I actually had envisioned a version that was a little darker — something a little darker than what they did — much slower and heavier. I wrote this song in the 1980s. You took my body and soul. Prestwood, who described himself as a slow, methodical writer, composed “Ghost In This House” after watching the old classic movie “The Grapes Of Wrath,” starring Henry Fonda. When the Shenandoah version came out, I was kind of wishing it was less produced, but when Billboard reviewed it, they said it was a “numbingly sad song.” Alison’s version is a little more artistic, but I doubt hers would ever make it as a single. That once burned out of control. Add some and they will appear here. You took my body and soul. “Ghost in This House” was like that. I lived in Manhattan for about 10 years and then moved out to the end of Long Island. As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls, I’m all that’s left of two hearts on fire. She also won a Grammy for a collaboration with Shenandoah lead singer Marty Raybon. I really wrote it with Michael Johnson in mind. I'm just a ghost in this [D] house I don't mind if it [ A ] rains I don't care if it's [ D ] clear I don't mind staying [ A ] in there's another gost [ D ] here I’m just a whisper of smoke. I really like Marty Raybon’s voice, so I was thrilled when I heard what they had done with the song. As quietly as a mouse, I haunt these halls. I’m from El Paso, but I moved up to New York about 30 years ago to pursue a music career. The melody comes pretty fast, and then I chew on the lyric for a couple of weeks. “I’m just a ghost in this house. Marty’s was exactly right for radio. Written by Hugh Prestwood, “Ghost In This House” sings about unrelenting loneliness and longing. Though he was pleased with the band’s rendition, thinking it was exactly right for radio airplay, he imagined the song to be much slower and heavier. This is a widget ready area. I’ve never lived in Nashville, although I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years. In order to protect the rights of the copyright holder, no portion of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent. There’s a scene where the character named Muley has just lost everything he has, and they’ve run him off this land. I tend to write about one song a month and I only write one song at a time. Indeed, it became one of the most notable songs for the Grammy Award-winning artist. I usually like to visualize a lot when I’m writing lyrics. From whom Carly Simon thought was so vain to why, exactly, the walrus was Paul, we strive to leave no lyric uninterpreted. I didn’t have too much regard for whether it was going to be commercial or not. It did not only top out at No.5 on the Billboard Country Charts but also earned the group a Grammy nomination and a multitude of new fans. Please note: Our premium story access has been discontinued (see more info). I'm just a ghost in this house I don't care if it rains I don't care if it's clear I don't mind staying in There's another ghost here She sits down in your chair And she shines with your light And she lays down her head On your pillow at night I'm just a ghost in this house I'm just a … That’s all I am.” And I thought, “That would be an interesting idea for a song,” so I wrote it down in my song idea book. I’m all that’s left of two hearts on fire. So that was kind of cool. I got to the point where I decided I really don’t like having the music business right in my face all the time. Several years later, Alison Krauss performed at a White House event along with Brad Paisley. I’m just a ghost in this house,” the song goes. I’m just a ghost in this house. I don’t mind if it rains. You took my body and soul. Exploring the meaning of songs from every genre of music. Prestwood thought that might make an interesting idea for a song, and wrote it down in his “song ideas” journal. Then when Alison Krauss recorded it, she took it where I had initially thought I wanted the song to be. I’m just a whisper of smoke. Finally, when Alison Krauss recorded it, Prestwood admitted that she took the song to where he initially thought he wanted it to go. Then a little while later, Rick Hall down in Muscle Shoals got it. That’s where the song came from, out of that mood that night. I’m shadow upon these walls. I’m all that’s left of two hearts on fire that once burned out of control. All Rights Reserved. The eerie music and lyrics to “Ghost in This House” will definitely break your heart and, at the same time, send shivers down your spine. I first got the idea for it while I was watching the movie, The Grapes of Wrath. He had already done a couple of my songs, but he was actually in between deals, so he was not in a position to record it the time I wrote it. It came out of a real pure emotion I had, which is where a lot of my best songs come from. There’s usually a line or two that I keep thinking I can improve and keep coming back to, and it usually drives me crazy until I get the last couple of pieces of the puzzle. I started imagining this big house with only one light on upstairs, with this great sense of emptiness and quiet. I'm just a ghost in this house I don't care if it rains, I don't care if it's clear, I don't mind stayin near, There's another ghost here, He sits down in your chair, And he shines with your light, And he lays down his head, On your pillow at night I'm just a ghost in this house, I'm just a shadow upon these walls, I'm … All rights reserved. This is especially true when you’re listening to Alison Krauss’s voice that pierces through you as she sings this heartbreak with haunted suffering. After Shenandoah cut “Ghost In This House,” Prestwood revealed that he had envisioned a somewhat darker version than the way Shenandoah did it. And I began thinking, “What if it had been a really serious accident, and I had lost her?” And it was a really dreary night and I started writing. At one point, he says, “I’m just an old graveyard ghost. Nine years later, bluegrass queen Alison Krauss recorded “Ghost In This House” on her album Forget About It, introducing a new generation of fans to the Shenandoah classic. If I were more of a co-writer, I probably would have moved there, but I tend to write by myself. He was co-producing Shenandoah at the time with Robert Byrne, and he played it for them and they liked it. This got Prestwod thinking, “What if this had been a really serious accident, and I had lost her?” It was a dreary night, and he started writing, composing lyrics, and began imagining this big house with only one light on upstairs, empty and quiet. Copyright 2020, Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC. I’m all that’s left of two hearts on fire that once burned out of control. Reprinted by permission of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC © 2011. I'm just a whisper of smoke C7 F I'm all that's left of two hearts on fire C That once burned out of control G7 That took my body and soul C I'm just a ghost in this house G7 C I'm just a ghost in this house I'm just a shadow upon these walls G7 C As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls It’s just two different ways of looking at the same song. I’m just a shadow upon these walls. The country band Shenandoah originally recorded “Ghost in This House” in 1990 at the height of their career, and it became the most gripping tune out of Shenandoah’s three-decade history. Hear Alison Krauss perform “Ghost In This House” in the video below. That’s all in the world I am.” Muley has just lost everything he owned and was broken and sad. About a year or so later, Prestwood’s wife got into a minor car wreck and suffered a lot for almost two months. My wife had been in a minor car wreck, so she was in a lot of pain for a month or two. As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls. I’m just a whisper of smoke. When she played it at the White House last year, she was there with Brad Paisley and both The New York Times and The Washington Post mentioned the song when they reviewed the show. I am a pretty slow, methodical writer. It was then “Ghost In This House” was born. About a year or so later, it was in the dead of winter. One of her song choices was “Ghost In This House,” and it received favorable reviews by The New York Times and The Washington Post, to which Prestwood thought was “kind of cool.”. I’m just a ghost in this house. I kept getting these images of smoke and matches and fire, too, so I put them into the song. And if I’m in Nashville for more than a week or so at a time, I start feeling pressure to hurry up and write. One scene that caught Prestwood’s attention was when the character named Muley told Tom Joad (Fonda) that he’s “just an old graveyard ghost. I’m just a ghost in this house,” the song goes.