Ghost Blues - Loudon Wainwright III

My old dog misses me so

To the beach, to the dog park, he don’t wanna go

He lies there, waiting at the foot of my bed

Because he knows I’m right there, even though I’m dead

Your late husband, that would be me

I’ve been gone so long I’m just a faint memory

I’ve been disparaged in passing by your friends late at night

I blew out the candles all on, that served him right

The day that I died, I knew I was toast

Next thing I was hanging out with Marley’s ghost

Hamlet’s father, he’s a friend of mine

That old cane can’t keep from crying

At my memorial service there was quite a turnout

Some stayed away, hey, what was that all about?

Tell me, didn’t she love me, didn’t he care?

Nobody saw me, but I was right there

(I was doing a head count)

Now I’m out of the picture, yeah, I’m off of the book

Just a chunk of time, that was all that it took

Was it a shot from a gun, a slip of a knife

I don’t know what killed me, Lord, it might have been life

I had a few children, wrote a few songs

I got some of it right and a lot of it wrong

I bought a few houses, a few boats, a few cars

Being a ghost you might as well be on Mars

(‘Cause you’re so far out)

Being a ghost, yeah, you’re just in between

Each and every day of the year’s Halloween

Hanging around, but you’re not really there

You’re hovering over your own old easy chair

Lord, I was hoping for heaven, yeah, that would’ve been swell

‘Cause being a ghost, ah, is like being in hell

You’re hungry and you’re tired and you can’t get no rest

And though I’d settle for heaven, oblivion would be best

I’ve been flying around, rattling chains

Appearing in mirrors just to make you insane

Making those noises in your house late at night

Yeah, I got to haunt you even though it ain’t right

My old dog, he misses me so

To the beach, to the dog park, he don’t wanna go

He lies there, waiting at the foot of my bed

Because he knows I’m right there, even though I’m dead