Gretchen Peters Presents a Frightening Reality on “Arguing With Ghosts”

dancing with the beast

Peters new single, “Arguing With Ghosts,” further solidifies her role as a master of sad songs. With its quiet acoustics and warm, atmospheric tone, this track deals with the frustration of growing older – at least on the surface. Truth be told, it’s hard to tell what the real meaning is, as Peters touches upon so many subtle details that the song could have a multitude of meanings, despite coming to a cohesive conclusion by its end.

At first, the track explores the mind of a narrator expressing her frustrations at how her town has changed, as well as how she’s changed in appearance. While it seems to foreshadow some type of memory disorder, it’s worth noting that she’s well aware of these changes. As she recalls past times with her friends, mother and husband, she offers her perspective on the passage of time, and how ultimately, who we are is constantly changing from who we’ve been. That’s why there’s no sense in trying to argue with these changes, because it’s ultimately useless – time governs us.

On “Disappearing Act,” Peters lamented how people can leave us at any point in time. Here, it’s like she’s remembering those very people with wistfulness, as if there’s now a grayness where there once was color. Despite this, she fights, if only for herself to make those fallen loved ones proud.

Both tracks focus on that inevitable end and days gone by. It’s also intriguing to hear what the title of her new album, Dancing With The Beast will ultimately mean. Will that beast be a metaphor for life itself? Peters had different characters in mind for all of her upcoming tunes, meaning there’s a different dance every time, and ultimately thus far, it ends with an uneasy, but truthful ending. What makes it all the more alluring is that uneasiness, with the listener being left to wonder what dance awaits them next.

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