On Friday 3rd July, legendary British musician David Gilmour delighted fans with the wide release of Yes, I Have Ghosts. The song was previously exclusive to the audiobook version of Polly Samson’s A Theatre For Dreamers, the novelist and lyricist being Gilmour’s wife and longtime collaborator.
Premiering at Number 2 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List upon its April 2020 release, Samson’s literary fiction A Theatre For Dreamers is set on Greek Island Hydra during the 1960’s, and centres around a community of bohemian artists.
Echoing a dark lullaby, the track opens with a smooth isolated guitar, and swells with emotive instrumentation throughout. Gilmour’s haunting lyrics, such as “The heat of the sun stayed through the night/Made spectres of strangers playing games with my sight” and “Where is the sweet soul that you used to be/Gone like a thistle that’s blown on the breeze” play like mythical folklore, evidencing Gilmour’s undeniable strength as a storyteller.
Yes, I Have Ghosts is the first song from David Gilmour in half a decade, and one of many wonderful collaborations between Gilmour and wife Samson. Samson stated in a press release that “collaborating with David, we were able to bring together the worlds of literature and music to enhance the listening experience and connect with audiences in a way which I don’t think has been done before”
The former Pink Floyd frontman also creatively collaborated with his 18 year old daughter, Romany Gilmour. Consequential of Covid-19, Gilmour’s creative direction for the record was altered. The epic guitarist said: “I was working on this song as we went into lockdown and had to cancel a session with backing singers. As it turned out, the solution was right here and I couldn’t be happier with the way Romany’s voice blends with mine. Her beautiful harp playing has been another revelation.”
A talented artist in her own right, Romany Gilmour’s delicate vocals and exquisite harp skills are integral to the record’s enchanting, hypnotic nature. David and Romany Gilmour performed Yes, I Have Ghosts on Gilmour’s YouTube channel, premiering the single to over 516,000 subscribers, which has already received 279,000 views.
Gilmour also took to Instagram on Friday 3rd July and posted news of his release to over 780,000 thrilled followers. A short video clip from the Yes, I Have Ghosts music video, the rock legend is featured poised on the beach, the camera moving between close-ups of the guitar and shots of a quiet cemetery.
Gilmour relayed details of the music video in the caption: “The video for my song, ‘Yes, I Have Ghosts’ (with lyrics by @pollysamson and harp/vocals from @romany.rose) is available now on YouTube”. Already widely popular, the post received over 190,000 views and thus a joyous reception from Gilmour’s extensive Instagram following.
A song quietly moves you, Yes, I Have Ghosts will pull on the heartstrings of any Pink Floyd fan, its beautiful melancholia impossible to ignore.
Yes, I Have Ghosts is out now.
