Following on from ‘Wander‘, Roger Jaeger’s single, ‘Grandpa’s Ghost’, builds a sense of both nostalgia and longing, with his soft haunting vocals, and gentle acoustic guitar strums.
Although they were never able to meet in life, ‘Grandpa’s Ghost’ sees Roger Jaeger take a look at what he’d have had, if his grandfather had not died from smoking-related lung cancer before he was born. He asks the question, “What advice would he have given me if we had met?” and laments that he’d never heard his sage wisdom, and had to settle for imagination instead.
Jaeger sings, “I think he’d look me straight in the eye and say, ‘My boy I know what it’s like,’” and, “you can gain the whole world with a hole in your chest.” Harnessing the power of legacy, he shares that family ties can reach far beyond the physical world, and be passed down through the generations with love and care, by way of shared memories.
Just as with ‘Wander’, the music video for ‘Grandpa’s Ghost’ is directed by Marcus Mezzano. We see Roger as he joins his grandfather for a ride down dusty back roads, separated both physically and metaphorically by the flat bed of the old truck. His grandfather smokes his cigarette while keeping a watchful eye on the truck’s bed, as they traverse down the bumpy road. The sun starts to set as they travel together for the last time, coming full circle as the truck pulls into the driveway, and Jaeger’s own grandson gets in, joining a much older and wiser Jaeger, who is able to share his stories and wisdom.
It’s a beautiful video, and you can watch it below.
Find out more about Roger Jaeger and his music online on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
