SOTU 349: HALLOWEEN SONGS - ddanner

ddanner

Senior Member
UU VIP
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
535
Reaction score
2
Location
Roanoke, Virginia USA


WELCOME TO SEASON 349: HALLOWEEN SONGS

Please bring any covers or originals that you feel would make a good song to perform at a Halloween Party, and be sure to tell us who you have in mind as a target audience for each song. (e.g. children, mature adult, senior center, etc.) All of your songs do not have to target the same audience. Feel free to mix it up.

Originals are encouraged, and if you need any suggestions to get started on something new, I would encourage you to focus on the many activities often associated with Halloween or similar holidays. Activities such as dressing up in costumes, trick or treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, ghost stories, making candy apples, haunted houses, etc.

If you do not celebrate Halloween in your country, please feel free to tell us about what holiday you have that is the most similar (e.g. a harvest festival), and select or write songs that would be good to perform celebrating it.

The usual rules apply, and currently there is no limit to the number of songs you can submit. I have not yet determined what prizes will be awarded, and will try to announce it soon here. The content or nature of the songs that most impress may help determine what the prize(s) should be. I am looking for how well they capture the theme or spirit of Halloween (or corresponding holiday or event), and creativity. Bonus consideration may be given if you wish to perform in costume. :)

:music: SOTU 349: HALLOWEEN SONGS PLAYLIST


:anyone: ORIGINAL HALLOWEEN & FALL FESTIVAL SONGS WRITTEN BY SEASONISTAS PLAYLIST Both newly written as well as those done earlier are welcome here! Why not give the ones you like a go? Cover one of our own's songs, and Share it here on SOTU 349.
 
Last edited:
Halloween a poem by Violet Jacob

A poem written by Violet Jacob on hearing of her son's death at the Battle of the Somme

Code:
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]The tattie-liftin’s nearly through,[/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]They’re ploughin’ whaur the barley grew,
And efter dark, roond ilka stack,ª
Ye’ll hear the horsemen stand an’ crack*
Oh, Lachlan, but I mind on you ![/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]I mind foo[SUP]§[/SUP] often we hae seen
Ten thoosand stars keek[SUP]¶[/SUP] doon atween
The naked branches, an’ below
Baith fairm an’ bothyª hae their show,
A-low wi’ lichts o’ Hallowe’en.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]There’s bairns wi’ guisers at their tail
Clourin’ the doors wi’ runts** o’ kail, ∞
And fine ye’ ll hear the skreichs* an’ skirls[SUP]§[/SUP]
O’ lassies wi’ their droukit[SUP]¶[/SUP] curls
Bobbin’ for aipples i’ the pail.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]The bothy fire is loupin’ het,**
A new heid horseman’s kist ∞ is set
Richt o’ the lum; whaur by the bleeze
The auld ane stude that kept yer claes–
I canna thole* to see it yet![/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]But gin the auld fowks’ tales are richt
An ghaists come hame on Hallow nicht,
O freend o’ freends! what wad I gie
To feel ye rax[SUP]§[/SUP] yer hand to me
Atween the dark an’ caunle licht?[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]Awa in France, across the wave,
The wee lichts burn on ilka grave,
An’ you an’ me their lowe hae seen–
Ye’ll mebbe hae yer Hallowe’en
Yont,[SUP]¶[/SUP] whaur ye’re lyin’ wi’ the lave.**[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]There’s drink an’ daffin’, ∞ sang an’ dance
And ploys and kisses get their chance,
But Lachlan, man, the place I see
Is whaur the auld kist used to be
And the lichts o’ Hallowe’en in France![/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]______________[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#333333][FONT=Tahoma]ª stack: haystack
* crack: chat, gossip
§ foo: the Doric for how
¶ keek: peep
ª bothy: a building on a farm where the unmarried male farmwokers lived
** runts: stalks
∞ kail: kale or cabbage
* skreichs: screeches
§ skirls: screams
¶ droukit: soaking wet
** loupin het: here, the fire’s flames are leaping and hot
∞ kist: chest, travelling trunk
* thole: * bear, endure
§ rax:  stretch out, reach out
¶ Yont: *over there
**the lave: ** the rest, the others
∞ daffin:  silly, often flirtatious behaviour[COLOR=#222222][FONT=Verdana]
[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]
 
There is ONLY one place to start this week. Make a cuppa beforehand, you'll need it.

 
This one suited to an adult audience.Preferably one that might know Jackson C. Frank.The lyrics have a strange menace and the music matches.


Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
They got little pointed heads and pointed teeth
Tail beneath their legs about four feet
With their pot-bellied skeletons drowning in defeat

Halloween is black as night it seems
No one asks how they got that way
No one hits them hard enough to pray
No school, no work, no jobs
Every incident a mob’s

Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Little killers for over fifty years
From dictators to followers with spears
No national relief, no government belief

Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
From cannibals finally to Dachau
Feed them and they'll kill you somehow
When dealing with the nations
Sniper fire in all directions

Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
Halloween is black as night it seems
 
Here's one by a guy called Jamie T that's ridiculously fun to play. Featuring impromptu percussion from Louise and Nathan as they tidy toys up, and a nice cackle from Nathan too.

 
When winter comes: Original song for SOTU 349 dealing with Harvest festival time.
Written in the Ayrshire dialect.
 
Here’s a Tom Waits song. I added claves and synth electric piano.

 
Somewhere along the line, I decided that the best way to spend any Halloween was tripping-out at rock shows. I got over that, but here is a bit of (feeble by comparison) nostalgia for "The Good Old Days."

I had to choose between take one and take two, because no more could be had...my voice would break at the end after that. No mas!

 
Last edited:
Here's one from David Allan Coe's 1969 debut album, which was a blues album. These type of songs are really fun for me to try. This was my 2nd take. Listen if you dare....

 

Ummmm, rule breaker! I should be shot!
Wrote and recorded sometime ago :)

Code:
“My Favorite Holiday”
 
G                             
This is the day to do the deed.
               D7
Let your yard grow tall with sticker 

weeds.

Put some grave stones there

Add an arm and a leg

        G
For the children who all come around to

 beg.

     C           G        C         G
Yes, this is the night to have some fun.
   C         G             D7     G
To scare the pants off the little ones.

G                                       
Have chilling sounds throughout  the air.
D7              
Guaranteed to raise all of their hair.

Don’tcha love all the ghosts and the

 goblins these days.

     G
They all come by in such an array

     C           G        C         G
Yes, this is the night to have some fun.
   C         G             D7     G
To scare the pants off the little ones.

 G
They’ve got vampire costumes and witches
 
galore.
          D7
That they all got down at the Walmart 

store.

I bet I’ll see, to my dismay,
  G
A Trump or two headed my way.




           C             G               
Well, they say “Trick or Treat” and
  C        G
 “Smell my feet”.
C        G           D7      G
Yeah, oh boy, ain’t  life so sweet.

G
We’ve all just come home from the haunted 

house.
    D7
The kids have all started to whine and

 pout.

Let’s divvy up the candy, hide our 

Favorites away.

      G
Can’t wait for the next Halloween Day.

  
     C           G        C         G
Yes, this is the night to have some fun.
   C         G             D7     G
To scare the pants off the little ones.

           C             G               
Well, they say “Trick or Treat” and
  C        G
 “Smell my feet”.

C        G           C      D7    G
Yeah, oh boy, ain’t  life…. So…… sw….eet!
 
Last edited:
Dennis, great theme!

I think songs about serial killers are perfect for Halloween.

