SPOOKYSONGS

Halloween – Siouxsie and the Banshees

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a late-70s, early-80s British post-punk band, fronted by the delightfully spooky Siouxsiee Sioux. They had a string of alternative hits including “Kiss Them for Me”, “Peek-a-Boo”, and “Hong Kong Garden”. And, luckily for our spooky selves, they recorded a whole bunch of spooky songs!

Who’d have thunk it?

Today’s topic, “Halloween”, is a macabre dance tune about everyone’s favorite holiday, Halloween! It’s from their 1981 album Juju (which also features another great spooky song, “Night Shift“) We get an off-kilter beat that’s has 2 extra beats every go-round, which is hard to air drum along with. Guitar and synths build a lovely bed for a tale about trick or treating… maybe? The chorus is all about “Trick or Treat”, but the verses (with the airy guitars swirling about) are more esoteric lyrics about Halloween-y things like wearing masks and shrouds and stuff. Then she throws out a joyous couplet about a murder at a nursery. Neat!

A sweet reminder in the ice-blue nursery

Of a childish murder of hidden lustre and she cries

So that happens. Siouxsie gets off some awesome “oh oh oh ohooooooooooooooooohs” and we’re out. The beat and frantic energy of the song makes it slightly paranoid, as if something is chasing you. It also makes you want to dance with skeletons.