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The Penguin Discography: Ghosts




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    Song Title »
Ghosts
    Authors »
Stevie Nicks, Mike/Michael Campbell

    Year Written »
1989

    Lyrics »

And the rain was there...
There were many nights...

And a few of them, were all that you had dreamed of
Love was the thing...
And you feel as if someone was following you
But you know you are wrong...
It's just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in

It's just the ghost of what you really want
And it's the ghost of the past that you live in
And it's the ghost of the future you are frightened of
So you look to your guardian angel

So long ago I was an innocent...
It had nothing to do with age
One day they were lovers...one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say

Well just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
It's the ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you turn to your guardian angel

And a few of them were all that you really dreamed of
Love was the thing...
So the silver-haired girl looks for escapism

To feel the empty spaces she's feeling
She depends on her music like a husband
And she knows it's no good to fall in love again...
One day they were lovers...one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say

It's just the ghost of the past of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
Ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you look to your guardian...

So you look...to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth...
Well some of them are way up there in heaven...

So you look...to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth...
Some of them are...way up there in heaven...heaven...

    Fan Interpretation »

Stevie Nicks' song "Ghosts" from 1989 tells the story of a woman being haunted by different people- and they are all herself. It is a song that epitomizes her struggle to separate herself from the past, and to clarify her role for the future. "Ghosts" deepens the overall effect of her album, "The Other Side Of The Mirror;" it adds another aspect to her world. Stevie's biggest challenges do not come from outside forces, but rather, from within herself. And those challenges are usually the hardest to overcome. This song explores Stevie's fears for the future, and also, her regret at what has passed.

And the rain was there
There were many nights

Stevie has used rain so frequently in her songs that this setting is very familiar to many of her listeners. She sets the stage with an image of long dark nights, with the rain falling softly at the windows. Is rain used here merely to set up the background for the song? It probably has a twofold purpose. The first is for the setting-to paint a picture of what once was. "The rain was there" Something has changed- there is a note of regret in Stevie's voice. The second purpose of the rain is a little more obscure. She uses it as a cleansing force often-"When the rain washes you clean you'll know;" "And the rain comes down/And there's no pain and there's no doubt" She doesn't say it's a storm; rather the image is one of the rain falling softly- it was a presence on those long nights, but it wasn't necessarily the predominant presence. Rain can also be something we take comfort from- it's dependable, the rain must fall; but at the same time something that can be scary- too much of it and people can be killed. However, also important to note is that the impression in this verse is one of Stevie being, once more, "Outside the Rain;" she is safe from it somehow.
Stevie spent many nights in the same fashion. Maybe she was all alone for those many nights; maybe they were nights of passion; maybe they were nights spent fighting. But now, again, something has changed. Looking back, she wishes that those nights were hers again-even if she was at home waiting for him to come home. At least she had the knowledge that he would return to her. Even if they were nights spent fighting-that was better than nothing. At least they were together and in love.

And a few of them, were all that you had dreamed of
Love was the thing

Stevie has been dreaming of getting back some of those lost nights. She knows that what is gone can never be retrieved, but that doesn't stop her from hoping and wishing from the very bottom of her heart. At the same time (and with essentially the same meaning) maybe the "few of them" are some of her past lovers- Stevie wants one of them back-and she isn't being too picky. Lindsey, Don, Mick, Jimmy- just someone so that her life will have love in it again. The memories of these men are dominated by love.
Back then, love was all that mattered, it was the central focus of their loves. Stevie could put up with the nights by herself while Lindsey went touring and the fighting with Jimmy Iovine over her music and her life because she knew that they loved her. Stevie had the world in the palm of her hand if she had love. She is haunted by her memories- because "love was the thing"- it is in the past.

And you feel as if someone was following you
But you know you are wrong
It's just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in

Stevie embellishes on the image of the long rainy nights. Now the person is outside, maybe walking down the street. And we all get that feeling from time to time- that eerie feeling that there is someone behind you, although you see no one. In horror films, this scenario is a dead give-away that something is about to go very wrong. But here, it isn't a human being- it's a ghost, which is perhaps even scarier. When Stevie glances over her shoulder, she sees nothing. But she knows a presence is there. And it's two of them- one is who she wants to be, what she wants to become. But it is only a ghost- it is as if it is taunting her- because if the person she wants to be is a ghost, will Stevie herself have to become a ghost to obtain that? The other presence is a reminder to Stevie of what she once was. But it is more than that- it is her actual past itself. The implication is that her past is a more powerful force than just who she used to be- because if it is her entire past, then it contains ghosts of all those that were part of her life. Both of these ghosts are better "people" than what she is now. The "ghost of the past" is only a memory, the ghost of the future is only a dream.

