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7 Songs for Spooky Season

Halloween-ish Songs from Musicals and Movies

By Emma LaurensPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 6 min read
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Karen's iconic mouse costume from "Mean Girls" (2004)

It's finally October, so 'tis the season. And by that, I mean Spooky Season when pumpkin spice and sweater weather meets decorations and wicked costumes. Why wait until the 31st to get in the spirit of things?

Let’s be real: the party started on September 1st.

If you’ve already played “Thriller” one too many times (or ten too many times), then this article is for you. Read on for a list of high-energy songs—all from beloved movies and musicals—that are perfect for any monster mash.

“This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is an iconic and beloved part of Spooky Season. This family-friendly musical movie follows the gentleman skeleton Jack Skellington, beloved hero of Halloween Town—basically the North Pole of Halloween—as he searches for something new to inspire him. He finds his passion in Christmas Town and, in an attempt to find fulfillment, decides to take over the holiday and take a turn as Santa Claus. As you can expect, things go awry, but I’m not spoiling the ending—enjoy the movie yourself!

The opening number, “This is Halloween,” perfectly embodies the chaotic excitement of celebrating the holiday. Don’t believe me? Check out the lyric video below:

“Friends on the Other Side” from The Princess and the Frog

In this movie, Disney puts a twist on a classic tale: when the princess kisses the frog, she becomes one too. The story follows our princess, Tiana—in reality, a hard-working waitress with dreams of opening her own restaurant—and the reckless Naveen, a playboy prince hoping to marry rich, as they hop through the swamps and streets of 1920’s New Orleans. With the help of a trumpet-playing alligator and a hopelessly romantic firefly, the two frogs discover new dreams and learn that happily ever after isn’t always what you expect it to be.

This song, “Friends on the Other Side,” centers on the villian of the piece, the voodoo-practicing witch doctor, Dr. Facilier. This song itself is a jazzy tour-de-force with the perfect vibes for Halloween. You can listen to the song below:

“Cell Block Tango” from Chicago

While 1920’s New Orleans dealt with voodoo—at least, it did in The Princess and the Frog—1920’s Chicago faced a far different foe: murder. The classic musical, Chicago, follows two fabulous flappers—and unrepentant murderesses—as they seek to manipulate the justice system in order to walk away innocent (and hopefully into the arms of an adoring public). The two divas put on the performance of their lives for the court of law and the court of public opinion, fighting for a life of stardom (and for life, period).

"Cell Block Tango" is probably the most iconic song from this musical. In it, six "merry murderesses" tell their true crime stories, explaining how their husbands met untimely ends (and exactly why they deserved it). Check out the clip below for the performance from the movie adaptation:

“Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors is a horror comedy rock musical about an unassuming florist shop worker, Seymour, who discovers an alien plant that he hopes will bring him fame, fortune, and the attention of his longtime love, Audrey. There’s only one problem: the plant only feeds on human flesh and blood. Seymour’s rags-to-riches story becomes a cautionary tale as temptation gives way to murder, tragedy, and one plant’s quest for world domination.

For a song with spookier subject matter, I would suggest “Grow for Me,” in which Seymour discovers the plant’s appetite for blood. “Suddenly Seymour” is actually a love ballad (albeit one that takes after a murder). Why feature this song, you may ask? Well, if a man-eating plant doesn’t give you chills, these vocal performances certainly will:

"Candy Store" from Heathers: The Musical

This song may sound like a treat, but it's a little trickier than that. Heathers: The Musical is a dark comedy musical that focuses on two of the scariest things in the world: murder and high school. In it, social outcast Veronica befriends three 1980's mean girls, the Heathers, before they turn against her. The teen movie quickly raises the stakes as Veronica, with the help of her dubious love interest, JD, ends up murdering the queen bee. And that's just the beginning.

"Candy Store" celebrates the perks of being popular. At least, that's how the Heathers put it as they peer pressure Veronica into carrying out a mean prank against her best friend. But as said before, the Heathers face consequences... the deadly kind. Until then, enjoy listening to this sensational song. You might say the harmonies are "killer."

"The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing" from Beetlejuice

During the Halloween season, we get to really know each other as people show off their interests through costumes and decorations. And Halloween shows us something we all have in common: a morbid interest in death. Just think about all the costumes and decorations—not to mention the scary movies—that have to do with death. So let’s take a look at a show about death.

Today, Beetlejuice is more than a classic Halloween movie; it's now a popular musical quickly becoming as beloved as its source material. The show follows a newly-deceased couple as they attempt to scare away their home's new inhabitants with the help of a mischevious ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced "beetle juice"). Meanwhile, a young girl named Lydia mourns her mother and tries to deal with her distant father. Luckily, she meets a few ghosts who give her a new perspective on life (and death). In "The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing," Beetlejuice introduces the audience to the show, gleefully riffing on the subject of death. If you like the chaos of The Nightmare Before Christmas' "This is Halloween," you're going to love this song. Check out the lyric video below:

"Sexy" from Mean Girls

Just like Beetlejuice, the classic teen comedy Mean Girls has become more than a movie: it's a Broadway musical. The musical follows Cady Heron, the previously homeschooled new girl from Africa, as she befriends the scene-stealing Janis, the dynamic Damian, and the legendary Plastics. You probably know how this goes (and if you don't, add the movie to your watch list. Better yet, go watch it now).

For the seventh (and final) song, here's something a little more comedic: "Sexy," a song celebrating the fun of Halloween costumes, sung by none other than the ditsy Karen. Yes, that Karen. The one who put a "d" in the word "orange." At the start of the song, Karen says what we're all already thinking: "If I could change the world, I'd make it Halloween every single day... and also have world peace." Check out the song below, and have a Happy Halloween!

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About the Creator

Emma Laurens

Emma Laurens is a college student and aspiring writer. Her main interests are creative writing, theatre, film, music, and adventure.

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