The Sackful of Badgers

Today's Spooky Song Share is "Heads Will Roll" by indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song is from their third studio album It's Blitz!  and was first released in 2009.  The video for this song was directed by Richard Ayoade (probably best known for his work on The IT Crowd ) and features a Michael Jackson-esque werewolf character that wrecks havoc on the dancefloor and then among the audience at a show. Horror elements are a bit subverted due to the use of glitter (as referenced in the "glitter on the wet streets" lyric that repeats) instead of blood and it ends with the jarring imagery of band members Karen O , Nick Zinner , and Brian Chase   splayed and dismembered but still playing on.   The relentless synth riff is underlain with a disco beat and creates an ominously danceable atmosphere that will fit in well at anyone's Halloween party.   "Heads Will Roll" reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart and number 1 on the Billboar...

Our memento mori series for October continues with a skeleton mosaic that dates from the 1st century CE and comes from the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius .  Mosaics are patterns or images made with irregular pieces of stone, glass, or ceramic and held in place with plaster or mortar.  They were particularly popular in the Ancient Roman world.  This particular example currently resides at the Museo archeologico nazionale di Napoli (Napoli National Archeological Museum) and is part of their mosaic collection that comes from Pompeii and Herculaneum , both towns were destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79CE.  So the archeological sites that you can visit, are a kind of memento mori in and of themselves. 

Today's Spooky Song Share selection is "Erlkönig" composed by Franz Schubert in 1815.  The lyrics are from a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe written circa 1782.  The song tells the story of an frightened little boy being carried by his father on horseback through a dark night.   As the poem progresses the boy claims to see the  Erlkönig (Elf-King), while the father says he cannot see or hear the entity.  He tries to comfort the child by telling him that it's just fog, or rustling leaves or other natural phenomena.   The  Erlkönig attempts to lure the child away offering amusement, treats and the attentions of his beautiful daughters.  When this doesn't work, the  Erlkönig takes the child by force causing the boy to shriek that he is being attacked and causing the father to spur his horse to run faster.   Unfortunately, when they reach home, the little boy is no more, having been spirited away by the  Erlkönig....

As someone who enjoys October generally, and who has *multiple* playlists of Halloween music (one of which is nearly 7 hours long), I have decided that in addition to my   memento mori  goodies this month, I shall endeavor to also share some spooky music with folks who might possibly be interested.   So here is the inimitable Louis Armstrong performing "The Skeleton in the Closet" (taken from the 1936 film  Pennies from Heaven ) :  Pennies from Heaven  featured Armstrong in a supporting role and "The Skeleton in the Closet" shows him in fine form from a storytelling, acting, and music standpoint.   (Apparently, Armstrong got the part at the insistence of the film's star, Bing Crosby.)      The song was written by Arthur Johnston and Johnny Burke (along with the rest of the songs for the film -  the title song "Pennies From Heaven" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song).   The song swings and ...

Seeing as it is October and I am feeling like doing this, I think I shall share a series of memento mori art here because  a) I CAN  and  b) the world is on fire and this provides a spooky distraction. *** Memento mori is Latin for "remember that you will die" and it is a trope appearing in all manner of art  funerary and otherwise from antiquity right up until the present day.  Symbolically, it reminds us that life is fleeting and death is inevitable.  For our first example, here is:  "Vanitas - Still Life with Books, Manuscripts and a Skull" (1663, Oil on panel)  Artist: Edwaert Collier, Dutch (c. 1643-1710)  In this painting we see several common motifs indicating the impermanence of life including a skull & bones,  a recently snuffed out candle, an hourglass, wilting greenery, a tipped over vase and a watch.   Musical instruments also appear frequently in memento mori works, symbolizing transience and fleeting earthly p...