Is “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? The debate has gone back and forth since its 1993 release, but one thing is not up for debate: the soundtrack. Danny Elfman‘s exquisite score to the Tim Burton animated film heightens its emotional impact, from whimsy to terror. That’s probably because the musical was written collaboratively between the two titans of modern art.
”Tim and I were totally in sync on this project from the start,” Elfman says. “It was basically a very organic process where he would tell me a bit of the story and then go away while I’d write a song. He would then come back and I’d play it for him and ask ‘What happens next?’ I just started telling the story in songs as we went along. It’s about as smooth as anything I’ve worked on. The process was kind of crazy and insane and fun all at the same time.”
No song sums up the musical’s plot and style better than “This Is Halloween.” The opening song sets the tone for the quirky story that revolves around Jack Skellington’s obsession with Christmas after he becomes bored with Halloween. It has since become more than a holiday staple. “This Is Halloween” is a masterpiece of cinematic songwriting.
Part of the song’s allure is from its all-encompassing style. Elfman drew inspiration from cabaret, circus music, and early musical theater, all filtered through a gothic lens to paint a sonic picture. The operatic number draws out Jack’s personality in just over three minutes.
“Writing songs for Jack was particularly fun because he’s such an enthusiastic and schizophrenic kind of guy. He goes from extreme highs to the lowest of lows. There’s this great range I got to express,” Elfman explains.
“This Is Halloween” features a moderate tempo in 4/4. A strong emphasis on every other beat gives a march-like quality, hinting at a mechanical toy movement, while its minor key tonality adds a dark element.
It features a melodic motif that’s built on three descending notes, which becomes especially evident during the chorus. “Although the repetition is subtle, it’s constant, and creates a dreary picture of the world we’re being introduced to,” Helen Asprou of Classic FM explains.
The world of Halloween Town comes to life with vocal contributions from corpses, clowns, witches, and werewolves, but Elfman also creates atmosphere in the song’s instrumentation. The composer uses strings, woodwind, brass, piano, tambourines, wood blocks, and bells to create the macabre stomp. The dense orchestration adds further depth to the piece as the dynamics run from a whisper to a scream.
Whether you’re watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in October or December, “This Is Halloween” stands up as one of the greatest songs from an animated film ever made. The piece has been covered many times, but there’s nothing like watching the glorious original scene. Relive the fright and play along with the sheet music for “This Is Halloween”:
