Ghostbusters Theme Song Lyrics

In 1984, Ray Parker Jr. was asked to write a theme song for the upcoming movie Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Director Ivan Reitman had originally wanted Elmer Bernstein, who scored Animal House and Stripes for him in the past, to compose it. However, Reitman had also wanted to use a popular song as well, to give the film more appeal across a wider age range. When Bernstein declined to do both, Reitman turned to Parker Jr., who accepted.

Parker wrote two songs for the film: “Ghostbusters” and “Ghostbusters (Instrumental)”. Reitman felt the latter was too similar to Huey Lewis and the News’ “I Want a New Drug”, which had been released earlier that year.

Ghostbusters Theme Song And Lyrics

The song’s music video features the stars of the film, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson (as well as Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver in brief appearances), lip-syncing the song with Parker on vocals while they are driving around Manhattan in Ecto-1, an ambulance/hearse combo that is their main transport in the movie (the vehicle was actually a modified 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor).

The video also includes scenes from the film. During the making of the “Ghostbusters” music video, all five actors appeared together for only one day. As part of his contract for performing the song, Parker was given a “limited edition” ’59 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance/hearse combination car — which he later sold to singer Michael Jackson in 1989 for US$200,000.

The song is said to have been recorded in just three hours, and the last-minute nature of the request for the song is said to be the reason the song’s lyrics are rather ambiguous and vague.

On January 22, 2016, during his acceptance speech after winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his work in the 2015 film The Martian, Matt Damon jokingly gave future credit to Ghostbusters as having contributed to his acting abilities early in his career.

The song was ranked at number 55 in Billboard magazine’s top 100 songs of the 1984 list.

Ghostbusters Lyrics

If there’s somethin strange in your neighborhood
Who ya gonna call ghostbusters
If it’s somethin weird an it won’t look good
Who ya gonna call ghostbusters

I ain’t afraid a no ghost
I ain’t afraid a no ghost
If you’re seein things runnin thru your head
Who can you call ghostbusters

An invisible man sleepin in your bed
Oh who ya gonna call ghostbusters
I ain’t afraid a no ghost
I ain’t afraid a no ghost
Who ya gonna call ghostbusters
If you’re all alone pick up the phone
An call ghostbusters

I ain’t afraid a no ghost
I hear it likes the girls
I ain’t afraid a no ghost
Who you gonna call ghostbusters

Mm if you’ve had a dose
Of a freaky ghost baby
You better call ghostbusters
Bustin makes me feel good
I ain’t afraid a no ghosts

Don’t get caught alone oh no ghostbuster
When he comes through your door
Unless you’ve just got some more
I think you better call ghostbusters

Ooh who you gonna call ghostbusters
Who you gonna call ghostbusters
Ah I think you better call ghostbusters

I can’t hear you ghostbusters
Who you gonna call ghostbusters
Louder ghostbusters
Who you gonna call ghostbusters
Who you can call ghostbusters

Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters

Original Ghostbusters Theme Song