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Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

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Dee
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Dee »

Thanks for joining in this discussion, Mike. Your perspective about the children's rhyme having a connection to death with reference to European and British history seems to tie in with one of the themes of GOTC, the song, dying or death. Am I understanding your comment correctly?

I can't add anything to this discussion right now, but here's an "interlude" for us with hopefully some insight to Paul Westerburg's songwriting. From our 2011 archives: a journalist/author's review of Paul's song, "Ghost", provides some insight to the songwriter and his music. Perhaps "Ghost" is not so much autobiographical as it is universal--or perhaps it is both?

Paul Westerberg: Empathy for all ages
By Jim Walsh*
11/16/11 for the MinnPost
Paul Westerberg, singing from the perspective of a variety of losers, loners and lost causes. "Ghost on the Canvas," Paul Westerberg's beautiful new song and video recorded by Glen Campbell, is yet another powerful example of the former Replacements leader's long legacy of putting himself in another's shoes. Though not written specifically about Campbell's early-stages Alzheimer's (the tune was written in 2009), the plight of the fading 75-year-old singer's memory is obviously not lost on Westerberg, who has spent a lifetime singing from his own guts, and from the perspective of a variety of losers, loners and lost causes. "Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?" wrote Henry David Thoreau, and Westerberg has consistently practiced as much with his art, from his teenage laments "16 Blue" and "The Ledge" to the shout-outs to kindred spirits in "Achin' to Be" and "Here Comes a Regular."
From: http://www.minnpost.com/arts-culture/20 ... y-all-ages" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

*"Jim Walsh, a former City Pages music editor and award-winning columnist for the Pioneer Press, writes about music and local culture. He is the author of the oral history 'The Replacements: All Over but the Shouting.'"


Mike Joyce
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Mike Joyce »

Hi Cowpoke,
Glad to be of service.
Prosary is a very obscure word for sure. It seems to be a combination of rosary and prose is as much as spiritual reading goes.https://theprosary.wordpress.com/welcom ... e-prosary/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I take your point about the conflicting lyrics. I just checked my booklet for the CD and it does state "pocket full of prose you read". I have listened again to Glen's version and it is that line that he sings. However Paul Westerberg's version is Prosary. Perhaps it was felt to be too obscure as a reference. As regards the Ring a ring a rosie, I am led to believe it goes way back before the 1665 plague and was in fact a pagan ritual song. The rosie being french for rose tree. A lot of the pagan rituals were tied up with life, death and everything in between.
I will have to give more thoughts to your other comments Cowpoke, but I will return to it shortly.
Mike


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Cowpoke
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Cowpoke »

Hi Mike,
thanks for helping me out! It's great to have a place on the internet where I can talk about things like these with kindred spirits. I have heard about that (apparantly wrong) interpretation of Ring-a-round the Rosie. In fact, I think I read about it in a Dan Brown novel! :D But how does a reference about dying from the plague fit into the story so far? I agree if we take it as a reference to dying in general it might fit in. The only direct reference to the subject of the song is of course the last line "we all fall in love with ghost on the canvas". Again I have the feeling that Paul Westerberg is constantly shifting the meaning of that phrase. So, now it's possible that "we all" fall in love with "ghost on the canvas"? This seems to be at odds with the previous statements that "most people" don't see it at all. Mmmm...

About the line pocketful of prosary.... I really thought it was "pocketful of prose you read". In fact I looked it up in the booklet of the CD and it says "prose you read". Does Glen really sing "prosary"? I have not been able to find one good reference to the word "prosary" on the internet. Is it perhaps a made-up word?

I hope you will continue to think about the lyrics with me, because I am still struggling!


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Mike Joyce
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Mike Joyce »

This is certainly a song that requires some delving into. Much like some of Jimmy's work.
Obviously this is just my opinion, but this is what I think.
I would think Paul Westerberg, used the rhyme as it is considered (Although it is apparently wrong) as a reference to dying The black death and the plague which affected Europe and Britain in the 17th century. Sneezing and red rosie rashes were symptoms of the plague. Falling down and ashes to ashes refers to actually dying and being cremated.
Why Paul changed some of the words is not clear, but it may be that he just wanted to refer to the rhyme and needed to used different lyrics to fit into the songs melody better.
Cowpoke, the line a pocket full of prosary, you have shown as a little different. Not sure if you have just misheard it?
A prosary is basically spiritual writings and that obviously also hints at life's journey and end.
I feel that Paul has also tried to use imagery to convey a point in the song, Jimmy of course is the master of that.
Like the line spirits make love in a wheat field with crows. that evokes a field swaying in a breeze like a troubled spirit looking to escape from this world.
I will need to think a bit more about the rest, in another post.


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Cowpoke
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Cowpoke »

Sorry guys for being a little silent lately. Just busy that's all. I have been trying to tackle "the bridge" in Ghost on the Canvas but boy am I lost here.

Ring around the rosary
Pocketful of prose you read
Ashes to ashes (Paul Westerberg: Ashes ashes)
We all fall in love with ghost on the canvas

As already has been noted this is a children's song which Paul has changed around. Am I right that the most common words to this song (in the US at least) are

Ring-a-round the rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down.

I am trying to figure out 1) why use a children's song 2) why THIS song and 3) why THESE changes to the original. And the answer to all the three questions is... I don't know!

Can anyone shine a light on this?


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Cowpoke
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Cowpoke »

Yes Rob, I think there are a lot of Beatles influences on Ghost on the Canvas the album. It's in the arrangements, the drum sound, the harmony vocals and the sound of the solo vocal. Actually from Grow Old With Me to There's No Me Without You to I'm Not Gonna Miss You I can hear echoes of the Beatles and John Lennon solo. I think Julian Raymond even once said that what he was doing was trying to do musically with I'm Not Gonna Miss You was a mix between country and The Beatles.


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robduloc
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by robduloc »

Thank you, Dee.

"Remembering" and "Home Again" are two of my all time favorite songs.


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Dee
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by Dee »

Rob, I promise to catch up with your Ghost Posts soon!
Just a short reply for now. When I attended an "I'll Be Me" and Alzheimer's awareness event with guests Kim and Ashley Campbell a year ago, Ashley performed "Blackbird". She introduced this song as “one of my favorite Beatles’ songs and one of the first I learned on the guitar”. How about that for influence?
Thanks for pointing out The Beatles' influence on the song, Remembering. Sweet!


robduloc
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by robduloc »

I love the ethereal quality inherent in all the Campbell/Raymond songs.

Bordering on the supernatural, a feeling that I have never experienced before or since The Beatles Anthology "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" produced by Jeff Lynne, I believe.

I get excited to learn Glen Campbell openly cites Django Reinhardt as a major influence, I love it when an artist share their roots.

That's why I love this topic, there are entries by members where The Beatles are cited as an influence. And when you look at the core material, none so greater perhaps, than "Remembering" by Ashley Campell.

First guitar and I just wasn't getting it right
You showed me how to play it, said it doesn't happen overnight
In a couple year I come home and show you how I play "Blackbird"
Though I miss a couple notes you still say it was the best you ever heard

Blackbird composed by Paul McCartney is one of the most covered tunes performed on YouTube.

McCartney has gone on the record to say, there are a couple extra notes most people fail to include.

With an influence like Django Reinhardt what are the odds Ashley's Dad could hear and pick out those notes, makes you wonder.

I do know that the Campbell's are some of my favorite musicians and recording artist.

Of course, it must bring a father near to tears to listen and hear their children write, play and sing so well.

The songs written and performed by Ashley Campbell off the I'll Be Me OST deserve some kind of award, let this entry be one from the Forums.

Thank you, everybody.

It's one thing to be moved, it's another matter to do something with that influence.

I know that I will be playing and listening to my Campbell/Raymond recordings for a very long, long time to come.

Thank you, for helping me get there~

Love,
Rob


robduloc
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Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!

Post by robduloc »

We all know, much to his credit and family, the transparency, all the people looking for a cure and coming together with a documentary like Glen Campbell I'll Be Me.

This is hard to put in words.

Glen Campbell Ghost On The Canvas

One of the main threads I feel inherit in the work that keeps me coming back.

Captured in song and word.

An underlying love and trust for the Lord and child like sense of wonder.

If your strength fails, you have these to fall back on.

Serves a great source of strength and comfort for me.

Love is indeed, the driving force working behind the scenes and calling all the shots.


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