Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?

13 Aug 12 - 01:05 PM (#3389667)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: kendall

Only time I ever heard this was in the comic strip The Phantom". That's what the natives called him.

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13 Aug 12 - 01:23 PM (#3389683)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: bloody nose

Thanks Kendall, I'll have to check that out as I'm not familiar with the comic.

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13 Aug 12 - 01:40 PM (#3389691)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Interesting lyrics, not the best "poetry, but puts the song across.

The Ghost Who Walks

The ghost who walks
she's on the prowl
for the man she loved,
He cut her down.
It was an ordinary night in June
when he drove her to the lake
so they could watch the full moon.

The ghost who walks
she's on the prowl
for the man she loved,
he laid her down
in the tall grass
He kissed her cheek
but with a knife in his hand
he plunged it in deep.

She looked at him with pleading eyes;
He softly spoke,
"My dear, the love has died"
and then he muffled her cries
under the moonlight.

Ghost who walks,
she's on the prowl;
Wanders in the moonlight,
She's crying to herself because
eyes never once looked cruel
but the moon in the blade
shimmered like a jewel.

She looked at him with pleading eyes,
he softly spoke:
"My dear, the love has died"
And then he muffled her deadly cries
under the moonlight.

Under the moonlight
Under the moonlight
Under the moonlight.
(From the net, not checked for correctness).

There are several old ballads that have this old story.
It will be interesting to see what comparisons are made by mudcats.

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13 Aug 12 - 01:42 PM (#3389693)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Karen Elson lyrics. I haven't looked for the composer.

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13 Aug 12 - 01:51 PM (#3389696)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: EBarnacle

Funny, Kendall, you had the same reaction I did.

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13 Aug 12 - 02:14 PM (#3389711)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: bloody nose

I visited the local record shop in El Cerrito, "Down Home Music," and spoke to the fellow behind the counter asking him if anyone had any knowledge of the "murder ballads," as I was hoping to find a scholar or two in this great little store. We spoke for a bit about the songs and I mentioned "Long Black Veil," I guess implying, in my opinion, it fit the "genre," and he quickly frowned and said, "but that was composed." I said, "Well yes, but some of those lyrics were surely "borrowed," and he quickly walked away not wanting to talk any longer.
I'm hoping to gather stories, opinions and any relevant articles on the origins of not only the tunes, but the reasons the tunes have always been so popular. One might think that in this day and age this sort of lyric would be offensive, but clearly, even young female writers are charting hits with these lyrics.

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13 Aug 12 - 02:49 PM (#3389729)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Put 'murder' in the filter, set age to all and click refresh.

Many threads come up, and a lot of info and comment on murder ballads in them.

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13 Aug 12 - 03:07 PM (#3389733)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: kendall

Didn't mean to commit thread creep. Thought there might be a connection.

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13 Aug 12 - 03:40 PM (#3389747)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: GUEST,Paul Slade

The Phantom was the first thing I thought of too.

As to Murder Ballads in general, my site tells the true stories behind a few of the best-known examples of the genre and looks at how their interpretation has changed down the decades:
http://www.planetslade.com/murder.html

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13 Aug 12 - 04:55 PM (#3389784)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: bloody nose

thanks guys, much appreciated.

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13 Aug 12 - 07:55 PM (#3389829)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: ranger1

Yeah, The Phantom was the first thing that popped into my head, too, so must be a multi-generational thing.

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13 Aug 12 - 08:18 PM (#3389837)
Subject: RE: Origins: 'The Ghost Who Walks' origin?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

I guess I am peculiar. Never read the Phantom.

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