Weighty Ghost

Album: Welcome to the Night Sky (2007)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds lead singer Paul Murphy confronting his own ghost, which could represent another side of his personality. This ghost has not ascended to the clouds but his with him on Earth, although with a great deal of detachment. He sees the ghost as part of his soul, so he's not looking to excise it:

    I don't need no surgery
    Take those knives away from me
    Just wanna die in my own body
    A ghost just needs a home
  • This is the most popular song from the Canadian band Wintersleep. They performed it on the Late Show with David Letterman when it was released.
  • In his Songfacts interview, Paul Murphy talked about performing this song live, where it takes on a different meaning. "You can play a song so many times live and go through the element of going through the motions, but you have to have that connection," he said. "I try to get into the same headspace that I got into when I wrote the songs, so they're still definitely relevant. But then there's changes because you're doing it in front of an audience, so there's an element of celebration. So it's different - it's not just about the meaning of the song."
  • This was the theme song to the CBC TV series Cracked, which ran from 2012-2014.
  • The video, directed by Sean Wainsteim, earned the Much Music Award for Best Independent Video. The song also helped Wintersleep win the Juno Award for New Group of the Year.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.