We get new folks at our uke jam all the time. Folks come and go, for various reasons. About a year ago, a lovely woman, I suppose in her 30s, came for the first time. She seemed to be having a blast until we played this. It was clear to me she had never heard the song before. As we sang joyfully along (one of our regulars even had an anvil sound effect on his smart phone), her eyes got wider and wider. She started shaking her head in disbelief. Clearly, she was horrified. She stayed until the end, we all exchanged pleasantries, and we never saw her again.

Enjoy!

 
Greetings,

Sounds like fun. Cool.

Ciao
 
Here's an amazing song I never heard before today by "The Austin Lounge Lizards". This would be a really fun song to do at a Halloween party. It has so many lyrics in it I had to have my wife scroll them as I read them off during the take, and she was on her way out the door, so it was one take or bust. It's easy to tell I only had one take at this, and I ran out of breath halfway thru, but by golly I tried. The noise you hear me make at the end of the video is because our dog jumped on me as I was laying on the floor, which I didn't know was coming, but it fits the theme.....

 
I am at it again. Breaking the rules! This is another song I wrote at the same time that I wrote the last one I posted. I hope you like these two originals.


Code:
“Living Dead” by Janet Tolin


Dm               Gm
This is the day, this is the night
     Dm                   F           A7
I’ve put up the scary and errie green lights
Dm                     Gm
Forget about all of my troubles today
    F                  A7       Dm
Have some fun with the kids and celebrate

Dm                           Gm
The moon is up high, pumpkin slimes in my eye
 Dm                                F             A7
I scoop out the seeds, roast those treats that I need
    Dm           Gm
The TV is set to tape scary movies
  F                        A7        Dm
I sit on the floor with my dog and I worry

     Dm                   Gm
Do I have enough candy to feed all the kids
          Dm                          F        A7
When they come to the door with their arms outstretched
     Dm                Gm
I’ve got to remember I love all this dread
F                  A7         Dm
Especially on this day of the dead


     Dm                    Gm
Dead Daddy is out with our tiniest ghost
       Dm                    F         A7
And my hand is cramping from being the host

       Dm                        Gm
Cuz my costume’s a puppet with a growly voice
        F                         A7          Dm
I can’t talk the next morning but that was my choice

    Dm                       Gm
Oh, children are happy, well fed on the candy
    Dm                     F            A7
I’m feelin’ just fine, I’m feelin’ just dandy
      Dm                  Gm
Lotta walkin’ to do afore I go to bed

F                           A7     Dm      Dm
Tomorrow I’ll feel like the living dead, living dead
D7        C#7       C7        B7            A#7            Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll feel like the
A7      Dm
 living dead
 
Last edited:
"halloween" by :bowdown: siouxsie and the banshees

target audience for this song would, i think, be teens plus, and middle-aged people who were teens (or thereabouts) when the ju ju album it was on, first came out in 1981 (i can't really comment on any of this, as i'm only 29 :uhoh: and indeed HAVE been 29 for years and YEARS now ;) )



i tuned my bari to open G power chord (DGGD) for this

because i love how it sounds!

but the song does work with regular chords and standard tuning

N.B. i couldn't find any chords to this song, so the chords below are just a guess, for what fits my take on the song...

[D] [C] [D] [C]
[D] The night is still
And the [C] frost, it bites my face
I [D] wear my silence like a mask
And [C] murmur like a ghost
[G] "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[G] "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[D] [D]

[D] The carefree days are distant now
I wear my [C] memories like a shroud
I [D] try to speak, but words collapse
[C] Echoing, echoing, [C] "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[D] "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[D] [D]
[D] I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween
Halloween... Halloween
[C] [D] [C] [D]
[D] [D]

[D] A sweet reminder in the [C] ice-blue nursery
Of a [D] childish murder of hidden lustre
[C] And she cries, [G]"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[G]"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The [C] bitter and the sweet
[D] [D]

[D] I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween
Halloween... Halloween
[C] [D] oh [C] oh [D] oh [C] oh [D] oh [C] oh [D]
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom