than an EP, none of the recordings he made with Geffen ever came out. He was dropped from the label in 2008.
Subsequently, he toured and played with acts such as Steel Pulse, The Wailers, Matisyahu, Stevie Nicks, Ben Harper, Colbie Caillat, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley, Rusted Root, and many others.
His album, KALA, written in Hawaii and recorded in Los Angeles, was released on August 21, 2015. It debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart.[1]
Released on June 1st, 2018, The Fruitful Darkness was Hall's first completely independent release.
trevorhallmusic.com
Ghosts
Trevor Hall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the sunshine smiled as the children played, I say
I remember when it was so pure
Hearing melodies through the bedroom door
Making beats in the basement
Tasting all the magic harmonies and flows that we were chasing
Turning fantasies into realities
Oh we were lost in dreams
And now it seems we can't pick the lock
Kind of like a flat line, I need a shock
What's behind the door
Are we too scared to knock
Did you pull the trigger
Did you hear the gunshot
Will we ever ever rise above
Will we ever follow through in this path called love
Oh Mama please take me back to my youth
Where I never ever had any holes in my parachute
Why do they make this pill so hard for us to swallow
Treating us as if we are ghosts, as if we're only hollow
Oh yea but we sing today and we'll sing through out tomorrow
Because our fire it burns, it burns up all your sorrow
Flip the tape deck, microphone check
Turn up the volume, how loud can we get
Show the man that we're not going under
Never gonna sleep, never fall into a slumber
No matter what the poison is you feed
Any sickness oh we got a remedy
Don't you know we are the roots that hold this tree
Feeding the branches and all of it's leaves
Love and truth shall always prevail
Raise them high and we will set sail
No ocean to wide, No mountain to high
Our feet on the ground and our heads in the sky
Oh yea we are soldiers of the pure
Have you had enough
Do you want more
Read another chapter of this folklore
You never sang a song like this before
In Trevor Hall's song "Ghosts", the artist takes a trip down memory lane and reminisces about the pure times in his youth where he and his peers were lost in dreams and creating music as they tasted all the magic harmonies and flows that they were chasing. He ponders whether they have lost their ability to access that magical feeling, like a flatline that needs a shock to jolt it back to life. He questions whether they are too scared to knock on the doors that could lead them back to that pure state. He asks his mother to take him back to his youth where he never had any holes in his parachute.
The artist seems to be lamenting the difficulties of adult life, where they are faced with pills that are hard to swallow and society that treats them like ghosts, leaving them feeling empty and hollow. Despite these challenges, he reinforces his resolve to not fall asleep or be poisoned by the world. He reminds us that love and truth will always prevail and that they are the roots that hold this tree - feeding the branches and all of its leaves. He encourages his listeners to raise them high and set sail, promising that no ocean is too wide, nor mountain too high, with their feet on the ground and their heads in the sky.
In summary, Trevor Hall's "Ghosts" is a reflective song that calls attention to the challenges of growing up and navigating the hardships of adult life. It encourages us to hold onto the purity and magic of our youth, to not let the world poison us, and to remain rooted in love and truth.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember back, back in the day
I reminisce about days when everything was simple and pure
When the sunshine smiled as the children played, I say
The world was full of light and joy, especially for the young
I remember when it was so pure
I long for the simplicity and purity of the past
Hearing melodies through the bedroom door
I recall the magic of music in my youth
Making beats in the basement
Creating music was an important part of my life
Tasting all the magic harmonies and flows that we were chasing
There was something special and enchanting about the music we made
Turning fantasies into realities
Our creative dreams and aspirations became tangible things
Oh we were lost in dreams
Our dreams were a comforting and safe escape
We had all the keys
We had the power to make our dreams come true
And now it seems we can't pick the lock
We feel stuck and unable to get back to that magical time
Kind of like a flat line, I need a shock
We're like a heart monitor without a pulse, we need something to jolt us back to life
What's behind the door
We wonder what's on the other side of our current struggles
Are we too scared to knock
We may be hesitant to take action to find out
Did you pull the trigger
Did we make a decision that brought us to this point?
Did you hear the gunshot
Did we realize the consequences of our actions?
Will we ever ever rise above
Will we ever overcome our challenges?
Will we ever follow through in this path called love
Will we ever find success in our pursuit of love?
Oh Mama please take me back to my youth
Please transport me back to a time when everything was easier
Where I never ever had any holes in my parachute
When I was protected from the harsh realities of life
Why do they make this pill so hard for us to swallow
Why is life so difficult to accept and understand?
