Jinx me somethin' crazy
Thinkin' if it's three
then I'm as smooth as the skin
rolls across the small of your back
It's too bad it's not my style
If you need me
I'm out and on the parkway,
patient and waiting for headlights,
dressed in a fashion that's fitting to the
inconsistencies of my moods

It's times like these where silence means everything
And no one is to know about this
It's times like these, where silence means everything
And no one is to know about this

It's a campaign of distraction (distraction)
and revisionist (and revisionist) history, oh

It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice
(it's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice)
It's a shame I doubt they even care
(it's a shame I doubt they even care)
No one is to know about this

It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice
(it's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice)
It's a shame I doubt they even care
Don't let me down

But whatever I have gettin' myself into
maybe has been slicing inches from my waist
It's my fist vs. the bottle
(and thank God you weren't there...)
And that's how bad could this hurt
or against I won't feel a thing
(and thank God you weren't there...)
I tell you all about it
It's just not working out
(...to watch me hit the bottle)
not workin' out

It's a campaign of distraction (distraction)
and revisionist (and revisionist) history, oh

It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice
(it's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice)
It's a shame I doubt they even care
(it's a shame I doubt they even care)
No one is to know about this

It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice
(it's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice)
It's a shame I doubt they even care
(it's a shame I doubt they even care)
No one is to know about this

(Ba ba da dah...)
Don't let me down

This is why we were taught so much better than this
This is why we were taught so much better than this

This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does
This is what living like this does!



Lyrics submitted by BrandNew1208

Track duration: 03:59


Ghost Man on Third song meanings
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  • +2
    General Comment:This song is clearly about an affair. "Ghost man on third" - He is the third man.

    "Thinkin' if it's three
    then I'm as smooth as the skin
    rolls across the small of your back
    It's too bad it's not my style"

    He is good at hiding it, smooth even, but it's not what he wants.

    "It's times like these where silence means everything
    And no one is to know about this".
    She is not willing to break it to her partner. He feels trapped, like the loose end, but won't interfere with her relationship because he doesn't want to see her hurt.

    "It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice"
    He's referring to the nature of his silence, he can't talk about the affair but it's having a negative effect on him. He can't ask for help without explaining the circumstances. He has to act normal, so no one notices what's happening to him.

    "It's a campaign of distraction
    and revisionist history"
    This is possibly a reference to the nature of their relationship. He has to keep her boyfriend distracted in order to see her. Revisionist history might refer to his ever changing morals in the situation.

    "But whatever I have gettin' myself into...not workin' out".
    This refers to how he is dealing with the problem, he's frustrated that girl he loves is with another man and it's causing him to drink excessively, it's also causing him to lose weight, possibly from stress.

    "Don't let me down".
    He's hoping that it's all worth it, that she'll leave her boyfriend for him.

    "This is why we were taught so much better than this
    This is what living like this does"
    He's reflecting on why he was always taught that this behavior was unacceptable, he's learning why.

    Hope that helps.
    Cheers.
    Flag anomalymanon February 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song is clearly about an affair. "Ghost man on third" - He is the third man.

    "Thinkin' if it's three
    then I'm as smooth as the skin
    rolls across the small of your back
    It's too bad it's not my style"

    He is good at hiding it, smooth even, but it's not what he wants.

    "It's times like these where silence means everything
    And no one is to know about this".
    She is not willing to break it to her partner. He feels trapped, like the loose end, but won't interfere with her relationship because he doesn't want to see her hurt.

    "It's a shame I don't think that they'll notice"
    He's referring to the nature of his silence, he can't talk about the affair but it's having a negative effect on him. He can't ask for help without explaining the circumstances. He has to act normal, so no one notices what's happening to him.

    "It's a campaign of distraction
    and revisionist history"
    This is possibly a reference to the nature of their relationship. He has to keep her boyfriend distracted in order to see her. Revisionist history might refer to his ever changing morals in the situation.

    "But whatever I have gettin' myself into...not workin' out".
    This refers to how he is dealing with the problem, he's frustrated that girl he loves is with another man and it's causing him to drink excessively, it's also causing him to lose weight, possibly from stress.

    "Don't let me down".
    He's hoping that it's all worth it, that she'll leave her boyfriend for him.

    "This is why we were taught so much better than this
    This is what living like this does"
    He's reflecting on why he was always taught that this behavior was unacceptable, he's learning why.

