Not a Robot But a Ghost

Album: Noble Beast (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Not a Robot But a Ghost" has a typically ambiguous lyric from Andrew Bird, who sings about cracking the codes that end the war. What's it all about? He told Drowned In Sound: "I wrote these lyrics and wrestled with over a hundred tracks we painted on then peeled away with a heat gun. You could read this as a protest song, a break up song or some vague geopolitical quagmire instantly resolved by a brilliant algorithm."
  • Bird wrote this song with Martin Dosh, a musician who records simply as Dosh. The song first appeared as an instrumental called "First Impossible" on Dosh's 2008 album Wolves And Wishes. Bird added lyrics, renamed it "Not a Robot But a Ghost" (the title doesn't appear in the lyric), and included it on his fifth album, Noble Beast, in 2009. It was the last song he wrote for the album.

Comments: 1

  • Mel Mason from FloridaCorrect me if I’m wrong. Is this song not a nod to Alan Turing?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."

The Police

The PoliceFact or Fiction

Do their first three albums have French titles? Is "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" really meaningless? See if you can tell in this Fact or Fiction.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?