Guest Musician: Garland Jeffreys

Ghost Writer

Music & Lyrics by Garland Jeffreys

 From the album Ghost Writer (1977)

Oh I used to stay up every night

I be so all alone

In my hand my trusty pen

I work it to the bone

Ghost writer, writer, writer, writer

Everybody thinks I’m doing fine

Ghost writer, writer, writer

I’m gonna lay you down a line

I used to live down on Ludlow Street 1964

Then I was so innocent

But now I know the score

Ghost writer, writer, writer, writer

That’s what they call me by name

Ghost writer, writer, writer

For fortune and for fame

We got Shakespeare, Spencer,

Sydney too

We all know what they do

I’m a poet of a kind

I know that you are too

Ghost writer, writer, writer, writer

Just tryina’ make my way

Ghost writer, writer, writer

I’m gonna lay one down today

We got Chaplin with his funny face

Jolson with his mask

Movie stars all in a race

I’m going to Hollywood at last

Ghost writer, writer

Like a phantom on the trail

Ghost writer, writer, writer

Yesterday I paid back all of my bail

I got buffaloed down on Barrow Street

Everybody knows it’s true

Now I’m standing on my two feet

You’re with me and I’m with you

Ghost writer, writer

I’m a New York city son

Ghost writer, writer, writer

Just tryna’ have my fun

I’ve been writing down these old stories now

For ’bout eighteen years or so

People are startin’ to call me a genius

I gotta’ tell ’em no, no, no, no

Ghost writer, writer

Tell me what do you have to do

Ghost writer, writer, writer, writer

To get your story through