Check your calendar: today is 31st October, Halloween, the night when I turn off all the lights and pretend I’m out in case anyone comes trick or treating. No one ever has in the fifteen years I’ve been living here, but it is always best to take precautions. My chocolate stash is mine, and is not intended for sharing! For several years I have played some tunes to mark the occasion, though, and as this year it falls on a Tuesday this just feels right to do. I have played all of these apart from one in previous years, but you can’t keep a good song down, can you?

As in previous years I’m starting with my all time favourite. In case you hadn’t already guessed it, there is a big clue in the picture above:

A brilliant song from a brilliant songwriter, much missed by many. And I love that lyric video which was released for it three years ago, though the song dates back a lot longer. Werewolves Of London was released in January 1978 both as a single and as a track on Warren Zevon’s third album, Excitable Boy. That was his breakthrough record in the US, reaching #8 and also getting to #9 in Australia. It wasn’t a hit album here, though – he had to wait until 2000 before that happened. The single also fared well in those same two countries: #21 in the US and #8 in Australia, and even made it to #87 here in the UK in April 1987. It was eventually awarded a silver disc for 200k sales in May of this year – what we call a ‘sleeper!’

Today’s second tune is also an oldie that has been given an updated lyric video treatment – in this case, in October 2022:

Monster Mash was first released as single in May 1962 by Bobby “Boris” Pickett (and the Crypt-Kicker Five) and topped the US Singles chart that year in the week before Halloween. It was re-released in 1973, getting to #10 in the US that time round, but peaking at #3 here in the UK and making #1 in Canada. It has been a perennial Halloween favourite ever since it first came out, and even made the US chart again as recently as 2021. Yes, it’s corny, but I have always loved it!

Another continued favourite of mine is another oldie:

The Witch’s Promise was released by Jethro Tull as a non-album single in January 1970, getting to #4 in the UK and #6 in Ireland. It also had some lower placings in other countries, but wasn’t a hit in the US. I’ve always liked it, having been a fan of the band since they first started, and it is always good for me to play it at this time of year.

This is also a Halloween favourite for me – and just about everyone. I wasn’t going to include it this year but felt it would be remiss not to, so I’m adding it in as a bonus sixth video:

Never let it be said that I short change you. That is the full 13 min 42 secs epic cinematic version of the video. There is a shorter cut, which I don’t think really does the song and the creativity of this piece sufficient justice. If you want to know how popular this is, check out the YouTube viewing figures: just the 941m to date! I won’t bother going into detail for the Thriller album, as I’m sure you already know that it is the best seller of all time, at over 70m copies.

Today’s penultimate tune is one that some might think is stretching it a bit for Halloween, as it doesn’t mention ghosties or ghoulies, but images of the Grim Reaper are appropriate, I think. I played the original of this in this week’s Song Lyric Sunday post, but when this version by one of my favourite bunches of idiots was uploaded to YouTube last Thursday, especially for today, I couldn’t resist it:

Steve ‘n’ Seagulls are a kind of bluegrass band – they call it ‘newgrass’ – from the hotbed of that style of music, er, Finland. They made their name with their many covers of AC/DC songs, with some funny videos. By their standards this one is a little more restrained, but it still includes some nice touches. They are a fun find on YouTube and I can recommend them if you enjoyed this one. Apple Music describes them as a roots collective with a penchant for turning hard rock classics into front porch jamborees, which I think is pretty accurate. They have to date released four albums which generally reflect their rustic background in their titles: Farm Machine, Brothers In Farms (brilliant!), Grainsville and the most recent, Another Miracle, in 2020. This is, of course, their latest release, and I’m hoping it heralds a new album on the way with – fingers crossed – some more of their very funny videos too.

Something a little different to close with. I couldn’t really leave out my favourite German pagan folk band, could I:

That video for Halloween by Faun was released in October 2021, and has accumulated more than 1.9m views. I have featured them before, singing in their native German, but they have occasionally used English lyrics on their albums and this one follows that path. Their music is great, and the video is amazing: not least for what they have (so far) got away with on YouTube! The band also posted a ‘making of’ video for this which is quite revealing, in more senses than one. This link should work for anyone who would like to know what goes into a video like this – it looks like hard work! The song was a track on their most recent album, Pagan, released in April 2022, reaching #3 in Germany. In case you hadn’t realised, I like Faun a lot and I closed with this one as the first three verses of the song sum up what I think is the essence of Halloween – the Eve of All Hallows Day, on which we celebrate the departed: 

“Spirits haunt these magic hours, Dwelling in the sylvan bowers; In the trees is a ghostly breeze.

Light a candle for the dead, With sprigs of fir do warm their bed; And in songs bless the ancient ones. 

Halloween – in moonlight we gather; Halloween – to join with the unseen; Halloween – calling the spirits who come forth on Halloween”

That seems a very appropriate note on which to leave you. Enjoy your day, however you celebrate it. Happy Halloween! 🧙‍♀️