Ha! How could I have not remembered "takes one to know one"? My brother used to say this to me (a lot) when we were kids, Randy! I can't imagine why!
All those references in the song to children and their playfulness...and also the play of words by Westerberg...taking familiar phrases or expressions and giving each a bit of a twist.
I learned that he has been doing this for years. Check out Reason to Believe's blog, "Ten examples of why there will never be another Paul Westerberg":
http://bythehighwayinaditch.blogspot.co ... mples.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So, if word play is a regular part of Westerberg's songwriting style, then is he just having fun with these phrases in "Ghost"?
Without any deep meaning implied by using these phrases?
"Some dream in color, others they color their dreams". More wordplay?
It is a catchy.
I believe this line is a bit on a twist on something that Van Gogh had said: "I dream my paintings and then I paint my dreams."
Agreed on all of your greats and awesomes, Randy.
All the right components came together and made a masterpiece out of the song. Julian Raymond can be / should be given
I am still waffling on the song's meaning as a whole. Nothing any good is easy, right?
Dee
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Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Let's see,,,"ring around the rosies , pocket full of posies" or "takes one to know one"..... phrases from stuff when I was kid ,,, think ring around the rosies was a game or something we played but I forgot lol.... takes one to know one,,,,, was what we said back to someone if they called us a name we didn't like. "Some dream in color, others they color their dreams" Lol,,,, to me this is random stuff that popped into his head writing this song ,,, and guess what? It stays popped into my head the more I listen to it. Again , to me great songwriting,, musical instruments in it awesome, production awesome, video awesome, Glen Campbell and Julian Raymond awesome....
To me , and I may be way off base here, the meaning of the song is ,,,, between death and judgement day there is a place for "souls" and it is good.
To me , and I may be way off base here, the meaning of the song is ,,,, between death and judgement day there is a place for "souls" and it is good.
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
I appreciate your points, Jay.
In fact, both you and Randy are keeping it real, at least for someone like me who is admittedly over-analytical at times.
Keep asking us questions and giving us your perspective, if you will.
Agreed, Glen's vocal delivery on Ghost On The Canvas, the title song and album, is tops; pure Glen.
Good luck with "Hi-Yo Silver! Away!"
Dee
In fact, both you and Randy are keeping it real, at least for someone like me who is admittedly over-analytical at times.
Keep asking us questions and giving us your perspective, if you will.
Agreed, Glen's vocal delivery on Ghost On The Canvas, the title song and album, is tops; pure Glen.
Good luck with "Hi-Yo Silver! Away!"
Dee
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Can you cherry pick in this song...what are you going to do with those leftover ghosts and spirits? I mean the title has a ghost in it.I am considering an individual's soul in the Christian sense ...not a ghost in the supernatural sense of the word.
Lol ... at some point we Catholics use to say In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost...we now use Spirit instead of Ghost. I am giving up on this one.
Great song in terms of how it was musically presented and sung. Lyrics wise...I will stick to the William Tell Overture.
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Jay posted:
From my point of view, I am considering an individual's soul in the Christian sense ...not a ghost in the supernatural sense of the word. For me GOTC is not a song version of the movie, Sixth Sense ("I see dead people.").Maybe you have to believe or have some knowledge in spirits, ghosts and souls...or have a better understanding of supernatural existence. I am not sure most Christians can do this.
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Just my opinion is that Julian had major roles in the songs and changes and wanted no credit for it. I'm in agreement with Jay on that one for sure. Cowpoke obviously that doesn't mean I'm right , but it's just what I think.
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Hi Randy,
I agree that Glen's singing on Ghost on the Canvas is awesome. All this talk about lyrics should not obscure the fact that Glen's vocal performance on the song is really top of the game.
When you compare it with Paul Westerberg's own version this becomes even more obvious. Paul said in an interview that he appreciated Glen's version, because the song was being done by someone who had the pitch to do it justice. What strikes me when comparing both versions is the phrasing of the lines. Just listen to the first two lines of Paul's version and Glen's version and you know who the master song interpreter is. It's the same words but yet a world of difference.
I agree that Glen's singing on Ghost on the Canvas is awesome. All this talk about lyrics should not obscure the fact that Glen's vocal performance on the song is really top of the game.
When you compare it with Paul Westerberg's own version this becomes even more obvious. Paul said in an interview that he appreciated Glen's version, because the song was being done by someone who had the pitch to do it justice. What strikes me when comparing both versions is the phrasing of the lines. Just listen to the first two lines of Paul's version and Glen's version and you know who the master song interpreter is. It's the same words but yet a world of difference.