It's just the ghost of what you really want
And it's the ghost of the past that you live in
And it's the ghost of the future you are frightened of
So you look to your guardian angel

Now there are three ghosts in the scene. One of them is the same as before, the other is slightly different, and the other is a completely new ghost. The different one is the ghost of the ideal, so to speak- it has become a more abstract concept. No longer is it "the ghost of what you want to be," but it is the "ghost of what you really want." She no longer has an ideal person she is striving to become; rather, Stevie wants something-love, happiness, peace, contentment. But she is still living in the past. She can't forget the memories-because "the memory is all that is left for you now." And she can see-dimly-her future out in front of her-dancing, laughing, happy…or is it? After all, why would she be frightened of it? At this point in time, Stevie had come through some of the worst things she would have to go through. But there was still more to come- the battle with Mick Fleetwood over "Silver Springs" and her subsequent departure from Fleetwood Mac; her addiction to Klonopin; her declining record sales. "Oh no you are fading out" Stevie is determined not to be like so many other 70's stars, who disappeared during the 80's and never fully resurfaced. But the fight to stay on top will be hard and draining, and she knows it, and it frightens her. And so Stevie finds comfort in her guardian angel- whomever that may be. It could be any member of her family, any one of her close friends.

However, while Stevie often uses the term "angel" to describe someone still living, the term "guardian angel" tends to refer to something not of this world- maybe it is Robin Anderson. It could be any of these people- and the chances are, Stevie Nicks has many guardian angels. She needed them to survive the lifestyle she had chosen.

So long ago I was an innocent
It had nothing to do with age
One day they were lovers, one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say

Once upon a time Stevie was so naïve and innocent of the world held for her. She wanted to be a star, but she wasn't expecting everything that went along with that. She wanted to be with Lindsey, but she didn't want the pain that came with the break-up. Likewise, she wanted to be with Mick, but she didn't want that pain either. She wanted all the good stuff in life and was too naïve to realize that for every good thing there is a bad thing to go with it. But her innocence had nothing to do with how old she was-after all, she joined Fleetwood Mac when she was almost 27 years old. Her age (and the fact that she had been away from her home from several years) didn't protect her from the pain of "growing up," so to speak. And part of that whole maturing experience was the ending of her relationships- the one with Lindsey, Mick, Jimmy Iovine. But it was sudden- "one day they were lovers, one day they were friends"- this line implies that she was not expecting it all. But it happened, it was done, and there was nothing she could do about it. The line "there was nothing else to say" can be taken in an almost sarcastic light- so okay, they were supposed to be friends, but it never happened. He said that he wanted to be friends, but he didn't. It was just something to say in an attempt to ease her pain. But no one but Stevie herself could help her get through the aging process.

Well just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
It's the ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you turn to your guardian angel

Again, we have the image of her being alone with nothing but the rain and her memories. Could the ghosts all be the same thing- and not even a concrete thing? It makes sense that the ghosts that are haunting her are ghosts of past loves- but it doesn't have to be Lindsey Buckingham waltzing around her kitchen. It could be just the whole concept of love- it's what she wants to be- loved by someone. And it's what she did have- a pure, complete love. And she wants it again, but we are seeing the result of her maturation- she wants to be in love and to be loved, but she doesn't want to have to go through the painful break up process. It was a process that was "hauntingly familiar" to her, and the thought of going through it again terrified her.

And a few of them were all that you really dreamed of
Love was the thing
So the silver-haired girl looks for escapism

She wants another relationship; she's been dreaming of what her past ones were like and she wants that again. However, she wants this one to be one based on love and she wants love to be the main focus of it. She doesn't want a relationship like the one with Lindsey, where she was in competition with his music for his attention. She doesn't want one like with Mick, where it had to be ended so that Fleetwood Mac could continue. And she doesn't want it to be one like with Jimmy, where her own behavior ended it. She is ready to be totally dedicated to this relationship and she wants a man who is willing to give her the same level of commitment in return. But a part of her feels like it is a futile search-so Stevie, the "silver-haired girl", looks for an escape from her life, from the real world. Maybe that desire for escape is what triggered her journey to The Other Side Of The Mirror; Stevie expounds on this in the next verse.

