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.
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: This Is Halloween
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
wouldn't you like to see something strange
Come with us and you will see,
this our town of Halloween
This is Halloween, this is Halloween,
pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene,
trick or treat till the neighbours come and die of fright
in this town of Halloween
I am the one hiding under your bed,
teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
I am the one hiding under your stairs,
fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween
In this town we call home,
everyone hail to the pumpkin song
In this town, don't we love it now,
everybody's waiting for the next surprise
Round that corner, then,
hiding in the trash cans,
something's waiting now to pounce and how you'll.
Scream, this is Halloween,
red and black and slimy green,
Aren't you scared?
Well, that's just fine,
say it once, say it twice,
take a chance and roll the dice,
ride with the moon in the dead of night
Everybody scream, everybody scream,
in our town or Halloween
I am the clown with the tear-away face,
here in a flash and gone without a trace
I am the who when you call "Who's there?",
I am the wind blowing through your hair
I am the shadow on the moon at night,
filling your dreams to the brim with fright
This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween
Tender lumplings everywhere,
life's no fun without a good scare,
that's our job but we're not mean
in our town of Halloween
In this town, don't we love it now,
everyone's waiting for the next surprise
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
and scream like a banshee,
make you jump out of your skin!
This is Halloween, everybody scream,
won't you please make way for a very special guy
Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch,
everyone hail to the pumpkin king
Now, this is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween
In this town we call home everyone hail to the pumpkin song
La la la la la, etc, etc…
The song "This Is Halloween" is the opening track of the 1993 Tim Burton film "The Nightmare Before Christmas". It is performed by the residents of Halloween Town, which is a fictional world in the film. The lyrics start by inviting the audience to come and see something strange about a town called Halloween, which is meant to be a scary, yet fun and entertaining place. The song includes various characters that embody the spirit of Halloween, such as the clown with a tear-away face, the one hiding under the bed or the stairs, and Skeleton Jack, who is the king of the pumpkin patch.
At its core, "This Is Halloween" celebrates the idea of Halloween as a time to embrace our fears and anxieties, and turn them into something enjoyable. The pumpkins scream in the dead of night, and the slimy green monsters are lurking in the shadows, but the townspeople are having fun, making a scene, and trick or treating till the neighbors come and die of fright. The song's lyrics and melody are meant to capture the playful, yet eerie and unsettling vibe of Halloween, and its appeal to children and adults alike.
Line by Line Meaning
Boys and girls of every age
No matter how old or young, everyone is welcome to experience the fear and excitement of Halloween
wouldn't you like to see something strange
Do you crave something different and out of the ordinary? Come with us and we'll show you
Come with us and you will see,
Join us on this spine-chilling adventure and we'll take you to a place you've never been
this our town of Halloween
Welcome to the one place where Halloween reigns supreme
This is Halloween, this is Halloween,
With its dark, eerie atmosphere, Halloween is the perfect setting for our twisted shenanigans
pumpkins scream in the dead of night
As the night grows darker, the jack-o-lanterns come to life with haunting screams
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene,
Let your creativity run wild and make this Halloween a performance to remember
trick or treat till the neighbours come and die of fright
Scare your neighbours with your spooky costumes and earn yourself some sweets in the process
It's our town, everybody scream,
This eerie town belongs to us, and we love nothing more than to scream and scare
in this town of Halloween
This is the only place where Halloween is truly celebrated
I am the one hiding under your bed,
I am the thing that goes bump in the night, the creature lurking in the shadows
teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
My razor-sharp teeth and glowing eyes are enough to send chills down your spine
I am the one hiding under your stairs,
I am the monster that dwells in the darkness beneath your feet
fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
My claws are long like snakes, and my hair is infested with spiders - you don't want to get too close
In this town we call home,
This is the place where we belong, where we can embrace our love for all things spooky
everyone hail to the pumpkin song
Join us in our celebration of the pumpkin, the ultimate symbol of Halloween
everybody's waiting for the next surprise
In this unpredictable town, you never know what horror awaits around the next corner
Round that corner, then,
Behind that bend in the road, there's something sinister lurking
hiding in the trash cans,
Even the trash cans hold secrets and terrors that will make you jump
something's waiting now to pounce and how you'll.
A creature is lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and make you scream
Scream, this is Halloween,
Feel the terror rise as you scream in response to the horrors around you
red and black and slimy green,
The colors of Halloween are a sickly mix of red, black, and slimy green
Aren't you scared?
Doesn't the thought of being surrounded by all this horror make you shiver with fear?
