# Songs That Are Also Ghost Stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 20, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342 "2021-02-20T12:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/1 "2021-02-20T12:15:32Z")
I read something recently, probably on these boards, about how a belief in the supernatural was one of the common characteristics of human societies. Not me _personally_ , I like to think – but I have to confess it goes a little deeper than that. I’m not keen on ghost stories because they scare me – even something like _The Wife Of Ushers Well_ can cause a shiver, and that’s a song fer chrissakes. Which made me think – there must be other songs which are also ghost stories. An interesting little sub-genre for a thread. I’ll kick us off with the aforementioned _Wife Of Ushers Well_: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUaUXUG9BrQ) I can think of one more example, but it’s a bit of a cheat. I’m guessing there must be quite a few others. What have you got? j ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/2 "2021-02-20T12:48:28Z")
Genesis-Home by the Sea. The second half is all instrumental except for a vocal reprise at the end of the song [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XyMSOJJPdws/maxresdefault.jpg "Genesis - Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyMSOJJPdws) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/3 "2021-02-20T12:49:24Z")
Does a dark song sung from the perspective of a dead man count? Then I offer “Long Black Veil”. Here’s the Johnny Cash version: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5pYA46dyKh4/hqdefault.jpg "Johnny Cash - The Long Black Veil") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pYA46dyKh4) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/4 "2021-02-20T13:01:54Z")
I Come And Stand At Every Door I prefer the This Mortal Coil to The Byrds or Seeger interpretations: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/6vZ0KgLifjI/hqdefault.jpg "This Mortal Coil - I Come & Stand at Every Door") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vZ0KgLifjI) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/5 "2021-02-20T13:10:51Z")
All you need, right [here](https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_400/MI0001/498/MI0001498866.jpg?partner=allrovi.com). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/6 "2021-02-20T15:04:28Z")
Phantom 309 is an obvious example. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zCeVP9WuA6I/hqdefault.jpg "Phantom 309") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCeVP9WuA6I) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/7 "2021-02-20T15:04:52Z")
There’s the classic **(Ghost) Riders In the Sky**, which has been recorded many times. Here are a couple of versions: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qt0rURntFQE/maxresdefault.jpg "Johnny Cash - (Ghost) Riders In The Sky (original)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt0rURntFQE) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GX4S7c3F9WU/maxresdefault.jpg "Riders In The Sky") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4S7c3F9WU) ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/8 "2021-02-20T15:15:17Z")
Does “Deep Purple” qualify? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yCY3uCNkEoc/maxresdefault.jpg "Lyrics~Deep Purple-Nino Tempo & April Stevens") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCY3uCNkEoc) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/9 "2021-02-20T15:40:46Z")
“Wildfire,” is a ghost story – ghost girl, ghost horse coming to get the hero and ghost him (literally). ---
**Author:** ![Ynnad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4491bb/32.png) [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/10 "2021-02-20T15:54:21Z")
You know someone was going to do it sooner or later so I thought I would just get it done. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OlyR9U1pQ70/hqdefault.jpg "Casper the friendly ghost theme") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyR9U1pQ70) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/11 "2021-02-20T16:05:25Z")
**Camouflage** by **Stan Ridgeway** [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZFYxCIr-Byo/hqdefault.jpg "Stan Ridgway - Camouflage") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYxCIr-Byo) TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/12 "2021-02-20T16:15:05Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8kNwvIEQsg0/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGH8gPygTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLAz7joZv1MKW8HU70cfgLccfLiMjw "Chris de Burgh - Don't Pay The Ferryman") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kNwvIEQsg0) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/13 "2021-02-20T16:23:37Z")
“With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6JKNl8gmESs/hqdefault.jpg "With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JKNl8gmESs) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/14 "2021-02-20T16:30:44Z")
> [@Ynnad](#): > > You know someone was going to do it sooner or later so I thought I would just get it done. In the same spirit (no pun intended) this is the “one more example, but it’s a bit of a cheat” that I mentioned at the top of the thread: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8e1xvyTdBZI/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC2AOKAgwIABABGE4gZShTMA8=&rs=AOn4CLBc_aE-HRyqtDsxyXZwGa9p5o33aQ "Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI) Less a ghost story, more a ghost postscript. j PS: to the question “Does this count?”, asked a couple of times - _of course!_ ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/15 "2021-02-20T16:32:57Z")
That’s what I came in to mention. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/16 "2021-02-20T16:41:17Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I offer “Long Black Veil”. Beat me to it! That’s the one I immediately thought of when I saw the post title. Here’s an atmospheric version I like, by the Chieftains, with Mick Jagger as guest singer: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4F-4rY4g4Do/hqdefault.jpg "'Long Black Veil' - The Chieftains featuring Mick Jagger") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F-4rY4g4Do) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/17 "2021-02-20T16:48:04Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Does a dark song sung from the perspective of a dead man count? - [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zWm5WErkffQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Marty Robbins - El Paso (Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWm5WErkffQ) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/18 "2021-02-20T17:01:15Z")
(Spoiler) The lovers die at the end (end Spoiler) so it’s a Ghost Story. **Blue Oyster Cult** and **Don’t Fear** **The Reaper** [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oF7mP2LASCo/maxresdefault.jpg "Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper (Single Version) (1976) (HD)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF7mP2LASCo) Also SNL “More Cowbell” sketch [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tPh7OZew5oo/maxresdefault.jpg "I Gotta Have More Cowbell!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPh7OZew5oo) TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/19 "2021-02-20T17:07:08Z")
> [@solost](#): > > > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > > I offer “Long Black Veil”. > > Beat me to it! That’s the one I immediately thought of when I saw the post title. Here’s an atmospheric version I like, by the Chieftains, with Mick Jagger as guest singer: Great version I hadn’t heard, thanks! I’ve also always liked the Band’s take on the song: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YMwPd27sg_k/maxresdefault.jpg "The Band, "Long Black Veil"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMwPd27sg_k) ETA: it’s one of those folk songs that sound like it’s old as the mountains, but actually it was written as late as 1959. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342/20 "2021-02-20T17:10:41Z")
**Kate Bush** singing as Cathy, who is a ghost, in **Wuthering Heights** [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-1pMMIe4hb4/hqdefault.jpg "Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights - Official Music Video - Version 1") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4) TCMF-2L [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-also-ghost-stories/933342.md?page=2)