Shake, rattle and moan: Five haunting songs to help scare up a truly Florida Halloween

It’s that scary season once again.

Like many things in the state, Halloween in Florida is a little bit...different.

The leaves on the trees don’t dramatically change color.

The water table is too high for creepy basements.

Kids are lucky if they get home from trick or treating without all of the candy melting.

It’s not all sunshine in the sunshine state though. Florida has its own eerie charm, from ghost stories and alligator swamps to theme park horror fests and pirate lore.

If you’re still not sure, let us help you channel the spirit of the holiday, Florida-style.

Here are five songs that should do the trick.

‘Let’s Twist Again (Mummy Time is Here)‘

Ghoulish balladeer and TV horror host John Zacherle came out with several albums full of sinister tunes in the 1960s.

Zacherle’s decidedly-murderous-yet-lighthearted approach to songwriting often features diabolical dance moves (see “The Bat”) and parodies of popular songs.

“Let’s Twist Again (Mummy Time is Here),” a parody of a Chubby Checker hit, finds Zacherle and his faithful sidekick Igor twisting a mummy to produce some refreshing juice. Tasty, right?

The track combines summer and spooky, so it’s perfect for a Florida Halloween.

“All right Igor, you take the mummy’s head and twist right,

I’ll take the mummy’s feet and twist left,

and we’ll produce some mummy juice.

Let’s twist again, like we did last summer,” the song implores.

Some other Zacherle tunes to check out: His version of “Monster Mash,” “Dinner with Drac,” and “Happy Halloween,” which uses a timely scream as a musical instrument.

‘Grim Grinning Ghosts’

The Haunted Mansion ride — “Grim Grinning Ghosts” is its theme song — was one of the opening-day attractions at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1971, and it’s been creeping out Florida kids ever since.

Fun fact: The deep booming voice of one of the singing busts in the ride’s graveyard and in the theme song is that of Thurl Ravenscroft. He was the original voice of Tony the Tiger and also sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”

‘Pirate Jenny’

“Pirate Jenny” is an old song of revenge that comes from the 1928 musical play “The Threepenny Opera,” and it fits right into Florida’s fascination with buccaneers.

Many artists have covered it over the years, but Nina Simone’s live cut of the track takes the devil’s food cake.

The song sets a scene in a run-down tavern by the sea.

The narrator of the song is a lowly housekeeper, treated poorly by lodgers as she works herself to the bone.

Or so it seems. One night, a ghostly pirate ship appears in the harbor and razes the whole town to the ground, except for the tavern.

You’ll never guess who turns out to be the captain of the ship.

Simone’s suspenseful pauses and raspy intonations make this a truly Halloween-worthy tale set to music.

If you like “Pirate Jenny,” also lend an ear to Simone’s version of “I Put a Spell on You.”

‘Hey Girl’

“Hey Girl” is a derivation of “In the Pines,” a folk song of unknown origin that has been performed by many a notable artist, from Lead Belly to Nirvana.

A particularly creepy take is Norma Tanega’s “Hey Girl.”

The song is typically sung by a male vocalist, so the role reversal makes it stand out.

“Hey girl, hey girl, don’t you lie to me,

tell me where did you go last night?

“To the pines, to the pines, where the sun never shines.

And I shiver the whole night through.”

Pine trees are essential to Florida’s landscape, providing shelter for all kinds of creatures — and who knows, maybe even some ghosts.

If you’ve never listened to the subtle moan of the breeze blowing through a stand of pine trees, try it out this Halloween. It’s a beautiful (and haunting) phenomena.

‘Witching Hour Blues’

Tampa Red was an influential blues artist of the mid-1900s.

Born Hudson Woodbridge in Southville, Ga, Red was raised by his grandmother in Tampa.

Red’s parents passed away when he was a child, and “Witching Hour Blues” makes eerie allusions to being haunted by his mother’s ghost.

“Now my doorknob’s rattling,

my chair’s turning round and round.

I can hear strange voices,

and nobody can be found.”

Good listening, and Happy Florida Halloween!

This story was originally published October 24, 2018 at 9:36 AM.