The Perfect Halloween Playlist For Poetry Lovers

As I approach my 23rd Halloween, I would be lying if I said that the holiday hasn't lost some of its novelty. Being past the socially acceptable age to go trick or treating and no longer in the era of Disney Channel's Monstober event, Halloween has become more of a responsibility in many ways than a fun day full of free candy. So what does an adult do to gain back some of that old Halloween spark? Look for ways to spice it up, of course.

The great thing about Halloween is that it is a day that we can dress up and become anything or anyone we want. And as someone with a love for poetry who aspires to be a famous writer some day, a poetry inspired Halloween party is the perfect chance to practice. But no party is complete without the right music to set the tone. Thankfully, there are many songs that fit the tone and themes of some of the best spooky poems written by some great poets. So grab a few friends, dress up like your favorite poets, and play these songs alongside Halloween favorites like "Monster Mash" and "Thriller." And maybe even add a few live poem readings in the mix.

Poem: "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Song: "The Raven" - Alan Parsons Project

There's hardly anything more Halloween than Edgar Allan Poe. The king of angst and spook, his poetry and stories have inspired some great music that is perfect for bringing in the holiday and his poem "The Raven" is one of his most famous. In the song, "The Raven," Alan Parsons takes Poe's poem, paraphrases it, and adds some funk/rock vibes with the help of a Vocoder (which was very ahead of its time in 1976). The word "nevermore" will be playing in the nightmares and daydreams of you and your guests with the help of this song.

Poem: "The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats

Song: "Pastime Paradise" - Stevie Wonder

The end of the world can be a subject of pending hope for certain folks but a common theme is chaos and destruction, which to most, is pretty unsettling. William Butler Yeats speaks of the end of the world from a religious perspective but his descriptions of "mere anarchy [being] loosed upon the world" and "the ceremony of innocence [being] drowned" give it an eerie feeling.

Although "Superstition" is the most common Stevie Wonder song choice for Halloween, this song fits the theme of the Yeats poem more because it plays on both the doom and hope aspects. The song is probably best known for being sampled to create Coolio's 1995 song, "Gangsta's Paradise" but Stevie's version speaks of people holding onto the evils of the past when we should be looking to the future. The last 30 seconds or so feature actual Hare Krishna chanters that fade into a darker chorus of "We Shall Overcome" sung by a gospel choir, bringing it to an eerie close like a nursery rhyme in a horror movie.

Poem: "Doppelganger" by James A. Lindon

Song: "Somebody's Watching Me" - Rockwell

The ghostly double, or doppelganger, is one of the most spooky concepts in poetry and literature and James A. Lindon captures that in his poem. The narrator sees someone watching him from the bushes outside his home and halfway through, the poem switches to the perspective of the person in the bushes who is also watching the previous narrator watching him. It's a beautiful example of a palindrome poem because the poem reads the same backwards and forwards.

Rockwell's one hit wonder, "Somebody's Watching Me" isn't necessarily about a doppelganger but it is about the paranoid feeling of being watched, which plays on the phobia of many people.

Song: "Aha" - Pentatonix (originally by Imogen Heap)

This Pentatonix cover is also about being watched and takes it a step forward by painting the picture of someone being caught in a guilty act with lyrics like "A-ha got you now! Caught you red-handed in the biscuit tin! Cost you to keep me quiet." It's a panicky feeling that many people can relate to, making it a great Halloween song.

Poem: "I Felt A Funeral In My Brain" by Emily Dickinson

Song: "Eleanor Rigby" - The Beatles

Emily Dickinson captures mental devolution into insanity by describing a metaphorical funeral inside her brain. In The Beatles song, "Eleanor Rigby" a funeral is also described to paint a picture of loneliness rather than insanity. Many people have a fear of dying alone and in Eleanor Rigby's case, that's exactly what happens. The song is dark and can be depressing but the lyrics are poetry in their own right, making them the perfect edition to this list.

Poem: "The Spider and The Fly" by Mary Howitt

Song: "Hotel California" - The Eagles

"The Spider and The Fly" is a poem that I was introduced to as a child, but the creep factor is enough to make the hairs on the back of an adult's neck stand up. It tells the tale of an unsuspecting fly being lured into a spider's web and never coming out again. I always believed that if the characters were humans instead of bugs, the poem wouldn't have been advertised for children and the reception of the song "Hotel California" by The Eagles confirms that.

The Eagles song talks about a similar situation with someone being lured into a hotel that offers a lot of pleasures, but quickly finding out that it's a lifetime commitment. The last line states: "You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!" which has lead many to believe that Hotel California is a symbol for hell, ensuring that I wasn't allowed to listen to it as a child. The creepy theme and its taboo nature make it a great Halloween songs for adults.

Poem: "Song of the Witches" by William Shakespeare

Song: "Double Trouble" from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

The "Song of The Witches" was taken from Shakespeare's famous play, Macbeth and is recited when a group of witches are creating a potion out of some interesting ingredients including "eye of newt and toe of frog." The Harry Potter song "Double Trouble" takes its lyrics directly from the witches' song with its iconic lines "double double, toil and trouble. Something wicked this way comes!"

Song: "Witch Doctor" - Mighty Sparrow

This song puts a Caribbean spin on potion making, exchanging witches for a witch doctor and including ingredients like "mud from the graveyard, one black stone," and "a dead man's bone." This song also offers some Calypso vibes which are sure to get your guests dancing.

Poem: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by A. Shacknofsky

Song: "The Headless Horseman" - Bing Crosby

A good adult Halloween party should always include a little nostalgia and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" provides just that. Based on the classic short story of the same name, this poem tells the tale of Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman. The Disney movie of 1949 is one that has been a Halloween favorite for decades and the Headless Horseman song by Bing Crosby (who is known for singing some amazing Christmas classics) is able to set the mood and get toes tapping and fingers snapping.

Poem: "Ghosts" by Elizabeth Jennings

Song: "Ghosts" - Michael Jackson

No Halloween is complete without ghost stories and Elizabeth Jennings' poem is essentially that. The song "Ghosts" follows that theme and is just one of several Halloween worthy Michael Jackson songs. In it, he mentions a "ghost of jealousy" that causes "a thumping in the floor" and a "creak behind the door." Even without watching the 40 minute long short film for Ghosts, which takes place in a haunted mansion, the song itself is descriptive enough to make the haunted mansion come alive wherever you're listening to it.

Song: "Ghost of John" - Kristin Lawrence

This song is an elementary school favorite, often being sung during music lessons but the lyrics hardly seem kid friendly. It speaks of the ghost of a man named John and describes it in ghoulish detail: "long white bones with the rest all gone", "John belongs in a quaint nightmare. Wobbly jaw and a hollow glare!" And the haunting voice of Kristin Lawrence and the accompanying organ are the icing on the Halloween cake.

~ Click below to listen to my full Halloween playlist, including all of the songs mentioned. ~

Hopefully these poems and songs inspire you to have a poetic Halloween and give it the revival that you need to keep the magic alive. Happy listening and Happy Halloween! 🎃

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Thanks for reading!

-Chanté