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: Jingle Bells
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's color everywhere
What's this?
There's white things in the air
What's this?
I can't believe my eyes
I must be dreaming
What's this?
What's this? What's this?
There's something very wrong
What's this?
There are people singing songs
What's this?
The streets are lined with
Little creatures laughing
Everybody seems so happy
Have I possibly gone daffy?
What is this? What is this?
There are children throwing snowballs
Instead of throwing heads
They're busy building toys
And absolutely no one's dead
There's frost on every window
Oh, I can't believe my eyes
And in my bones I feel the warmth
That's coming from inside
Oh, look
What's this?
They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss
Why that looks so unique, inspired
They're gathering around to hear a story
Roasting chestnuts on a fire
What's this?
What's this?
In here they've got a little tree, how queer
And who would ever think
And why?
They're covering it with tiny little things
They've got electric lights on strings
And there's a smile on everyone
So, now, correct me if I'm wrong
This looks like fun
This looks like fun
Oh, could it be I got my wish?
What's this?
Oh my, what now?
The children are asleep
But look, there's nothing underneath
No ghouls, no witches here to scream and scare them
Or ensnare them, only little cozy things
Secure inside their dreamland
What's this?
The monsters are all missing
And the nightmares can't be found
And in their place there seems to be
Good feeling all around
Instead of screams, I swear
I can hear music in the air
The smell of cakes and pies
Are absolutely everywhere
The sights, the sounds
They're everywhere and all around
I've never felt so good before
This empty place inside of me is filling up
I simply cannot get enough
I want it, oh, I want it
Oh, I want it for my own
I've got to know
I've got to know
What is this place that I have found?
What is this?
Christmas Town, hmm
The lyrics of Danny Elfman's "What's This?" present the unique perspective of the character Jack Skellington from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas." The song describes his confusion and amazement upon discovering Christmas Town, as he has never encountered such joy and happiness before in his "spooky" world. The repetition of the phrase "What's this?" throughout the song highlights Jack's curiosity and wonderment, as he tries to understand all that he is seeing for the first time. The contrast between the eerie world that Jack comes from and the festive atmosphere of Christmas Town is emphasized through lines such as "There's something very wrong" and "I can't believe my eyes." However, as the song progresses, Jack becomes more and more enamored with what he sees, with a growing excitement and eagerness for this new experience. The closing line of "What is this? Christmas Town, hmm" sums up Jack's realization of the beauty and magic of Christmas, and sets the stage for the rest of the movie.
Line by Line Meaning
What's this? What's this?
I am surprised and perplexed by what I am witnessing.
There's color everywhere
The environment is vibrant and full of color.
There's white things in the air
There are white snowflakes falling from the sky.
I can't believe my eyes
I am overwhelmed and in disbelief of what I see.
I must be dreaming
This surreal experience feels like a dream.
Wake up, Jack, this isn't fair
Jack is urged to wake up from this dream-like experience because it does not feel fair.
There's something very wrong
Something feels off or out of place.
There are people singing songs
The residents of this place are cheerful and singing songs.
The streets are lined with Little creatures laughing
The streets are filled with small, playful creatures that are enjoying themselves.
Everybody seems so happy
Everyone in this place is happy, which is unusual or unexpected.
Have I possibly gone daffy?
Jack is questioning his thoughts and whether he is going crazy.
There are children throwing snowballs Instead of throwing heads
The children are having fun by throwing snowballs instead of something violent like heads.
They're busy building toys And absolutely no one's dead
The citizens of this place are building toys instead of participating in something violent or deadly.
There's frost on every window
There is a layer of frost on every window pane.
Oh, I can't believe my eyes
Jack is still in shock and unable to believe what he is seeing.
And in my bones I feel the warmth That's coming from inside
Jack feels warmth despite the cold environment that he is in.
They're hanging mistletoe, they kiss
The people are hanging mistletoe and kissing each other.
Why that looks so unique, inspired
Jack is impressed by the new and creative things that he is seeing.
They're gathering around to hear a story Roasting chestnuts on a fire
The citizens are enjoying the simple pleasures of storytelling and roasting chestnuts.
In here they've got a little tree, how queer
Jack is surprised by the presence of a small tree.
And who would ever think
Jack is puzzled by the unexpected things he is experiencing.
They're covering it with tiny little things
The people are adorning the small tree with small decorations.
They've got electric lights on strings
The tree is decorated with electric lights on strings.
And there's a smile on everyone
Everyone is happy and content with their surroundings.
So, now, correct me if I'm wrong
Jack seeks confirmation for his observations, admitting to being unsure or confused.
This looks like fun
Jack is interested in joining in on the festivities and having fun.
Oh, could it be I got my wish?
Jack wonders whether this surreal experience is what he had been wishing for.
The children are asleep
The children have gone to bed.
But look, there's nothing underneath
There are no scary things hiding underneath their beds or around them.
No ghouls, no witches here to scream and scare them
There are no scary things around to frighten the children.
Or ensnare them, only little cozy things
Instead, only comforting things are around to keep the children warm and safe.
Secure inside their dreamland
The children are safe and secure in their dream world.
The monsters are all missing
The monsters or scary things are nowhere to be found.
And the nightmares can't be found
The nightmares that the children would usually have are nonexistent.
And in their place there seems to be Good feeling all around
In the absence of scary things, good feelings abound.
Instead of screams, I swear I can hear music in the air
In this happy and positively charged environment, music seems to be the dominant sound.
The smell of cakes and pies
The scent of baked goods fills the air.
Are absolutely everywhere
The aroma of baked goods is present everywhere.
The sights, the sounds
The visual and auditory aspects of this place are all-encompassing.
They're everywhere and all around
The sensory experience is pervasive and surrounds Jack.
I've never felt so good before
Jack admits to feeling genuinely happy and positive.
This empty place inside of me is filling up
This happy and positive experience is filling a void inside of Jack.
I simply cannot get enough
Jack is enjoying this experience and cannot get enough of it.
I want it, oh, I want it
Jack expresses a desire to continue experiencing these new and positive feelings.
Oh, I want it for my own
Jack wishes to make this experience his own and have it forever.
I've got to know
Jack is driven to learn more and understand this new environment.
What is this place that I have found?
Jack is trying to understand the new place that he has discovered.
Christmas Town, hmm
The place that Jack has discovered is called Christmas Town.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANNY ELFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
no
This bit always killed me
Joshua Slone
Even as a 23 year old this is still as funny as it was when I was a kid 😂
TheAmandamaniac
sounds like my middle school's beginning orchestra
The0neAnd0nly
Lol same. I had an assembly once for veterans day, and when it came time to play a song, the sound of the band sounded exactly like this
Eric McKenzie
LMFAO!! My daughter who is in 7th grade had her first event tonight and that played jinglebells, I found this clip and played and everyone turned around and starting laughing.
Hi-QueenBaby Florez
I was just telling my son this is what they sounded like lmaoooo
zport1
I looked up this video as a joke bc mt friend is at one of those 😂
Alex Barnett
literally looked up this video because i saw a school do this on insta
Bailey Ryan
Jack: "If we play loud, people might think we're good. Everybody ready?"
Everyone picks up their instruments
Jack: "And a one, and a two, and a one, two, three, four!"
Loud and horrible instrumental
Jack with his skull on the floor: "Okay, new theory. Maybe we should play so quietly, no one can hear us."
Palmira Alvarez
i want a full xmas album in this version hahahahaha