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 (nƩe 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 ā 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 ā 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.
Time
Danny Elfman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Living a life in a nutshell
Living a life in a nutshell
Break any rules and they might tell
World outside is humming
The mountain goats are sunning
This shit ain't no fun, open the door and run
Now nobody likes you, what a shame
Now nobody likes you, now nobody likes you
Oh dear, now nobody likes you
Ooh, she likes me, ooh, she likes me, messages excite me
Ooh she likes me
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Keeping it, keeping it all inside
Keeping it, keeping it all inside
Keeping it, keeping it all inside
I want to see you, I want to see you
Without your clothes, without your skin
Without your skin, without your skin
Sinning, sinning, sinning, sinning
Zoom me at midnight
I want to see you, without your clothes, without your skin
I want to see you, without your skin without your skin
Living a life in a nutshell, staying inside is a tough sell
Sniffing around for some intel, if I run out of buds it'll be hell
Outside birds are singing, church bells are ringing
I'm filling up with feeling, open the door and run
Now nobody likes me (nobody likes you)
Now nobody likes me (nobody likes you)
Now nobody likes me (nobody likes you)
Now nobody likes me (nobody likes you)
Ooh, she likes me, her videos excite me
Under the virtual moonlight, we got a date at midnight
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Love in the time of Covid
Watching the cat, watching the cat
Bouncing off the walls (I feel like that)
Let's make a rendezvous
It's almost like having you in the room
I want to have sex (too soon)
I can almost feel you
Starting to spin, staring to spin
Looking up, looking out, looking in
I'd give the world just to touch your skin
The song "Love in the Time of Covid" by Danny Elfman can be seen as a commentary on the pandemic and the way it has affected relationships and isolation. The repeated phrase "living a life in a nutshell" seems to indicate how we have been forced to simplify our lives and reduce our interactions with others, staying indoors as much as possible to avoid getting sick. The lyrics also suggest that breaking the rules is risky, as others might judge or shame us for it.
The song moves on to describe the world outside as "humming" but not much fun, perhaps indicating that people are restless and longing for normalcy but still hesitant to venture out. The use of animal imagery with the "mountain goats sunning" and "birds singing" seems to create a contrast between the carefree nature of the natural world and the restrictions we face as humans.
The chorus of the song centers around the idea of "love in the time of Covid," which could refer to the challenges of maintaining romantic relationships during a pandemic or the desire for connection despite the obstacles. The line "Keeping it all inside, I want to see you without your skin" could be seen as a metaphor for the emotional vulnerability and intimacy that Covid has made difficult to achieve.
Overall, the song seems to capture the emotional complexity and uncertainty of living through a pandemic, with a mix of fear, longing, and nostalgia for a time when things were simpler.
Line by Line Meaning
Living a life in a nutshell
Living a confined lifestyle amidst Covid-19
Stay inside and you'll do well
Adhering to Covid-19 safety measures is favourable
Break any rules and they might tell
Violation of Covid-19 safety protocols may lead to consequences
World outside is humming
Life continues to exist outside of the confines of lockdown
The mountain goats are sunning
Nature remains uninhibited by the pandemic
This shit ain't no fun, open the door and run
The pandemic has made life frustrating and difficult, leading to the desire to break free
Now nobody likes you, what a shame
The pandemic has resulted in social isolation and loneliness
Ooh, she likes me, ooh, she likes me, messages excite me
Virtual communication allows for romantic interest and excitement
Love in the time of Covid
Romance amidst a global pandemic
Keeping it, keeping it all inside
Suppressing emotions and desires due to lockdown limitations
I want to see you, I want to see you
Desire for physical contact with others
Without your clothes, without your skin
Desire for intimacy and closeness with another person
Sinning, sinning, sinning, sinning
The desire for physical intimacy may go against moral and ethical values
Zoom me at midnight
Virtual communication allows for romantic rendezvous amidst lockdown restrictions
Living a life in a nutshell, staying inside is a tough sell
Continuous confinement can be challenging mentally and emotionally
Sniffing around for some intel, if I run out of buds it'll be hell
Lack of resources may make lockdown even more difficult to endure
Outside birds are singing, church bells are ringing
Nature continues to exist alongside the pandemic
I'm filling up with feeling, open the door and run
The emotions and feelings of lockdown are overwhelming
Now nobody likes me (nobody likes you)
Lockdown has resulted in feelings of loneliness and social isolation
Ooh, she likes me, her videos excite me
Virtual communication allows for romantic interest and excitement
Under the virtual moonlight, we got a date at midnight
Virtual communication allows for romantic rendezvous amidst lockdown restrictions
Watching the cat, watching the cat
Finding entertainment and companionship in pets amidst lockdown
Bouncing off the walls (I feel like that)
The frustrations and challenges of lockdown are overwhelming
Let's make a rendezvous
Making plans for romantic rendezvous amidst lockdown restrictions
It's almost like having you in the room
Virtual communication allows for a sense of closeness and intimacy
I want to have sex (too soon)
The desire for physical intimacy and sexual contact may go against moral and ethical values
I can almost feel you, starting to spin, staring to spin
The desire for physical contact and intimacy is overwhelming
Looking up, looking out, looking in
Desire for physical intimacy and social interaction with others
I'd give the world just to touch your skin
The desire for physical touch and intimacy is all-encompassing
Lyrics Ā© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Danny Elfman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Katharine Geary
From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank you for dedicating this to my brother, Bradley Bailey. Bradley was so excited to work with Danny Elfman. Please let this serve as a warning to all that illegal drugs are now almost ALL laced with fentanyl and are deadly. Steer clear!
LaurBar
@illnevertell and yours?!
illnevertell
@LaurBar and your point is?
LaurBar
I am so sorry for your lossā¦
LaurBar
@David are you currently using? Willfully ignorant? A former coworker bought some narcs on the street in KY. Laced with fentanyl. I cannot understand how you donāt know this.
DCR Plays
@David take your own advice lmao
Christopher Winsor
Masterpiece of an album just revisiting yesterday. In Time is a fav that sits well alongside Spider Lost Like This and Canāt See (useless). Finally a video that lives up to the music haunting and so glad my dominion includes Your music.
Nuclear Cat Baby
I canāt get Native Intelligence out of my head. Itās terrifying and all too real.
Christopher Winsor
Totally annihilation
emusical1
Yessss! Spider and Can't See destroy me.