    Hope that helps.
    Cheers.
    Flag anomalymanon February 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I haven't read what other people have said but I think this song is when people have to hide a romantic relationship.. It always hit home with me, because my boyfriend is 6 years older than me and we always had to hide our relationship. It was extremely stressful, constantly saying "we can't do this, we can't do this" because I was 15 and he was 21. We were in love but society wouldn't accept it. I even lost ten pounds over it (maybe has been slicing inches from my waist). He thought everyone would judge him and I didn't (it's a shame I don't think that they'd notice, it's a shame I doubt they'd even care). I don't think this is a universal interpretation but we didn't go past 2nd base for a long time because of the age difference and so the "ghost man on third" was personal to me. "This is why we were taught so much better than this" is obvious, his guilt over dating someone so much younger and feeling like it was wrong to do so. I would drink every night to try to take my mind off of him because we both believed it wouldn't work out. I love the headlights part, I remember sitting outside waiting for him to pick me up with his old Saturn headlights.. Maybe it's what it means, maybe it isn't but it means this to me! Turns out everything went fine when we went public with it. I am now 19 and he's 25. We're happy, but this song still makes me revert into that depression of that time period where we had to hide. Taking Back Sunday is amazing! "Silence means everything and no one is to know about this"
    Flag britbugon August 08, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I left off a few things, but Ghost Man on Third could mean he left his old life (the base) to live the new life of drugs and reckless abandon that he adopted.
    Flag jetpack006on February 21, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The song is about addiction, probably to cocaine or another upper, "But whatever I have gettin' myself into
    maybe has been slicing inches from my waist," he's been doing these drugs that make him not hungry and he's losing weight, and it almost seems like he WANTS someone to notice but they don't. "It's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice. It's a shame, I doubt they even care."

    This is what living like this does, that's him looking at himself and seeing what the drugs he's been doing are doing to his body and relationships and saying to himself, "I'm doing this to myself, this is what living the life I'm living does to you."
    Flag jetpack006on February 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning: This song is about getting drunk and banging(getting head from roadies) some slump busters. He is a little scared though that he doesn't feel bad about it. (at the same time a little afraid of the "karma" of using fatties for fun)Wonderful song. love this song.
    Ghost on third is a baseball reference, meaning you have to leave base to bat again. The ghost can still score though.
    -third base in sex terms is: blowjob, handjobs, stuff like that.
    You should be able to piece it together from there.
    Flag bunkfutonon January 26, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I feel as if this song is about addictions/problems/whatever in general. Anything from drug addictions to sex addictions to depression, drinking problems, and maybe even things like gambling and eating disorders.
    "Jinx me something crazy, thinking if it's three..." sounds like a distracted line to me, as if the narrator is having trouble concentrating, which could be related to depression/anxiety. I also think it could be related to gambling, rolling the number three to win, mentioning jinxing him into losing.
    "Then I'm as smooth as the skin rolls across the small of your back." Maybe sexual addiction reference.
    "If you need me, I'm out and on the parkway, patient and waiting for headlights, dressed in a fashion that's fitting to the inconsistencies of my moods." On a road, waiting to get hit, as a way of suicide. Depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are often linked in a person. the "inconsistencies of my moods" could mean bipolar disorder. Or these lines could mean waiting for a drug dealer, or maybe even to get money they gambled for. "But whatever I have getting myself into maybe has been slicing inches from my waist." I think this could be related to depression/anxiety [which could cause loss of apatite, or someone who cuts who's cutting area is their stomach], eating disorders, or drugs [could cause rapid weight loss]. etc, since noone wants to hear me go on forever. But I think the general idea of any addiction could be connected to this song, being easy to relate to.
    Then the, "It's a campaign of distraction and revisionist history. It's a shame, I don't think that they'll notice. It's a shame, I doubt they even care. Noone is to know about this." could be put into the whole suffering from addictions or problems in silence, and trying to find a way to fix it on your own.
    "This is why we were taught so much better than this... This is what living like this does." I feel like is saying, your addiction is taking it's toll and will eventually destroy you. Growing up, we were always taught to be happy, and stay away from anything that could harm us, and going through that addiction now shows you why.
    Flag ghostxofxmewon October 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:everything about this song you're going to find out about in the first paragraph. "jinx me something crazy" - way to say "do something [drugs]. "Thinkin' if its three" - wondering what time it is because its late at night. " "Then, I'm as smooth as the skin" - suggests some drug made his skin very smooth, the next line "rolls across the small of your back" - suggests the drug was E.. lot about drugs
    Flag burnandturnon August 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think that this song is about an affair.
    the affair puts emotional stress on both him and the girl and he cant help "its too bad if you need me its not my style im out on the parkway patient and waiting for headlights" the part about his moods is cuz he doesnt know what he wants.
    The silence part is obvious and the " this is what living like this does" is talking about how hard the affair is for everyone.
    "i tell you all about it. its just not working out" is saying he tells the other woman about his gf
    i think he wants people to know so he can be free "its a shame i dont think theyll notice"
    and then i think "this is why we were taught so much better than this" is cuz he knows how immoral it is
    Flag XsnufflesXon August 13, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about Jesse Lacey...The first line "Jinx me something crazy" is referring to when jesse "hopes theirs ice on all the roads" ...Adam then welcomes the "jinx" so to speak by saying he'll be out and on the parkway patient and waiting for headlights...

    He then talks about how their fight has effected him emotionally in the line "lately has been slicing inches from my waist" saying that he hasnt been eating and is losing weight because hes somewhat depressed over what happened


    Flag adamoflazzarathon July 03, 2009   Link

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