Music Monday: Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant

Music Monday is a meme that was created by Drew from The Tattooed Book Geek. Bjørn and I will pick a song alternatively on each Monday and share our thoughts about them. Bjørn’s pick this week is Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant.

John Grant is many things. Very handsome. (An objective fact.) The most famous non-Icelandic person living in Iceland. An absolutely incredible singer whose voice has never been better than on the Pale Green Ghosts album, especially this title track. ‘Pale Green Ghosts’ is dear to me for many reasons, one of them being the fact it inspired my story in the Anatomy of Fear anthology, ‘Here, Let Me Give You a Hand’. I wanted to convey a specific mood with this story; the mood of this song. The whole Pale Green Ghosts album is a story of a short relationship gone very, very wrong. Grant is a very talented lyricist, who absolutely eviscerates his ex (pro-tip: don’t date songwriters, you will pay for that). This song only pokes the ex once and it’s possible to ignore that bit. I’m not big on poetry – I’m a simple man; my idea of poetry is exactly this.

Back then I often found myself
Driving on the road at night,
And the radio was broadcasting the ocean.
Warm late Spring wind whips through my hair.
I am right here, but I wanna be there,
And no one in this world is gonna stop me.

Pale green ghosts at the end of May
Soldiers of this black highway
Helping me to know my place.
Pale green ghosts must take great care,
Release themselves into the air
Reminding me that I must be aware

At 25 and 36 to Boulder
I was getting warm, but now I’m getting colder,
And I stomp my feet demanding like a child
I hope you get everything you wanted boy
I hope you conquer the world and turn it into your toy,
But don’t come crying when you’re forced to learn the truth.

Pale green ghosts at the end of May
Soldiers of this black highway
Helping me to know my place.
Pale green ghosts must take great care,
Release themselves into the air
Reminding me that I must be aware

Pale green ghosts at the end of May
Soldiers of this black highway
Helping me to know my place.
Pale green ghosts must take great care
Release themselves into the air
Reminding me that I must be aware