Our summer series of retro Friday videos continues with the classic ‘A Ghost To Most’ from Drive-by Truckers. This was a single from the Trucker’s 2008 album ‘Brighter Than Creation’s Dark’. Based on a solid beat and a bright, tuneful electric strum, this song has a memorable melody and an excellent vocal performance. Mike Cooley’s words are like a form of bleak poetry, subject to various interpretations: “I hope somebody’s cause takes soon // It’s getting hard to find a place a root can sink // Mama said a lot of things // And “Be thankful” was the one she never minded saying twice // Thanks to her I can think clear enough // To be thankful that she died before tonight…And besides you’re a ghost to most before they notice that you ever had a hair or hide.” It’s been said to have been written in response to Hurricane Katrina but there’s such a lot more to unpack in this brilliantly written and crafted song, not least the idea of not wanting his mother to witness the state of the world and what it has become. The video, by Jason Thrasher and the Truckers, shows a group of boys playing at war. It works well as a concept alongside a song with lyrics about causes that, perhaps, young men end up involved in and fighting for: “I guess I’ll never grow a sideburn.” Above all, ‘A Ghost To Most’ is just a great song, delivered with confidence and style by one of the best bands of recent decades.
The prolific Truckers have released lots of recent material including 2022’s ‘Welcome 2 Club XIII Tour’, the band’s 14th studio album and the recent ‘The Complete Dirty South’, a brand new edition of a classic and much-loved album. The new version is remixed, remastered, refreshed and renewed and well worth checking out. Enjoy.
