“Simple” is deceptively difficult to write.
But for a song that was to occur in someone’s head, in the absence of any actual scary entities, simple was exactly what I knew I’d be doing.
And, as I had already done a scary song in SpinTunes #4, Round 1, I also knew that I wanted to build on that theme.
The music box harks back to Sweet Dreams (1).
The violin is an homage to the violin that underscores Mrs. Lovett when she sings “Nothing’s gonna harm you” in Sweeney Todd.
The timpani, of course, is meant to suggest both a heartbeat and a sense of impending doom.
(The bass clarinet just sounds cool as hell.)
And the tone of the song was created in deference to the fact that there’s nothing anyone can actually create that can possibly be scarier than what they could imagine . . .
Listen to Sweet Dreams (1) . . .
Close your eyes.
Go to sleep.
“Beddy-byes.”
Slumber deep.
Never fear --
Nothing’s here
But me . . .
Stay silent.
No sound.
They’ll hear you.
Don’t whimper.
Don’t cry.
They’ll find you.
Don’t rustle.
Don’t fidget.
They’re coming.
Don’t move.
Don’t breathe.
They’re here . . .
Those shadows.
That sound.
What is that?
That corner.
That shape.
What’s hiding?
The closet.
It’s open.
What’s in there?
Don’t look.
Don’t think.
Don’t scream . . .
It’s pointless to run for the hall,
‘Cause the monsters are faster.
If anything’s under the bed,
It’ll just grab your ankle.
It’s pointless to holler for Mom,
‘Cause the monsters will hear you.
And the monsters will get you
Long before she arrives . . .
That’s stupid.
Grow up.
What’s with you?
It’s nothing.
Relax.
Remember --
You know that there aren’t any monsters.
So sleep.
Don’t fret.
Good night . . .
The challenge?
