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.
Cruel Compensation
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling different can be very strange
I'm feeling a compelling urge
To enact some kind of purge
It′s not like me to feel this way
It's not like me to feel this way
Cruel compensation
Living a lie gets so easy to take
Because time has no friends, no beginning or end
Perpendicular anomalies
Crowd my space and sap my energies
Take my weapon before I forget
And do somеthing that we both regret
It's not likе me to feel this way
It′s not like me to feel this way
It′s not like me to feel this way
Cruel compensation
Cruel compensation
Dynamite to the intellect, with an NDA
Not to resurrect, but to purify, not eliminate
Through a mental disorder we struggle to elevate
I'm resistant now to change
Feeling different can be strange
I′m feeling a compelling urge
To enact some kind of purge
It's not likе me to feel this way
It′s not like me to feel this way
Dignity for the human race
Is like getting a leather boot in the face
It's an insult that no one should ever have to
Take from the man who shouts out a command for
Respect and compliance, an act of defiance is everything
But it′s never enough without energy
And it's only acceptable answer, and it's never enough
And it feels like it′s going to be tough
Deficit and corrupted
Like an effigy without a soul-less intervention
With every intention of doing the wrong thing
And do it again and again and again
To be sure that the damage is done
Cruel compensation, harsh situation
Deep penetration, serious resignation
It′s not like me to, it's not like me to
Feel this way, feel this way
It′s not like me to, it's not like me to
Feel this way, feel this way
It′s not like me to feel this-
Feel this-, feel this-, feel this-, feel-
Don't make me do things that we′ll both regret
Saying the things that I know I will soon forget
Paying the dividends, paying the dividends get what you get
Everything needs to get turned upside, turned upside down
It's not like me to-
The lyrics of Danny Elfman's "Cruel Compensation" seem to express the feelings of resistance to change and the frustration that comes with it. The lyrics convey the idea that it's not easy to be different, and it's even more difficult to put a stop to the things that weigh us down emotionally. The phrase "Cruel compensation" refers to the idea that there is a price to be paid for the things we do, and we must be prepared to face the consequences of our actions. The singer is struggling to deal with the emotions that he is feeling, and he is contemplating taking drastic measures to make himself feel better.
The lyrics also touch upon the theme of conformity and the pressures to fit in with society's expectations. The singer speaks about the difficulties of living a lie and how it can be easy to do so because time has no friends, no beginning or end. However, living a lie can take its toll on a person, and it will eventually deplete the energies that one needs to function. The singer seems to be ready to take drastic measures to break out of the conformity he feels oppressed by and take control of his life.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cruel Compensation" seem to be a personal and emotional reflection on the difficulties of living in a society that doesn't always value individuality and encourages conformity.
Line by Line Meaning
I′m resistant now to change
I am finding it difficult to accept or adapt to new circumstances
Feeling different can be very strange
It can feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar to have a new perspective or experience
I'm feeling a compelling urge
I am strongly motivated to do something
To enact some kind of purge
To get rid of negative feelings or experiences in a drastic way
It′s not like me to feel this way
This is not typical behavior or emotion for me
Cruel compensation
An unfair or painful consequence or reward
Living a lie gets so easy to take
Living dishonestly becomes normalized and less emotionally taxing over time
Because time has no friends, no beginning or end
The passing of time is constant and indifferent, without a clear start or end point
Perpendicular anomalies
Unexpected and conflicting occurrences or circumstances
Crowd my space and sap my energies
These unexpected occurrences invade my personal space and drain my energy
Take my weapon before I forget
Remove anything that could cause harm before I act impulsively
And do something that we both regret
Prevent actions that could have negative consequences for both of us
Dynamite to the intellect, with an NDA
A forced restriction on intellectual property can feel destructive and limit creativity
Not to resurrect, but to purify, not eliminate
The purpose is to cleanse or refine, not to completely destroy
Through a mental disorder we struggle to elevate
Even with mental illness, we strive to improve and succeed
Dignity for the human race
Respect and value for all people
Is like getting a leather boot in the face
Society's lack of dignity and respect can feel like a physical attack
It's an insult that no one should ever have to
It is inappropriate and offensive to treat someone with disrespect or disdain
Take from the man who shouts out a command for
Someone who demands respect from others cannot enforce it through disrespectful behavior
Respect and compliance, an act of defiance is everything
By challenging disrespectful behavior, people can demand and promote respect for all
But it′s never enough without energy
Demanding respect and fighting against disrespect requires effort and motivation
And it's only acceptable answer, and it's never enough
Demanding respect and fighting against disrespect should be the only acceptable response, but it is often not sufficient alone
And it feels like it′s going to be tough
It is often a difficult and daunting task to demand respect and fight against disrespect
Deficit and corrupted
Lacking and negatively impacted or influenced
Like an effigy without a soul-less intervention
A lifeless representation of something, without a positive influence to give it meaning or substance
With every intention of doing the wrong thing
A negative and harmful goal or objective
And do it again and again and again
Continuously repeating negative and harmful behavior
To be sure that the damage is done
Deliberately causing harm to ensure that it is irreversible
Cruel compensation, harsh situation
An unfair or painful consequence, in a difficult or challenging scenario
Deep penetration, serious resignation
A pervasive and intense impact, leading to a feeling of giving up or submission
Don't make me do things that we′ll both regret
Avoid actions that could lead to negative outcomes for both parties
Saying the things that I know I will soon forget
Expressing something that I know I will not remember clearly, and may later regret
Paying the dividends, paying the dividends get what you get
Reaping the benefits or consequences of one's actions, as a result of one's choices
Everything needs to get turned upside, turned upside down
Everything needs to be examined from a different perspective, or with a different approach
It's not like me to-
This is not typical behavior or emotion for me
Feel this-, feel this-, feel this-, feel-
Experiencing intense and overwhelming emotions or sensations
Writer(s): Danny Elfman
Contributed by Sophie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Qwistie
I must digress, his voice is extra sexy on this track 🔥
Alisha Fay
This song has been stuck in my head for days so I just keep listening to it over and over. "Its not like me to feel this way"
Nigel Simmons
I f*cking love this track. May be my favorite on the album.
Dorothy Allspice
@Nigel Simmons Idk exactly. I think I saw it on his Instagram somewhere, as a reply to someone’s comment.
Nigel Simmons
@Dorothy Allspice Nice! Did he mention this in a recent interview? Must've missed that one.
Dorothy Allspice
This is actually one of Danny’s personal favorites too!
Nuclear Cat Baby
It's like the grownup version of "Hold Me Back"
Rude Boys Podcast
This one made my top 3, easily. Love the guitarwork and songwriting especially.
Crimson Orchid
Brilliant of course.❤💯🔥
The Psychophile
Brilliant work.