Band of Horses certainly has a passion to them—the kind of singing and strumming that sounds like crying….
(Is There A Ghost) – not much lyrically, but it paints a picture of nostalgia, the supernatural, and isolation.
– Bernie in response to my last post on the Band of Horses – The Funeral.
My cinephile friend Bernie (of Reely Bernie) mentioned that today’s featured track – Is There a Ghost – is his favourite by the American rock band Band of Horses, who hail from the indie-grunge haven of Seattle. That was all the encouragement I needed to seek it out. From the very first listen, I was caught hook, line, and sinker. The lyrics consist of just two lines, repeated throughout the song: “I could sleep, I could sleep. When I lived alone, is there a ghost in my house?” I particularly enjoy how the understated finger-picking melody gives way to an exhilarating burst of guitar just after the one-minute mark – Giddy-up, you Band of Horses! The indie vibes in this track are undeniably strong. One reviewer claimed, ‘Is There A Ghost‘ is the catchiest song with only 14 words to its credit since Pearl Jam’s Smile.
The band initially received attention after opening up for Iron & Wine cerca 2005 during Seattle area shows. Iron & Wine are also no stranger to this blog – featuring here twice already with their latest entry – The Desert Babbler. Is There a Ghost is the first single taken from Band of Horses‘ second album Cease to Begin, released on August 28, 2007. It reached No. 34 on the US Alternative Songs chart. It’s said that Cease to Begin has a more Southern rock, less indie sound than Band of Horses’ debut album Everything All the Time. However, Is There a Ghost has a strong indie feel, in contrast to the rest of Cease to Begin. To date, the band has released six studio albums; the last one Things Are Great (2022).
Bernie also wrote that he heard that most of the band lived homeless before they started scoring gigs. And lookee here (well at least according to Bridwell’s account):
“You know, it’s funny,” Bridwell said by phone. “I get here (Seattle) and I’m staying at this fancy hotel and it’s two blocks away from this parking lot, now a vacant parking lot, that they used to have Ryder trucks on — a rental place. And I used to actually sleep on those trucks. I’d get thrown out of the truck at 6 a.m. in my sleeping bag. It’s just funny. It’s two blocks away and I’m now on the balcony of this big hotel. I’m a bit reflective.”
Read more at the Oregon Live article.
I could sleep, I could sleep
I could sleep, I could sleep
When I lived alone
Is there a ghost in my house?
When I lived alone
Is there a ghost in my house?
My house
References:
1. Is There a Ghost – Wikipedia
2. Band of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell went from homeless in Seattle to rock star – Oregon Live
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Great-sounding song. I mostly know Band of Horses by name. I previously covered “Funeral,” another song I like.
Yes, you got me onto the group initially via your article on the ‘Funeral’ so I’m thankful for that. But like you, I’m hardly across their music apart from the two songs which have appeared here.