Story of the Ghost

Somehow, Phish manage to create songs which maximize the possiblity
for interpretive projection by its audience.  By that, I mean that
different people find meanings in the songs that often are unconscious
projections of their own life's events!  Case in point, interpreting
TSOTG as a cocaine metaphor.  I think that idea is ridiculous! 
However, in offering my own interpretation, I realize I may be
projecting my own life onto Phish's song. . . a very curious
phenomenon indeed.  Maybe the capacity for interpretive projection is
the real alllure of the band's songwriting. . . it's what makes it
expansive, rather than doom and gloom.

TSOTG seems to be about God to me.  Not necessarily any particular God
(i.e. religion)--but the idea of God.  The speaker refers to the
hidden help that God has provided him, and then acknowledges that he
has not sought this kind of council.  Then, at the end he muses on the
possibility that through it all, God is still there, in the "wind and
rain."  

The idea of asking for God's help at times and then forgetting about
that possibility seems to define the themes of TSOTG album to me.  Or
am I just projecting?

Hmmm, could ghost possibly have something to do with blowing lines back
in the day, well , yes, it could possibly.  I'm in no position to
completely deny truth to that idea, but man, do people have wide open
minds to their experiences with phish tunes?  especially the new ones,
it's the whole band and fan circle idea, that's what's drawing me in
more and more, the new tunes especially have a strong link to the
immediate moment for us young and new, ghost is especially booming,
listen to a good one, it's as if a story is, being told and happening
altogether, soft and sincere and  charging with an intensity, it seems
to float around and explode and burst and boom.  Lyrics- maybe I layed
down the phone, before he could be..... to me it's a real nice story
about a ghost, a ghost that someone once knew, and the song meat shares
some of the same images and ideas, and I heard something about a third
part to the trilogy being I Saw it Again.  Phish are an intimate bunch
of cats and the tunes they play, the songs they compose even more
especially, are not shallow, by any means.  whatever that means.  They
are deep man,just picture a huge huge sea.  Think about being 100 feet
under water, in a small cavern, and seeing a host of ghosts..... or
don't.



You'll like this:

Now I don't believe that the members of Phish are druggies to say the least.
I think they are all good guys who are devoted to family and friends.
However, I do believe that they once did do a lot of drugs and the "Story of
the Ghost" is one of those stories.  The opening lines "I feel I never told
you..." refer to the fact that they did cocaine, a drug people do not talk
about much when they do it.  It is pretty much a if-you-do-it-you-know kind of
thing.  "This was my big secret, How I get ahead, and never have ot worry, I'd
call him instead..."  All this can relate to how it is secretive, helps you
get energized (getting ahead), and many people believe it works to help you
get ahead, but in a satirical way Phish makes that comment.  "Never having to
worry" plays on the the worriless feeling you have while on the drugs, a
feeling of invincibility.  "I'd call him instead" could  either be calling on
the dealer for more, or calling on the drug itself for use.  "His answer came
in action"- meaning the dealers drugs were the action.  "He neve spoke a word,
or maybe I laid down the phone, before he could be heard, I some how feel
mistaken, like he had closed the door, I guess I just stop needing him, as
much as one before!"-  All of this can me so many things like talking to a low
key drug dealer, feeling mistaken about using drugs, not needing the drugs
anymore as you once did, et cetera.  Whatever the case, the Story of the
Ghost- leads me to believe that this song is about blowing lines back in the
day.

David Weintraub
dewein@juno.com

P.S. Thanks to Jay Lips for his insight.

The Ghost meaning is ridiculous bashing of Phish as 
individuals.  I personally doubt they ever did coke.  Maybe 
Trey or Fish but not Mike or Page.  Plus, Tom Marshall 
wrote the lyrics, He never did coke and if you have ever 
met him you would know that.  Tom is a cool, but dorky 
computer programmer in Princeton, NJ.  Ghost about exactly 
what the almanac said.  About a childhood friend.  I 
thought of that before I ever read anyone else's opinion.  
Just don't call Phish druggies, that is ALL I ask.

-- 
Palmer, Michael X
palmermx@jmu.edu