Grim Grinning Ghosts
The Mellomen Paul Frees Betty Taylor Bill Lee Thurl Ravenscroft Lyrics

When the crypt doors creak
At the beginning of the ghostly gathering, the sound of the crypt door makes a loud creaking noise.

And the tombstones quake
In response to the creaking, the tombstones start shaking with fear and anticipation.

Spooks come out for a singing wake
The arrival of the ghosts is marked with a celebratory singing wake.

Happy haunts materialize
The ghosts appear with joy and excitement, ready to socialize with the living.

And begin to vocalize
The ghosts use their voices to engage in boisterous and lively conversation.

Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
The ghosts emerge with a certain type of humor, characterized by their lipless grins and their desire to engage with the living.

Now don't close your eyes
The song warns listeners not to be afraid and not to shut their eyes to the ghostly happenings.

And don't try to hide
The song encourages the living to be brave and not to hide from the ghosts.

Or a silly spook may sit by your side
If you act too scared, a mischievous ghost may choose to sit beside you and tease or frighten you.

Shrouded in a daft disguise
The ghosts may wear silly outfits, covered in a shroud, or even dress up as other creatures to make themselves more amusing to the living.

They pretend to terrorize
The ghosts may act scary, but it's all in good fun – they're just pretending.

As the moon climbs high o'er dead oak tree
The ghostly celebrations continue late into the night, as the full moon shines down on the dead oak tree.

Spooks arrive for the midnight spree
More ghosts arrive to join the festivities as the night goes on.

Creepy creeps with eerie eyes
Some of the ghosts are a bit intimidating, with glowing or piercing eyes, and they creep around in a spooky manner.

Start to shriek and harmonize
The ghosts use their voices to create a spine-tingling harmony, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the gathering.

When you hear the knell of a requiem bell
A requiem bell tolls to signal the arrival of even more ghosts to the gathering.

Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell
The area where the ghosts are gathered is illuminated with an otherworldly, eerie glow.

Restles bones etherealize
Even more ghosts begin to materialize, rising from their graves as ethereal spirits.

Rise as spooks of every size
The newly arrived ghosts come in all shapes and sizes, from small and scrawny to large and imposing.

Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize
The ghosts continue to emerge, ready to engage and socialize with the living in a lively and humorous manner.

Grim grinning ghosts come out
The song reiterates the presence of the ghosts, as they continue to emerge and socialize with the living.

To socialize
The main purpose of the ghostly gathering is to engage with the living in a fun and light-hearted way.