Halloween Songs

Entertainment and Media - Music

By: MBarrett 14-Oct-2011

Introduction:

Halloween is my favorite time of year, yet despite that I don't listen to much Halloween music. That is not to say that I do not have songs that I love this time of year, but nothing beats Christmas songs in my book. I think it is because for most of Halloween, I am kept much to busy dealing with kids and trick-or-treating so I rarely get a chance to listen to any music. Halloween tends to be a holiday around our house that is one day a year, but Christmas spirit tends to start after Thanksgiving and last for a very long time. However, during this time of year I love to hear a good Halloween song now and again and these ones top my list.

The Legend of the Dogman Song

"In 67 a van-load of hippies, told a park-ranger named Quinlin, they'd been awakened in the night by a scratch at the window, there was a dogman looking in and grinning." I had lived in a small town in Michigan called Luther for the better part of my life, I know this local folk song very well. This song and the stories of the Dogman have been a ghost story told to young people in the upper part of Lower Michigan for decades. The song and the story actually started out as an April Fools Day joke, interestingly enough. April 1st, 1987 a local broadcaster named Steve Cook put a poem to music. That poem became The Legend of the Dogman song and features a mix of fact and fiction as well as myth and legend. Steve Cook had no idea that the April Fools Day joke was going to turn into one of the biggest Michigan horror stories and a Halloween tradition. If your interested in this song, you can do a yahoo search for The Legend of the Dogman song and you will find a youtube video which features the song. Luther, Traverse City, Reed City, Big Rapids, Wexford County, Lake County, Macosta County, no matter where you are from in the upper part of Lower Michigan at Halloween time you will be hearing this song.

This Is Halloween

A Nightmare Before Christmas featured this wonderful song. This is one of those songs that once you hear it, its in your head for the next few days and you will be running around going "This is Halloween, everybody make a scene." Its a fun song and the kids will love it just as much as you do.

Thriller

No list would be complete without the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Thriller has made history from its high budget music video with great dance moves, to its creepy sense of story telling, not to mention Vincent Price and that wicked laugh.

Devil Woman

Devil Woman was a song performed by Cliff Richard. Its a story song that tells the tale of a man that crosses paths with a cat that has evil eyes. The cat seemingly jinxes him and he goes to a gypsy to help remove the curse only to discover that the gypsy was the one that put it on him. This is a great song, that is heavily guitar driven and has been covered by Riot and Cradle of Filth.

Nightmare on My Street

I admit it, when I was a kid listening to this song, it freaked me out. I remember the first time I seen Nightmare on Elm Street and that theme music put butterflies in my stomach. Then when DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince did Nightmare on My Street, I got to feel that same scared feeling all over again. This song is a nice little story based on the Nightmare on Elm Street movie, were Will Smith recalls his encounter with Freddy Krueger.