One of my favorite things to do is make CD's. Mixed CD's are my love language. I especially like making themed or seasonal mixes, Halloween being, naturally, my favorite.
So, last year, I made this CD for my cousins, and wrote poems to accompany each of the songs. Granted, some of the poems are way less creepy than the music, but my cousins are younger and I didn't want to write something absolutely horrific. Actually, I don't write poetry that much any more. I used to. Now I just feel like it's a terribly cliched way of trying to express your feelings. That and if my friends knew how I really feel half the time, I'd have even less of them. Friends, not feelings.
END RANT. Anyway, here is the mix I made last Halloween, with a dark circus theme. Because everyone's secretly afraid of carnivals, right? ;)
The CD cover I made. :)
1. "Fear and Wonder," Dimmu Borgir
Intro
Get into your car.
A journey to make.
The sound of rain dripping might make you shake.
But don’t be afraid…you’re not going far,
You head to a place that’s fun and bizarre,
Do your best to ignore that creeping fear,
For closer to the Carnival you draw near…
2. "Intro," Korn
Step Right Up
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls!
Step right up! Take a chance, take a twirl…
Here are wonders like Siamese Twins,
Calliopes, a fun house and strange things within.
Now, don’t be shy, don’t be afraid.
And don’t mind the ghosts in their masquerade.
Step right up, boys and girls!
Step
Right
Up.
3. "Calliope of Death," Lalo Schifrin
When the Carnival Comes to Town
There’ll be a number of countless thrills,
And here and there may be some chills,
But keep your eyes up, don’t look down,
When the Carnival comes to town.
It’s a place where your most twisted dreams,
Become reality amongst the screams,
Of delight and wonder, a show of amazement will be found,
When the Carnival comes to town.
The bones and laughter and candy treats,
At any other place simply can’t be beat,
You’ve never seen anything like our clowns,
Tonight you will, for the Carnival is in town.
So lose the fear-wide eyes and gloomy frown,
Squelch your fear, squash it down,
Too late to go back—best just stick around,
For the Carnival has come to town!
4. "Secret," The Pierces
Secrets of Siamese Twins
“Come one, come all!
See Catherine and Alison, our Spectacular Siamese Sisters with the Psychic Skill to Surmise your Secrets!”
Reads the sign.
No harm in that,
My secrets are benign.
The sisters sing and shivers creep,
As you promise all secrets from now on you’ll keep…
You leave after the song, and don’t want to see more,
Decide to see what else you’ll explore…
5. "Main Titles (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)," Danny Elfman
(which they don't let you embed, so click here.)
Madame M. Mallory’s Mechanical Menagerie
Madame M. Mallory’s Mechanical Menagerie!
(Complete with Incredible Robotic Factory!)
You enter the factory, only to behold,
Metals of all colors, purples, blacks, silver and gold.
Springs and wheels and cogs and belts,
Whistle and whir and spin and smelt,
Making a plethora of little brass friends,
So many, too many, to comprehend!
Animals, plants, and other such creatures,
Stand all around with magnificent features.
Their tiny mechanical voices reach out to greet,
But it’s the maker that you’re really dying to meet.
She walks through the tour of her robotic city,
Not very old, not very tall, not very pretty,
But not as frightening as you might expect.
Purple coat, top hat and a vest that is checked,
And socks that are striped cover her feet,
A stranger person you’ll never meet.
First the idea of robot friends seems a fright,
But nothing to fear as you leave in delight.
“I’d like to work there, with her critters all metal and bright,”
You think to yourself as you wander the night.
6. "Candyman Theme," Philip Glass
Ferris Wheel, Ferris Wheel
Ferris Wheel, Ferris Wheel,
Go round and round,
Spin us up higher, high off the ground.
The full moon hangs big, close, and bright,
As we spin higher into the night.
Keep moving upwards, Ferris Wheel, Ferris Wheel,
And a kiss from the sky I may very well steal.
7. "Main Titles (Dead Silence)," Charlie Clouser
The Fun House
The ominous edifice of a Fun House!
What’s the worst that can happen, you think to yourself?
And you’re about to find out.
Look this way! Look there!
Look above you, around everywhere!
What’s that noise? A heavy footfall?
The only escape? A tiny tunnel through which you must crawl.
Safe for a moment…but what’s that there?
Something out the corner of your eye appears in thin air!
You turn around sharply only to behold…
Nothing is there. The imagination unfolds,
As room after room fills with strange sights and sounds.
A spinning bridge which whirls high off the ground!
Distorted mirrors which make you skinny or fat,
And the face you know well seems smished up and flat!
A blast of cold air shoots up through the ground,
In this bizarre place you seem to have found.
The once constant gravity seems to ignore,
As you end up flat on a tipping floor!
Finally, through one more revolving barrel,
And down a slide so tall, so certain of peril,
You find your way out back into the night,
Glad to be done with that house, such a fright.
8. "Flying on the Wings of Steam," Chris Vrenna
The Streets of the Carnival
A walk through the cool carnival grounds is what you need,
Thankful for the night and its crisp breeze.
You walk the main road at leisurely speed,
And notice the usual festival fare with ease.
A game here and there—duck pond and some darts,
Hit the balloon and win a small prize,
An abandoned table of paints for face art,
Sits alone, the tenant having left their supplies.
(You’re secretly glad that no one is there
This carnival’s people are certainly strange)
A ring toss where you may win a stuffed bear,
Stands waiting for coins in exchange.
Cotton candy like cobwebs waits to be eaten,
Candied apples, too, so chewy and sweet,
Corndogs whose flavor remains unbeaten,
Such a delicious choice of foods to eat.
A shiver grows at the back of your spine
As you suddenly realize you have a Host
A companion made of wind and whispers entwined,
None other than one of the carnival ghosts!
It does you no harm, simply floats alongside,
And watches you watching the street you are on,
Its interest in you is purely to glide
Beside the living once more; you blink and its gone.
The glowing lights and smells of treats,
The tinkling noises that carnivals make,
Seem to be part of this main festival street
Enticing its walkers to come and partake,
Of the fun, the games, the laughter, the eats.
These thoughts are yours walking past the hammer bell
Wondering if you’re strong enough to make it ring
Although now you’ll never be able to tell
As far off music in your head starts to sing…
Something familiar, something with horses…
You divert off the road to go find the sources…
9. "The Carousel Phonograph," Michael Hedstrom
The Calliope Phonograph
You follow the music to an old carousel,
And hop on just as it starts to excel.
The old phonograph scratches a calliope tune,
Heard only by you, old metal horses and the big golden moon.
You wonder how long the thing’s been alive,
Running and spinning, how did it thrive?
The song cracks beneath its age,
And you hope the horses won’t do the same.
Faster and faster the old merry-go-round spins,
As the horse beneath you merrily grins,
You wonder if this is the end for the old ride
As seemingly out of control you glide.
Then as quickly as it started the whirling slows
As if it knew your fears started to grow.
The crackling music comes to a graceful end,
And you pat the neck of your metal horse like an old friend.
As you turn to leave the grin returns
To its equine face, ever ready to turn
Round and round forever he’ll prance
In the eternal calliope dance.
10. "The Dancing Firebeasts," Michael Hedstrom
Skeleton Clowns!
You hear a commotion beneath the big top
That striped tent will be your next stop.
“A Clown Show Like You’ve Never Seen!”
The ringmaster says, and soon you’ll see what he means.
Applause peals out as the clowns enter the ring
But then you notice just one thing…
The clowns are not living! They’re unique, sure, these ones!
They’re just like other clowns, except they’re Skeletons!
A Skeleton Clown troupe! Nothing to fear though
They’re as harmless and funny as any other clown show.
They emerge in their collars and funny hats and shoes
Some even have a big red nose strapped on too!
As they perform their hilarious feats
Any fear inside you is quickly beat.
They juggle and tease and even eat fire
And for the finale one walks the high wire!
The crowd ooh’s and ahh’s, as the bone-clown amazes
With his incredible feat and human-like graces.
No worry here, if he should fall
Since he’s already dead, if you will recall.
The show might’ve been scary indeed, with skeletons all over the place
But you leave with a laugh in your heart and a smile on your face.
Epilogue
Mist swirls around as you make way to leave,
Ghosts usher you out, and you’re a bit relieved,
It’s a wonderful thing to have a bit of fright,
But how good to crawl into safe warm bed at night.
Oh but never you fear…at least not just yet.
You have to remember, you mustn’t forget,
What a good time is to be had by all,
On that One Special Night in the middle of Fall.
So keep your chin up, don’t feel down,
For frights and spooks will return all around,
A show of amazement will again be found…
WHEN THE CARNIVAL COMES TO TOWN!
It's corny. But then, so is Halloween in general. Enjoy!
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