Well, that's just fine,
It's perfectly normal to feel scared - that's what Halloween is all about
say it once, say it twice,
Repeat after us, and let your screams echo through the night
take a chance and roll the dice,
Embrace the unknown and take a risk in this unpredictable world
ride with the moon in the dead of night
The moon is your guide as you venture out into the darkness
Everybody scream, everybody scream,
Let your voice be heard as you release your fear with a spine-tingling scream
in our town or Halloween
Every inch of this town is steeped in the horrors of Halloween
I am the clown with the tear-away face,
I am the twisted clown, with a smile on my face and a tear-away facade hiding my true nature
here in a flash and gone without a trace
I'm a fleeting presence, here one minute and gone the next, leaving only my wicked laughter behind
I am the who when you call 'Who's there?',
I'm the voice that responds to your call, sending a wave of chills down your spine
I am the wind blowing through your hair
I'm the unseen force that haunts your dreams, rustling your hair as I pass by
I am the shadow on the moon at night,
I am the shape that haunts your nightmares, lurking in the shadows cast by the moonlight
filling your dreams to the brim with fright
Every dream you have is imbued with my terrifying presence, and you can never quite shake the feeling of fear
Tender lumplings everywhere,
There are innocent victims lurking everywhere, easy prey for beings like us who thrive on terror
life's no fun without a good scare,
We know that terror is what makes life exciting - without it, everything would be dull and lifeless
that's our job but we're not mean
Our role in life is to scare, but we're not truly malicious - it's all in good fun
in our town of Halloween
This is the only place where we can truly embrace our twisted nature and revel in the horrors of Halloween
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
You never know when Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King himself, will appear and send shivers down your spine
and scream like a banshee,
His shrill, terrifying screams will leave you gasping for air
make you jump out of your skin!
His sudden appearance will startle you so much that you feel like your skin is crawling
won't you please make way for a very special guy
Clear the way for Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, and all hail his twisted glory
Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch,
Jack Skellington is the ultimate Halloween icon, ruling over all with his twisted, spooky charisma
Now, this is Halloween,
With Jack Skellington by our side, Halloween has truly begun
La la la la la, etc, etc…
With a song in our hearts and chills down our spines, we'll keep the horror and excitement of Halloween alive for years to come
Contributed by Julia H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@samuelquan3826
This Is Halloween LYRICS
Shadows (Ghost / Werewolf):
Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Siamese Shadow:
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
Ghosts:
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
Monster Under the Bed:
I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
Monster Under the Stairs:
I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
Chorus:
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Vampires:
In this town, we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
Mayor:
In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
Chorus:
Round that cornerman hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll...
Harlequin Demon, Werewolf & Melting Man:
Scream! This is Halloween
Red 'n' black, and slimy green
Werewolf:
Aren't you scared?
Witches:
Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
Hanging Tree:
Everybody scream, everybody scream!
Hanging Skeletons:
In our town of Halloween...
Clown:
I am the clown with the tear-away face
(deeper voice) Here in a flash and gone without a trace
Voice:
I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair...
Oogie Boogie Shadow:
I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright!
Chorus:
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
(extra verse only in soundtrack version)
Halloween! Halloween!
Corpse Child, Winged Demon:
Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare
Parent Corpses:
That's our job, but we're not mean
In our town of Halloween
Mayor:
In this town, don't we love it now?
(with chorus joining in; soundtrack version only) Everyone's waiting for the next surprise!
Chorus:
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back and scream like a banshee, make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everyone scream
Won't ya please make way for a very special guy?
Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Corpse Child & Mummy:
In this town, we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
Citizens:
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween, Halloween! (repeat two more times)
(Backing Chorus: La, la, la, la-la-la,
La, la, la-la-la,
La, la, la-la-la,
La-la-la...)
Undersea Gal:
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...
Citizens:
Whee!
@galaxycartoon
I just love the fact that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" can be a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie :)
@yund7294
Exactly the idea of Tim Burton (my favourite)
@keplayvisuals3762
costumes https://youtu.be/pFtuxAMLbAQ
@Starwarsfanboy0928
Same here, that’s why I watch it every October and December.
@soramembrino82
I would like to watch this movie on October and December.
@lacondrathompson1747
@@yund7294 Same
@dbodooley
This is one of the most creative movies ever made. I’m obsessed with it.
@brianm7760
Me too
@Panda-lh5hx
Tim Burton is a genius
@CrimCrim
@@Panda-lh5hx Tim was barely on set for TNBC, if you wanna give praise for the movie then you’re talking about Henry Selick, Caroline Thompson, and Danny Elfman