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.
Another Believer
Danny Elfman Lyrics
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I've got something to tell you
But it's crazy
I've got something to show you
So gimme just one more chance
One more glance
And I will make of you
Another believer
Guess what?
You got more than you bargained
Ain't it, crazy?
You got more than you paid for
So gimme just one more chance
One more glance
One more hand, to hold
You've been on my mind
Though it may seem I'm fooling
Wasting so much time
Though it may seem I'm fooling
What are we gonna do?
(What are we gonna do?)
What are we gonna do about it?
So then
That is all for the moment
Until, next time
Until then do not worry
And gimme just one more chance
One more glance,
And I will make of you
Yeah I'm gonna make of you
Another believer
You've been on my mind
Though it may seem I'm fooling
Wasting so much time
Though it may seem I'm fooling
What are we gonna do?
(What are we gonna do?)
What are we gonna do about it?
The song "Another Believer" by Danny Elfman features intriguing lyrics with a compelling message. The song begins with the singer expressing the desire to convey a message that may come across as crazy. The singer then asks for one more chance, one more glance to make the listener another believer. The message could be something profound or spiritual, but the song also exudes an atmosphere of seduction, hinting at a personality that seeks to convince or entice others.
As the song progresses, the singer raises the stakes and comments that the listener may have received more than they anticipated, implying that there is more to the message than initially perceived. The singer then brings attention to the amount of time wasted, once again dodging the actual meaning of the message.
Towards the end of the song, the singer mentions that it's not yet time to reveal the complete message, and in the meantime, the listener must not worry. The final chorus reiterates the message that has been teased all along, prompting listeners to question what the message might be and causing them to reflect on the implications of their beliefs.
Overall, "Another Believer" by Danny Elfman is a song that highlights the human desire for acceptance and the persuasive power of individuals to change beliefs, whether for good or bad.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello
Greetings, I have something important to communicate.
I've got something to tell you
I have news or information to share with you.
But it's crazy
The information I have to share may seem unusual or unexpected.
I've got something to show you
I have something physical to exhibit or demonstrate to you.
So gimme just one more chance
Please grant me another opportunity to share or show you something.
One more glance
Another brief moment of attention or consideration.
And I will make of you
I have the ability to transform or convert you into something else.
Another believer
A person who previously didn't believe or support something or someone, who now does.
Guess what?
I have a surprise or revelation to share with you.
You got more than you bargained
You received something that exceeded your expectations or what you originally paid or planned for.
Ain't it, crazy?
Isn't it strange or unbelievable?
You got more than you paid for
You received something of greater value or quantity than what you were owed.
One more hand, to hold
Another person to offer support or companionship.
You've been on my mind
I have been thinking about you frequently or with concern.
Though it may seem I'm fooling
Despite appearances or perceptions, I am serious.
Wasting so much time
I have spent a great deal of time pondering or worried about something.
What are we gonna do?
What actions can we take to address or resolve a situation?
(What are we gonna do?)
Reiteration of the previous line as a chorus or refrain.
So then
Transition to a changing or ending topic or conversation.
That is all for the moment
This is the conclusion or limit of what I have to share or say right now.
Until, next time
Looking forward to the next occasion or opportunity to interact or communicate.
Until then do not worry
In the meantime, avoid excess concern or anxiety.
And gimme just one more chance
Request for another opportunity to share or show something.
Yeah I'm gonna make of you
I am confident in my ability to change or convince you of something.
What are we gonna do about it?
Reiteration of the previous inquiry as a final reflection or call to action.
(What are we gonna do?)
Repetition of the previous line as the final chorus or refrain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, MARIUS DE VRIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind