Born in Los Angeles, he entered the film industry in 1976, initially as an actor. He made his film scoring debut in 1980 for the film Forbidden Zone directed by his older brother Richard Elfman. He has since been nominated for four Academy Awards and won a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for Tim Burton's Batman and an Emmy Award for his Desperate Housewives theme. Elfman was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 2002 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.
He is the son of novelist Blossom Elfman and the brother of director Richard Elfman.
Elfman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Blossom Elfman (née Bernstein), a writer and teacher, and Milton Elfman, a community in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles. He spent much of his time in the local movie theatre, adoring the music of such film composers as Bernard Herrmann and Franz Waxman.
Stating that he hung out with the "band nerds" in high school, he started a ska band. After dropping out of high school, he followed his brother Richard to France, where he performed with Le Grand Magic Circus, an avant-garde musical theater group. Violin in tow, Elfman next journeyed to Africa where he traveled through Ghana, Mali, and Upper Volta, absorbing new musical styles, including the Ghanaian highlife genre which would eventually influence his own music. Elfman contracted malaria during his one-year stay and was often sick. Eventually he returned home to the United States, where he began to take Balinese music lessons at the CalArts. He was never officially a student at the institute, nonetheless, the instructor encouraged him to continue learning. Elfman stated, "He just laughed, and said, 'Sit. Play.' I continued to sit and play for a couple years." At this time, his brother was forming a new musical theater group, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The group performed the music for Richard's debut feature film, Forbidden Zone. Danny Elfman composed his first score for the film and played the role of Satan. By the time the movie was completed, they had taken the name Oingo Boingo and begun recording and touring as a rock group.
In 1985, Tim Burton and Paul Reubens invited Elfman to write the score for their first feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Elfman was apprehensive at first because of his lack of formal training, but with orchestration assistance from Oingo Boingo guitarist and arranger Steve Bartek, he achieved his goal of emulating the mood of such composers as Nino Rota and Bernard Herrmann. In the booklet for the first volume of Music for a Darkened Theatre, Elfman described the first time he heard his music played by a full orchestra as one of the most thrilling experiences of his life.[citation needed] Elfman immediately developed a rapport with Burton and has gone on to score all but two of Burton's major studio releases: Ed Wood, scored by Howard Shore, which was under production while Elfman and Burton were having a fight, and Sweeney Todd, an adaptation of the 1979 Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical. He also, more recently, accompanied Tim Burton in the composition of music for "Almost Alice", the soundtrack for Alice in Wonderland.
Burton has said of his relationship with Elfman: "We don't even have to talk about the music. We don't even have to intellectualize – which is good for both of us, we're both similar that way. We're very lucky to connect" (Breskin, 1997).
In 2021 he released "Big Mess", his first non-soundtrack album since 1984's "So-Lo", which is often considered to rather be an Oingo Boingo album due to the presence of many other band members.
Elfman has three children: Lola, born in 1979; Mali, born in 1984; and Oliver, born in 2005. On November 29, 2003, Elfman married film actress Bridget Fonda. In 1997 he scored A Simple Plan – his only score for one of her films to date (although he did compose a cue for the film Army of Darkness, in which Fonda has a cameo). He is the uncle of actor Bodhi Elfman who is married to actress Jenna Elfman, known most notably in her role as Dharma in the TV series Dharma and Greg.
