David Gilmour is no stranger to long breaks between albums and singles. After the release of the studio album ‘Rattle That Lock’ in 2015, ‘Yes I Have Ghosts’ (July 3, 2020) marks his first release after 5 long years. 

Originally revealed in an audiobook edition of Polly Samson’s latest book 'A Theater for Dreamers' (2020), the waltz single features David Gilmour's daughter, Romany Gilmour, on harp and backing vocals.

This is the first time the father and daughter have collaborated together for a song. 

The musical side of 'Yes I Have Ghosts' Song

Recently, Gilmour has been leaning on beautiful ballads as his "go-to" style as we have heard in the albums 'On An Island' (2006) and 'Rattle That Lock' (2015). 

'Yes, I Have Ghosts' is yet another ballad that inspires calmness like no other.  

David Gilmour's waltzing acoustic guitar line and calm, soulful voice blends beautifully together along with daughter Romany Gilmour’s harp and backing vocals. The waltzing rhythm of the song perfectly paints a picture of the warm, sunny, and peaceful vibe of Greece. 

For the listeners and long-time fans of David Gilmour and Pink Floyd, the song is definitely a treat for the ears. The song is just so beautiful that it leaves you wanting more. 

In a statement on his website, David Gilmour revealed that his daughter Romany had stepped up to replace the single's back-up singers in light of the Covid-19 lockdown. 

Why didn't Romany Gimlour Break-out Earlier?

The answer to the question at hand is the fact that Romany Gilmour simply hadn’t thought of it. In music or in any form of art, the motto many artists live by is “limitation breeds creativity” and in the case of Romany, it proved to be true. 

We can only speculate how the song would have sounded had Gilmour recorded with his backing singers. Needless to say, the song would probably have gravitated towards his previous works like ‘The Blue’ or ‘Smile’. 

In recent years, members of the Gilmour family have been featured in David Gilmour's works. 

David Gilmour had previously collaborated with his son, Gabriel Gilmour in his 2015 album ‘Rattle That Lock.’

In the song, Gabriel had recorded piano in the track ‘In Any Tongue.'

'Yes I Have Ghosts' Songwriting & Representation

 ‘Yes, I have Ghosts’ presents a minimalist way of songwriting. It’s a perfect example of how sometimes we disregard simplicity.

Furthermore, the song perfectly captures the rawness of the artists, poets, and musicians mentioned in the book; it is as if the character of Leonard Cohen (based on singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen) picked up the guitar and began to sing. 

An Ode to Leonard Cohen 

David's 'Yes I Have Ghosts' pays a tribute to Cohen whose contributions to the literary and musical world are limitless. Cohen’s songs take inspiration from American folk music and deeply introspective lyrics. 

The use of the Harp and the sheer minimalism of the song pays homage to Cohen’s stylistic choices.

In September 1960, Leonard Cohen—who was pursuing a career in writing—bought a house in Hydra, Greece with the money he had inherited from his grandmother.

In the book ‘A Theatre for Dreamers’, the 18-year-old character, Erica, meets this version of Cohen. 

Set in the early 1960s, the book follows an 18-year-old girl Erica who escapes her controlling father in London and travels to the island of Hydra in Greece.

Upon reaching there, she lives with a colony of talented but troubled bohemians writers, painters, and artists, including Leonard Cohen.

When Can We Expect a New Release from Gilmour?

David Gilmour has been known to take solid gaps when it comes to releasing new material.

Although we have been seeing Gilmour going live covering songs on YouTube with his family in the promotion of Samson's new book, it is very unlikely that we will see anything from him for a long time.

However, the long gaps mean that Gilmour will put in all his energy and hard work in his upcoming releases as we have seen.