I'm a carefree, range ridin', driftin' cowpoke...
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Hi Jay, thanks for adding your comments.
Also, don't forget that Julian and Glen started recording this album in 2009 (and my guess pretty early in 2009) and that in april 2010 it was completely finished, including string arrangements. After that it lay on the shelf for more than a year, while Julian was trying to find a suitable record company. In 2009 Glen was still able to decide on things like song tempo, arrangement, lyrics and meaning. It became harder when time progressed sure, but it was not just Julian making all the changes.
I don't agree with that. First, Julian has said several times that Glen reshaped the songs to his liking. Songdoctoring he called it. Glen certainly changed some of the lyrics. I am not saying he thoroughly thought through the implications of his changes to the overall meaning of the songs, but he did personalize them, he had to be comfortable singing it, it had to mean something to him. For instance, I am pretty sure Glen changed the original lyrics for In My Arms from the negative to the positive.Jay wrote:but there was no way, he had any say in reshaping it or understanding how it may have related to him, due to the dementia.
Also, don't forget that Julian and Glen started recording this album in 2009 (and my guess pretty early in 2009) and that in april 2010 it was completely finished, including string arrangements. After that it lay on the shelf for more than a year, while Julian was trying to find a suitable record company. In 2009 Glen was still able to decide on things like song tempo, arrangement, lyrics and meaning. It became harder when time progressed sure, but it was not just Julian making all the changes.
I'm a carefree, range ridin', driftin' cowpoke...
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
Since this discussion started I have revisited that video probably a dozen times at least. Great job Kii Arens and Jason Trucco ! Went back and looked at the lyrics several times too. Glen singing it is awesome to me, that holding them long notes on so oh oh ol and go oh oh oh ,,,, all that stuff I really like , pardon my spelling on soul and go lol. Hats off to Julian Raymond for the awesome musician in this video and the sound production. Personally I feel the song is more about one's soul than ghosts or whatever as the lyrics are using ghost as a comparsion maybe idk. It says "like" a ghost on the canvas. But what do I know lol. I liked your take on it also Jay and agree with what you said.
Re: Ghost on the Canvas - Share your thoughts!
To me this song may be a sum of the parts, where the parts, individually are not congruent, with the overall meaning.
Maybe you have to believe or have some knowledge in spirits, ghosts and souls...or have a better understanding of supernatural existence. I am not sure most Christians can do this.
I took this investigative class one time and the instructor showed asked us if we ever were reading and then all of the sudden we had no idea what we read. He said the reason was simple. You didnt understand the meaning of the word(s). He then proceeded to ask us to define a dozen words on the page of a book he randomly opened...you would be surprised how hard it is. His point was...if your mind cannot decipher the meaning of the word, how can it grasp the meaning of the sentence, paragraph or page.
That said...Maybe all it is trying to say is I have been able to do some beautiful things as an artist, regardless how tormented a life I have led. I honestly do not know.
I will be the first one to say, I really liked the song...but until this exercise in futility took place, I had no idea, I had no idea wtf it meant.
There is no doubt in my mind, this is another brilliant pick by Julian. Glen was able to put his feeling and voice and persona into singing it, but there was no way, he had any say in reshaping it or understanding how it may have related to him, due to the dementia. Of course, all of this imo.
Maybe you have to believe or have some knowledge in spirits, ghosts and souls...or have a better understanding of supernatural existence. I am not sure most Christians can do this.
I took this investigative class one time and the instructor showed asked us if we ever were reading and then all of the sudden we had no idea what we read. He said the reason was simple. You didnt understand the meaning of the word(s). He then proceeded to ask us to define a dozen words on the page of a book he randomly opened...you would be surprised how hard it is. His point was...if your mind cannot decipher the meaning of the word, how can it grasp the meaning of the sentence, paragraph or page.
That said...Maybe all it is trying to say is I have been able to do some beautiful things as an artist, regardless how tormented a life I have led. I honestly do not know.
I will be the first one to say, I really liked the song...but until this exercise in futility took place, I had no idea, I had no idea wtf it meant.
There is no doubt in my mind, this is another brilliant pick by Julian. Glen was able to put his feeling and voice and persona into singing it, but there was no way, he had any say in reshaping it or understanding how it may have related to him, due to the dementia. Of course, all of this imo.