Alice`s Theme
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So near, so far or in between
What have you heard what have you seen
Alice, Alice, please, Alice
Oh, tell us are you big or small
To try this one or try them all
It's such a long, long way to fall
How can you know this way not that
You choose the door you choose the path
Perhaps you should be coming back
Another day, another day
And nothing is quite what is seems
You're dreaming are you dreaming, oh, Alice
Alice
(Oh, how will you find your way? Oh, how will you find your way)
(There's no time for tears today. There's no time for tears today)
So many doors, how did you choose
So much to gain so much to lose
So many things got in your way
No time today, no time today
Be careful not to lose your head
Just think of what the doormouse said Alice
Did someone pull you by the hand
How many miles to Wonderland
Please tell us so we'll understand
Alice, Alice, oh, Alice
Oh, how will you find your way
Oh, how will you find your way
The lyrics in Danny Elfman’s Alice’s Theme reflect the confusion and uncertainty that the main character Alice experiences as she navigates the surreal and often nonsensical world of Wonderland. The chorus, “Alice, Alice, oh, Alice,” captures the frustration and helplessness she feels as she tries to make sense of the chaotic world around her. The lines, “How can you know this way not that / You choose the door, you choose the path,” highlight the pressure Alice faces in making decisions that will lead her to the right path or outcome.
The song also touches on the theme of identity, with the lines, “Oh, tell us are you big or small / To try this one or try them all / It’s such a long, long way to fall.” Alice is forced to confront and question her own sense of self and place in the world, struggling with the idea of growing up and finding her own path. In the end, the lyrics suggest that although it may be difficult, Alice must make her own choices and find her own way through Wonderland, even if that means risking failure or making mistakes along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Alice, dear where have you been
Asking Alice where she has been, whether she is nearby, distant, or somewhere in between.
So near, so far or in between
Wondering if Alice is in the nearby vicinity, far away, or somewhere in between.
What have you heard what have you seen
Curious about what Alice has experienced and witnessed during her travels.
Alice, Alice, please, Alice
Asking Alice to respond and share her experiences and adventures.
Oh, tell us are you big or small
Asking Alice about her size, whether she is big or small.
To try this one or try them all
Encouraging Alice to experiment and try different paths and options.
It's such a long, long way to fall
Warning Alice about the potential consequences of her choices and actions.
Alice, Alice, oh, Alice
Calling out to Alice and pleading with her to answer.
How can you know this way not that
Questioning Alice's decision-making and wondering how she can confidently choose one path over another.
You choose the door you choose the path
Acknowledging that Alice has the power to make her own choices and decide her own fate.
Perhaps you should be coming back
Suggesting that Alice should maybe retrace her steps and explore her options more thoroughly before proceeding.
Another day, another day
Positing that perhaps Alice should wait and come back to make a decision at another time.
And nothing is quite what is seems
Reminding Alice that things are not always as they appear or seem.
You're dreaming are you dreaming, oh, Alice
Suggesting that Alice may be in a dreamlike state and questioning whether or not she is truly awake.
Alice
Addressing Alice and calling out to her.
(Oh, how will you find your way? Oh, how will you find your way)
Wondering how Alice will navigate her way through the strange and uncertain world she finds herself in.
(There's no time for tears today. There's no time for tears today)
Asserting that there is no time to cry or feel sorry for oneself, as there is much to be done and explored.
So many doors, how did you choose
Noting the many options available to Alice and questioning how she made her decision.
So much to gain so much to lose
Highlighting the potential risks and rewards of Alice's choices and actions.
So many things got in your way
Acknowledging the obstacles and challenges that Alice has faced on her journey so far.
No time today, no time today
Stressing that there is no time to waste, and Alice must keep moving forward.
Be careful not to lose your head
Warning Alice to be cautious and avoid making hasty or rash decisions.
Just think of what the doormouse said Alice
Recalling the advice of the doormouse and urging Alice to consider it in her decision-making.
Did someone pull you by the hand
Asking if Alice was guided or influenced by someone else in her decisions and actions.
How many miles to Wonderland
Inquiring about the distance to the fantastical, dreamlike world of wonderland.
Please tell us so we'll understand
Asking Alice to share her knowledge and experiences so that others may also learn and understand.
Alice, Alice, oh, Alice
Once again addressing and calling out to Alice, hoping for a response.
Oh, how will you find your way
Expressing concern and worry about how Alice will navigate this strange and confusing world.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANNY ELFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind