Danny Elfman has released his first solo single in 36 years

The reigning king of Halloween, Danny Elfman, has released his first solo single in 36 years.

The Oingo Boingo frontman has soundtracked all hallows eve for decades with his collaborations with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands and, well, most of Burton’s filmography. Now he’s back with a spooky single of his own, ‘Halloween.’

“I always enjoyed Halloween because it was a night to let loose, to become something or someone else,” Elfman said in a statement explaining the track. “[Halloween is] a night to celebrate the dead, and ghosts and monsters of all variety. A night for mutants, zombies, vampires, misfits, and miscreants to celebrate themselves and each other.

“And, aligned with the Mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos, a night to celebrate departed spirits… and for me, a night to laugh in death’s face (and feel safe doing so).”

“It was written to be an absurd anti-pop song,” he explains, “designed to begin as a very simple pop tune that degrades into something more subversive. The cynical nature of the lyrics echo how I feel about living in a semi-dystopian world turned upside down.” Check it out in all it’s creepy-crawly glory below.

Check out ‘Happy’ by Danny Elfman:

In other news, the ongoing web series Two Minutes to Late Night released a very special Halloween episode that saw Oingo Boingo’s graveshaking new-wave hit ‘Dead Man’s Party’ transformed into a track that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Iron Maiden album.

The cover features vocalist Rody Walker (Protest The Hero), guitarist Nili Brosh (who plays with Danny Elfman), guitarist Jordan “Gwarsenio Hall” Olds (Two Minutes To Late Night), bassist Pete Griffin (Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, Dethklok), and drummer Mike Ieradi (Protest The Hero).

Check out ‘Dead Man’s Party’ on Two Minutes To Late Night:

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