Treating us as if we are ghosts, as if we're only hollow
It feels like we're invisible and meaningless to others
Oh yea but we sing today and we'll sing through out tomorrow
Despite our struggles, we'll continue to make music and find joy
Because our fire it burns, it burns up all your sorrow
Our passion helps us deal with and overcome sadness and hardship
Flip the tape deck, microphone check
We're ready to create music and perform
Turn up the volume, how loud can we get
Let's make some noise and get noticed
Show the man that we're not going under
We won't let anyone bring us down or defeat us
Never gonna sleep, never fall into a slumber
We're always alert and energized, never giving up
No matter what the poison is you feed
We won't be affected by negativity
Any sickness oh we got a remedy
We have a solution to any problems we face
Don't you know we are the roots that hold this tree
We're essential to our community and society as a whole
Feeding the branches and all of it's leaves
We keep our community and society alive and growing
Love and truth shall always prevail
The power of love and honesty will always win in the end
Raise them high and we will set sail
Let's celebrate and use the power of love and honesty to achieve new heights
No ocean to wide, No mountain to high
Nothing is impossible for us
Our feet on the ground and our heads in the sky
We are grounded yet inspired
Oh yea we are soldiers of the pure
We are dedicated to the pursuit of truth and goodness
Have you had enough
Are you ready to join us and fight for what's right?
Do you want more
Do you want to be part of something bigger and better?
Read another chapter of this folklore
Follow our journey and experience something new
You never sang a song like this before
Our music is unique and inspiring, a new experience for many
Contributed by Caleb W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
tropicwave1
Ghosts
Trevor Hall
I remember back, back in the day
When the sunshine smiled as the children played, I say
I remember when it was so pure
Hearing melodies through the bedroom door
Making beats in the basement
Tasting all the magic harmonies and flows that we were chasing
Turning fantasies into realities
Oh we were lost in dreams
We had all the keys
And now it seems we can't pick the lock
Kind of like a flat line, I need a shock
What's behind the door
Are we too scared to knock
Did you pull the trigger
Did you hear the gunshot
Will we ever ever rise above
Will we ever follow through in this path called love
Oh Mama please take me back to my youth
Where I never ever had any holes in my parachute
Why do they make this pill so hard for us to swallow
Treating us as if we are ghosts, as if we're only hollow
Oh yea but we sing today and we'll sing through out tomorrow
Because our fire it burns, it burns up all your sorrow
Flip the tape deck, microphone check
Turn up the volume, how loud can we get
Show the man that we're not going under
Never gonna sleep, never fall into a slumber
No matter what the poison is you feed
Any sickness oh we got a remedy
Don't you know we are the roots that hold this tree
Feeding the branches and all of its leaves
Love and truth shall always prevail
Raise them high and we will set sail
No ocean to wide, No mountain to high
Our feet on the ground and our heads in the sky
Oh yea we are soldiers of the pure
Have you had enough
Do you want more
Read another chapter of this folklore
You never sang a song like this before
Why do they make this pill so hard for us to swallow
Treating us as if we are ghosts, as if we're only hollow
Oh yea but we sing today and we'll sing through out tomorrow
Because our fire it burns, it burns up all your sorrow
Why do they make this pill so hard for us to swallow
Treating us as if we are ghosts, as if we're only hollow
Oh yea but we sing today and we'll sing through out tomorrow
Because our fire it burns, it burns up all your sorrow
℗ 2008 White Balloon Records
ogreslayer420
I want to hug Trevor hall. Just a good, man hug. I would cry, and I thank him for being born with the gift to translate the puzzle and struggle into the most soul gripping sounds, music, art, creativity, poetry. Trevor is more than just a good person, he was sent here just like some people are; to do something for the world, to balance the world back to Love, and Peace. Trevor is good people. You don't have to romanticize him, you don't have to imagine him as some great being; He's the real deal
Aj Young
Trevor has been my saving grace since day one. any time my mood goes south or the dark voices inside my head start to scream at me, I put on his music and his voice banishes them away with me:} it sets the tone of the mood for the day for my boys and I. I notice that if I don't play his music at least once a day we are all cranky and at odds with each other. but the minute his sings come on, its complete harmony in my house and amongst my boys. its magical and im so grateful that his energy has a positive effect on us all. Namaste!
randywatchingbush
+Adam Young Ya know.. I have come to feel the same way about Trevor.. much like Nahko and Xavier Rudd their music is not just back ground filler but Real Medicine that I too have come to be a regular recipient of when life becomes a downer .. thanks for sharing. Peace
Stellar Perkins
seriously the most underrated song of all time! it needs to be put on iTunes so i can buy it!!! been listening to this song since i was 12 and i am 18 now.
MEH
Words can not explain how, much I love this song.
Will Cheyney
Just saw him live last night... Incredible. He had a guy there playing the Tablas, so awesome. He sounds even better live, a fun guy during the concert. One of my new favorite artists.
emeraldawakening
I love everything you write, Trevor. I could say if everyone embodied even a piece of you, the world would be a better place--but I realize they all do when they truly listen to the music you make.
Fnhfal
This guys got so many good songs !
Sebastian C
absolutely phenomenal. keep up the good work trevor
spacedfaery
this is my favorit cd by him. ive been listening for like 3 or 4 weeks straight! his poetry is so divine and it speaks for my heart. <3