Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman (born May 29, 1953 in Los Angeles, CA) is an A… Read Full Bio ↴Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman (born May 29, 1953 in Los Angeles, CA) is an American composer, best known as the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Oingo Boingo, from 1976 to 1995 and later for scoring music for television and film and creating The Simpsons main title theme as well as the 1989 Batman movie theme. He has scored the majority of the films for his long-time friend Tim Burton.
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.
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.
The Incantation
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Instrumental
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I'mmanu'El Snow
The words:
"Hands vermilion, Start of five, Bright cotillion Raven's dive, Nightshade's promise, Spirits strive
To the living, let now the dead come alive"
As sudden thunder pierces night, As magic wonder mad affright, Rives asunder man's delight , Our ghost, our corpse And we rise to be".
As flies the lizard , Serpent fell
As goblin vizard at the spell
The buried, dead and slain rise again"
Octolink
French words ;)
Des âmes par millions
S’élancent vers les étoiles
Parée de cotillons
Comme des corbeaux de toiles
Attendant la promesse
D’une aube enchanteresse
Que parmi les vivants
En cet instant solennel
Ressuscite les morts
Comme le tonnerre qui fait vibrer la nuit
Comme un miracle qui fait renaître la vie
L’esprit et le corps en un instant séparés
Se retrouvent et s’épousent pour l’éternité
Pour le lézard qui se cache
Comme pour le serpent cruel
Quand la magie est en marche c’est un nouvel éveil
Tout les morts les damnés de l’enfer reviennent sur la Terre
Regen King
As sudden thunder / Pierces the night;
As magic wonder / Mad affright
Rives asunder / Man's delight:
Our ghost, our corpse and we
Rise to be.
As flies the lizard / Serpent fell;
As goblin vizard, / At the spell
Of pale wizard, / Sinks to hell;
The buried, dead, and slain...
Rise again.
JORGE MARBAN
Al español latino :
Palabras
Manos tomadas comienze el fuego
Roja llama tumbas se abren noche trae promesas espíritus salen ,
Para los vivos , dejen que los muertos revivan...
Cómo veloz trueno atraviesa la noche ,como una maravilla miedo de locos ojos de asombro delicia total
Fantasmas ! Cadáveres ! Levantense ya !
Como vuela el insecto como la serpiente como la fuerte brisa quemados, muertos condenados levantense ya !
David Ganderson
This is without a doubt my favorite soundtrack in the movie. Such a beautiful blending of horror, the supernatural, and beauty all at once.! So good!
SilverKitty
and comedy ...and RHYTHM and philosophy
Jennifer Garcia
I remember back in college, we had to recite a passage from a Shakespeare play. I did mine on the Witches from MacBeth, the Toil and Trouble scene. I dressed in a black hooded robe, had a few props like a black cauldron, rubber snake, plastic skull and some spiders and had this song playing in the background. Got a A+ for my performance and a standing ovation from my classmates.
Drew Johnson
Higher Learning?
Not
Robbi Rob
Nice👍
I'mmanu'El Snow
The words:
"Hands vermilion, Start of five, Bright cotillion Raven's dive, Nightshade's promise, Spirits strive
To the living, let now the dead come alive"
As sudden thunder pierces night, As magic wonder mad affright, Rives asunder man's delight , Our ghost, our corpse And we rise to be".
As flies the lizard , Serpent fell
As goblin vizard at the spell
The buried, dead and slain rise again"
The Nezzy Channel
Literally watching the movie now while reading this comment 😂🤣
Octolink
French words ;)
Des âmes par millions
S’élancent vers les étoiles
Parée de cotillons
Comme des corbeaux de toiles
Attendant la promesse
D’une aube enchanteresse
Que parmi les vivants
En cet instant solennel
Ressuscite les morts
Comme le tonnerre qui fait vibrer la nuit
Comme un miracle qui fait renaître la vie
L’esprit et le corps en un instant séparés
Se retrouvent et s’épousent pour l’éternité
Pour le lézard qui se cache
Comme pour le serpent cruel
Quand la magie est en marche c’est un nouvel éveil
Tout les morts les damnés de l’enfer reviennent sur la Terre
Ing. Juan Carlos Diaz
There is an organ just to remind you the idea of the death. And also the dress (the bride and the gentlemen) it make you feel like the dresses that could be use in the burial. It's interesting how Tim bourton always plays around with the idea of the bride and death. Maybe because, love and death are the two things that we can't control.
SilverKitty
i see....i see