Saturday December 4, 2021 “The Ghost in You” Psychedelic Furs
Today’s band started as RKO and then Radio and were considering being the Europeans before they opted for a name supposedly influenced by the Velvet Underground’s song “Venus in Furs” with the term ‘psychedelic’ added to distinguish them from the punk acts that were flourishing in the UK at that time.
"The Ghost In You" was written by Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler and his brother and bass player, Tim. The poignant lyrics about matters of the heart are typical of Richard's lyrical work. It would be a minor hit in the US where the Furs did not achieve major success until the release of the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink inspired by and containing the Psychedelic Furs song of the same name.
In an interview Richard Butler explained “The Ghost in You” that opens with a man running a red light, "It's saying a person like me, or perhaps even me, takes chances, runs a light. It's my little metaphor for taking chances, and then it goes into pretty straightforward, 'The papers lied tonight, but falling over you is the news of the day.'"
Wait, doesn’t this explanation sound a bit like “A Day in the Life”?
Stay safe and well...and as we end our look into strange band names this week it occurs to me that maybe all band names are strange, not just these few that we have studied.
Guitar chords: G C Bm D