Songfacts®:

• "Ghost" is a heartfelt song where Justin Bieber sings of someone who is no longer with him. This person was special to the singer and all he has left are the happy memories of their time together.
• So, is the song about a breakup, or the passing on of a loved one? The first verse seems to imply both; in the first two lines, Bieber sings of missing a former romantic partner.
  
  Youngblood thinks there's always tomorrow
  I miss your touch on nights when I'm hollow
  
  The last line implies death separates them.
  
  I know you cross the bridge that I can't follow
• Some fans speculated that Bieber is singing about Selena Gomez, whom he dated for several years. As evidence they point out that in 2010 her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, released a song titled "Ghost Of You." However, this theory does not sit well with the rest of the Justice album, much of which finds Bieber singing of his love for his wife, Hailey.
• So what does Bieber say about the song? He told Vogue he wrote it in order to comfort those who have lost loved ones during the COVID pandemic or been separated from them because of the lockdown.
  
  The song is about "losing somebody you love," Bieber said. "And I know a lot of people have. I know this has been a really challenging year where we've lost loved ones and relationships too. The hook is saying, 'If I can't get close to you, I'll settle for the ghost of you.' That works for this quarantine situation. We're not relating and connecting in the same way. It has allowed us to only really have these memories."
• Justin Bieber wrote "Ghost" with the New York songwriter Michael Pollack, New York rapper/producer Jon Bellion, and The Monsters & Strangerz production duo. The five worked on his "Anyone" single together while Pollack and Bellion also co-penned Justice's lead song, "Holy."
• Colin Tilley directed the music video, which co-stars actress Diane Keaton (The Godfather trilogy, Annie Hall) as Bieber's grandmother. The clip opens on the death of Bieber's grandfather. The rest of the visual sees a doting Bieber encouraging Keaton to enjoy life again after losing her husband.
  
  Bieber handpicked the screen legend to star as his grandmother. He called Keaton up and she readily agreed, even supplying her own wardrobe (including her iconic hats). "The outfits were indicative of my style because they're mine," said Keaton to Vogue. "Some of the outfits are from my closet. I had some wonderful things from Gucci."
  
  Keaton knows her way around music videos: She directed Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" and "I Get Weak."