To feel the empty spaces she's feeling
She depends on her music like a husband
And she knows it's no good to fall in love again
One day they were lovers, one day they were friends
There was nothing else to say

Without that special one in her life, Stevie turns to her music to get over her loneliness. The writing was a catharsis for her, it was necessary for her sanity. The music is her escape. When the men in her life left her, the music was still there. It was in many ways more reliable than those men. She always had her music. The music helped her to get through each and every situation- is her music her "guardian angel"? She is aware, now that she is no longer an innocent, that another relationship will mean more pain at the end. It's a rather cynical view- she believes that to fall in love again will certainly mean she will end up hurting, so she is considering choosing to forego any relationship in order to avoid the pain. She doesn't think she can handle another broken heart. Again, there is a finality to this verse- after the romantic relationship has ended, so has everything else between her and this man. She either doesn't want to talk about it anymore or honestly feels that there is nothing else for her to say that hasn't been said before.

It's just the ghost of what you want to be
And the ghost of the past that you live in
Ghost of the future that you're so frightened of
So you look to your guardian

At this point, Stevie has practically given up on love- but she is still haunted by her past loves. She wants to move on and knows that she needs to do so, but it's hard to do that when she can see them everywhere she looks. Stevie has said many times (as has Lindsey) that one of the difficult aspects of their breakup was that they had to see each other every day; it can be assumed that the same is true for her and Mick's breakup. So maybe, the ghosts are real people- what is ghostly about them is the fact that they no longer belong to Stevie. She is being haunted, and so she turns to her angel to protect her.

So you look, to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth
Well some of them are way up there in heaven
So you look to your guardian angel
Some of them are here on earth
Some of them are way up there in heaven, heaven

Stevie makes her decision to put her faith in her friends and family, those living and those dead. She knows that her judgement has been clouded by her drug use, and so maybe even her music isn't the best thing to depend on. These final two verses finalize the imagery in the song. In the beginning, Stevie is alone with the rain and her memories. As the song progresses, she tells us what she was like "so long ago"- innocent- and she also lets us know what is important to her- love. The image is one of Stevie standing, looking up at a sky that is clearing of the clouds to reveal a beautiful deep blue. She can almost see Robin's face looking down on her, and all she has to do is look around her to see the angels that are looking out for her on earth-her parents, her brother, Sharon Celani and Lori Perry, all her friends. She has a tremendous support group and acknowledges that she must start using it more often. Also, these verse represent what we all must do at some point in our lives- look to someone other than ourselves to help us. Because after a certain point, a person can crack if they are the only ones holding themselves up. Stevie turns her back on her ghosts and looks to the heavens above for guidance- and to her friends, and deep inside herself. She knows that can live through the future despite her fear of it, and she knows that the past is unchangeable and that she must accept that. What happened happened and she realizes that. Stevie is now ready to move on completely with the full support, wisdom and guidance of her guardians.

(The interpretations to these lyrics were compiled through discussions on the message boards of the Penguin, The Ledge. It is entirely possible that the artists had something completely different in mind.)

    Tabs »
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    Performances »
Performance #1:
Running Time 4:45
Performers Jerry Marotta (Drums), Vail Johnson (Bass), Mike/Michael Campbell (Guitar), Rupert Hine (Keyboards), Sharon Celani (Backing Vocals), Lori Perry-Nicks/Perry/Nicks (Backing Vocals), Stevie Nicks (Tambourine), Stevie Nicks (Vocals), Rupert Hine (Produced By), Rupert Hine (Arranged By)
Appears On
The Other Side Of The Mirror (1989)
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks: The Other Side Of The Mirror (0000)
Warner Brothers Publications Inc.
Whole Lotta Trouble/Ghosts (0000)
Stevie Nicks
The Divine Stevie Nicks (0000)
Stevie Nicks

    Comments »

(C) 1989 Welsh Witch Music admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Wild Gator Music/WB Music Corp.

    Reviews »
Add your review of Ghosts here.

    Last Modified »
2009-06-02

    Discography Credits »
Interpretation prepared by Becky, Janet, Anthony, Tracy G. and Samantha. (May 12, 1999).