Sonic Youth Gossip - The Story of Frederick the Ghost

Lads and lasses, I will tell you of a dream I once had. It was in the summer of '97. I distinctly remember this because I was dying of pneumonia at the time, and, well, thank God up in heaven that they aided my health. Thank God for the health system in this country of mine, I do declare.

This dream was, in fact, tied to my sickness, in a roundabout way. I dreamed that a ghost was inhabiting my body. As if I were possessed, taken over by this... being. It was a very frightening thing. He made me do things I would have never imagined I had the courage in myself to do. I talked to a ladybug and became its friend, for example. This ladybug, he (for the ladybug was male, not a lady, as the name so logically suggests) told me of his homeless life. He starved every day of his life. He was a poor slum bug, that. I tried to help him. I gave him crumbs of my bread. He offered no thanks. I quickly squashed the bug. Do you know what happened next? The bug turned into a beautiful dove and it flew away, off into the distance.

Now I have a secret. Everything I just told you is true. I lied when I told you all the events that have taken place with the ladybug and the ghost were a dream. The ghost, see, transformed this ladybug into a dove. This ghost was a magician in a past life. A very powerful warlock. He could do dreadful things, if he truly wished to do so, but for the most part, he has decided to commit acts of kindness. He turns my pumpkins in my pumpkin patch into instant pumpkin pie, as well. He's a very good ghost.

See, this all relates to dreaming, because I met this fine fellow in the dream world.. he followed me back into reality, lonely, looking for a friend. I tried to say no out of fear, but he convinced me he would aid me in life. So there you have it. That is how I became possessed by Frederick the ghost.