ghost of truth

Reviewing lyrics of The Band's song, "Ophelia," wondered --

"the ghost is clear"
??
!!
?
That's not even an expression!
I don't know why I rely on these lyrics posted on official Lyrics sites on internet: feel that it should be like Encyclopedia, sort of a Received Wisdom, but now think maybe should just listen to songs myself & type what I hear. And what makes sense.

...because -- it's got to be "the coast is clear."

"The coast is clear."
"The coast is clear!"
OK, that's an expression.
But how could a "ghost" be clear?
And -- hello? What ghost??
There was no ghost...!
makes no sense

this is the paradox of the internet:
we can look up Everything on "It"
and we may get true information
and we may get wrong information,
or incomplete information.

It's like, if it was wrong all the time, that would be better because at least it would be consistent -- you could look up the information, & then simply realize that the opposite is true. But it's inconsistent, that's the problem.
One of the problems.

Is it making our very lives less stable, because truth itself is called into question? Or sometimes disregarded?

-30-