The Ghost Inside

Album: Broken Bells (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Broken Bells is the self-titled debut album from Grammy-winning artist producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer, who is best known as the founder, principle songwriter and frontman of the Shins.
  • This song is different to anything Mercer had done vocally before. He told The Sun February 19, 2010: "I sing in a falsetto for the first time. Brian just encouraged me to experiment."

    Burton added: "We'd already done a lot of the songs by that point. He'd tried a lot of things vocally and it sounded a bit like the Bee Gees. That's how I heard it - like a psychedelic Bee Gees."
  • Christina Hendricks, who plays Joan Holloway in the acclaimed TV series Mad Men, stars as a "beautiful android" in the song's music video. Mercer explained the collaboration to Entertainment Weekly:"We assumed we would ask and that'd be it. She's got to be so busy, and who the hell are we? But she said yes! Turns out she's a fan of our record."
  • When asked by Spinner UK what was on Broken Bells mind when they penned this, Burton replied: "We try to shy away from giving too literal of meanings on songs. There's three different of kind of melodies and sections in the song itself. There's [James] doing the falsetto and then there's the doubled kind of bridge and then there's the outro that really sounds like, you know, very James Mercer. It turned into this longer song, but it was one of the last songs we did."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Wedding Bell Blues

Wedding Bell BluesSong Writing

When a song describes a wedding, it's rarely something to celebrate - with one big exception.

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.