Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” Lyrics Meaning

The simplest way of describing Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” is as it being about the singer missing someone he loves. The lyrics are very powerful, in that they can easily give the impression that he is singing about someone who has died. 

However, the Biebs has more or less confirmed that such is not the case. Rather many popular musicians, in their own respective ways, have tackled the coronavirus in song. Interestingly, “Ghost” is actually Justin Bieber’s musical response to the pandemic. 

And being the person whom he is, he was touched by the fact that, in his own words, some loved ones became excommunicated from each other during said crisis.

And even beyond the virus itself, Justin is able to recognize that sometimes people just become physically separated for a myriad of reasons. Indeed as he further explained, perhaps two people may be part of each other’s lives “for a season”, and then they aren’t. 

So in his own explanation of “Ghost”, Justin doesn’t describe it as being a love song. Rather generally speaking the loved one can also be akin to, say a friend for instance. Indeed we’ve all likely had close relationships in the past that one day they were there and the next was just permanently over.

Addressee

But that being noted, within the song itself pretty much from the first verse the singer establishes that this is in fact a romantic interest he is addressee. 

Such is logically implied considering that the states he ‘misses this person’s touch’.  Like that isn’t the type of thing you would say to a platonic friend or family member per se.

He also implies that he took their relationship for granted. But now she has “cross(ed) the bridge that he can’t follow’. And what this apparently means is that as far as he’s concerned – for whatever unexplained reason – the two of them will never end up back together. 

So now all he has left are memories of her, which is what the titular “ghost” represents.

And once again going back to the thesis sentiment, it features the vocalist missing this person “more than life”. In fact concerning her venturing off into the sunset, ‘if he could’ he would leave his own livelihood behind and “follow” her. 

And along those same lines “her memory is ecstasy”, another statement connoting that their relationship was amorous in nature.

All in all…

Despite the above, the song still possesses sort of a general applicability, as the Biebs alluded to in his overall explanation of it. For instance, there aren’t any gender pronouns contained therein. 

So barring the two romantic-sounding statements above, the lyrics of this track can perhaps be stretched to the point where one can argue they are not geared toward an ex.

However as far as the surface presentation goes, i.e. deciphering the song without relying on Bieber’s external explanation, then it’s a no-brainer that he is addressing an ex-girlfriend. 

In fact it is so obvious that the internet is ablaze with conspiracy theories arguing that “Ghost” is actually about Selena Gomez, whom the Biebs dated oh so many years ago.

Selena Gomez

The aforementioned Selena Gomez who, like Justin Bieber, is one of the most-successful singers in the world, dated the Biebs. Their relationship was very inconsistent for almost eight full years, from early 2010 to late 2018. 

The same year that they definitively broke up, in 2018, was also the same year that Justin went on to marry Hailey Baldwin, someone whom Bieber also had been dating since 2015. 

But even ’til now after getting married, he may occasionally drop a song that some fans feel is actually about Selena Gomez.  Perhaps such is to be expected considering how long they dated, and the fact that, as a result, many people (i.e. Jelenas, as they are called) may never be able not to see them as a couple. 

But by and large such theories are never backed up by any actual proof. For instance, the most-telling evidence in this particular track is supposed to be something like the name of the song being inspired by an old Selena Gomez tune from 2010 entitled “Ghost of You“.

Writing Credits for “Ghost”

Justin Bieber wrote this song alongside the following:

• Michael Pollack
• Jon Bellion
• Monsters & Strangerz members Stefan Johnson and Jordan K. Johnson 

And it was also The Monsters & Strangerz (as a unit) as well as Bellion who produced the track.

Release Date of “Ghost”

This song is derived from Justin Bieber’s “Justice”, his sixth-studio album, which came out on 19 March 2021. 

It is a product of Def Jam Records, a label traditionally associated with rap music that has since ventured off into other genres. And other labels that supported it are Universal Music as well as Scooter Braun’s Schoolboy Records, RBMG Records and SB Projects.

Justin didn’t release this as a single. The songs that Justin officially released as singles from his sixth studio project are as follows:

• “Peaches”
• “Hold On”
• “Anyone”
• “Lonely”
• “Holy“