Halloween (Dave Matthews Band song)
Encyclopedia
"Halloween" is a song by Dave Matthews Band
from the 1998 album Before These Crowded Streets
. The song was originally released as a live track on their Recently EP in 1994. It debuted live on Halloween
of 1992 and was originally titled "The Halloween Song." It opened the show, and included Kristen Asbury on vocals. The debut was different from newer versions of Halloween, and it is also the longest version of the song (12:07) to date. "Halloween" was written by Dave Matthews
about an ex-girlfriend, Julia Grey, who turned down his proposals of marriage three times. It is believed that Halloween is the second in a set of three songs written about said ex-girlfriend. The first being "I'll Back You Up," and the third being "Grey Street"
"Halloween" is the only track on Before These Crowded Streets
not to have lyrics included in the CD cover. Additionally, live versions of the song feature Matthews singing different and sometimes nonsensical lyrics that do not correspond with the studio version. Matthews claimed that he chose not to include the lyrics in the cover because he did not want his mother reading the offensive words.
The track on Before These Crowded Streets
features orchestral arrangements by John D'earth, with D'earth on the trumpet and The Kronos Quartet on strings, and segues directly into the following track, "The Stone
."
. The end of the song also differs from the studio version in that it tends to lead into a drum solo by Beauford with the band playing a two note "melody" on top. Sometimes, at the end of the song, the tempo will increase greatly.
Among dedicated fans, it is one of the most sought-after songs at live shows. This is attributed not only to the impassioned performance of every band member involved, but its status as an absolute rarity; from 2000 to 2007, it was only performed seven times. Nearly every performance since 2002 was saved for a "special" occasion pertaining to the concerts' placement in the tour; three performances took place near the end of a tour, and two occurred at Madison Square Garden
.
This habit was seemingly broken on August 5, 2008, when the band launched into "Halloween" after repeated crowd chants at a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio
. The band followed that performance up by including "Halloween" in the next two concerts. This marked the first time that "Halloween" had been played at three straight Dave Matthews Band concerts since November 1994. "Halloween" was performed five times in the Summer Tour 2008. The song reappeared on June 13, 2009 for its 2009 debut at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center
(SPAC) on the second night of a two-night stand in Saratoga Springs, NY and was then performed at their next concert at Riverbend Music Center
on June 16, 2009, followed up by it being the last song to be played on the North American leg of the tour at Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA on June 20, 2009. The most recent play was during the encore at Randall's Island
in New York, NY on September 18, 2011.
With the exception of 12/10/05 and most recent performances from 2008 to 2011, every "Halloween" played since 2002 has been officially released.
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
from the 1998 album Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets is the third studio album by Dave Matthews Band, released on April 28, 1998. It is the last official album by the group to be produced by longtime producer Steve Lillywhite and their first album recorded at The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California...
. The song was originally released as a live track on their Recently EP in 1994. It debuted live on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
of 1992 and was originally titled "The Halloween Song." It opened the show, and included Kristen Asbury on vocals. The debut was different from newer versions of Halloween, and it is also the longest version of the song (12:07) to date. "Halloween" was written by Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
about an ex-girlfriend, Julia Grey, who turned down his proposals of marriage three times. It is believed that Halloween is the second in a set of three songs written about said ex-girlfriend. The first being "I'll Back You Up," and the third being "Grey Street"
"Halloween" is the only track on Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets is the third studio album by Dave Matthews Band, released on April 28, 1998. It is the last official album by the group to be produced by longtime producer Steve Lillywhite and their first album recorded at The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California...
not to have lyrics included in the CD cover. Additionally, live versions of the song feature Matthews singing different and sometimes nonsensical lyrics that do not correspond with the studio version. Matthews claimed that he chose not to include the lyrics in the cover because he did not want his mother reading the offensive words.
The track on Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets
Before These Crowded Streets is the third studio album by Dave Matthews Band, released on April 28, 1998. It is the last official album by the group to be produced by longtime producer Steve Lillywhite and their first album recorded at The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California...
features orchestral arrangements by John D'earth, with D'earth on the trumpet and The Kronos Quartet on strings, and segues directly into the following track, "The Stone
The Stone (Dave Matthews Band song)
"The Stone" is a Dave Matthews Band song from the album Before These Crowded Streets.-Lyric Interpretation:Per one interpretation, the song is about a guilt over death which one may have caused, and the "stone" in the song refers to a gravestone...
."
In concert
As stated above, the lyrics of Halloween vary from the "official" lyrics of the song when it is performed live. Also, the song frequently features a short drum intro by Carter BeaufordCarter Beauford
Carter Anthony Beauford is an American drummer, percussionist, and founding member of Dave Matthews Band. He is known for his ability to adapt to a variety of genres, and both his ambidextrous and his open hand drumming styles. He plays the drums and sings backing vocals in the band...
. The end of the song also differs from the studio version in that it tends to lead into a drum solo by Beauford with the band playing a two note "melody" on top. Sometimes, at the end of the song, the tempo will increase greatly.
Among dedicated fans, it is one of the most sought-after songs at live shows. This is attributed not only to the impassioned performance of every band member involved, but its status as an absolute rarity; from 2000 to 2007, it was only performed seven times. Nearly every performance since 2002 was saved for a "special" occasion pertaining to the concerts' placement in the tour; three performances took place near the end of a tour, and two occurred at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
This habit was seemingly broken on August 5, 2008, when the band launched into "Halloween" after repeated crowd chants at a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The band followed that performance up by including "Halloween" in the next two concerts. This marked the first time that "Halloween" had been played at three straight Dave Matthews Band concerts since November 1994. "Halloween" was performed five times in the Summer Tour 2008. The song reappeared on June 13, 2009 for its 2009 debut at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is an amphitheater in Saratoga Springs, New York, which presents summer festivals of all kinds of music , dance, and opera, as well as a Wine & Food Festival...
(SPAC) on the second night of a two-night stand in Saratoga Springs, NY and was then performed at their next concert at Riverbend Music Center
Riverbend Music Center
Riverbend Music Center is an outdoor amphitheater, with a capacity of 20,500, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, along the banks of the Ohio River. Riverbend was built for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, to allow them to play in an outdoor venue during the summer months. Famed architect...
on June 16, 2009, followed up by it being the last song to be played on the North American leg of the tour at Post-Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA on June 20, 2009. The most recent play was during the encore at Randall's Island
Randall's Island
Randall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
in New York, NY on September 18, 2011.
With the exception of 12/10/05 and most recent performances from 2008 to 2011, every "Halloween" played since 2002 has been officially released.
Live releases
- Recently (original EP release)
- Live at Luther CollegeLive at Luther CollegeLive at Luther College is a live album by Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds recorded at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Recorded on February 6, 1996 and released nearly three years later, it was the first concert by the pair to be available commercially...
— Dave Matthews & Tim ReynoldsTim ReynoldsTim Reynolds is a Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist known as both a solo artist and as the lead guitarist for Dave Matthews Band...
acousticAcoustic musicAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means... - Warehouse 5 Vol. 3
- The Gorge (Special Edition)The Gorge (album)The Gorge is a collection of the songs played during Dave Matthews Band's three-night concert in 2002 at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington. The album was released in a three-disc set featuring 2 CDs and a DVD with live footage, advanced multi-angle features, behind the scenes clips, and...
- Weekend on the RocksWeekend on the RocksWeekend on the Rocks is a live album by Dave Matthews Band. It contains highlights of the four shows in four days the band performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on September 9–12, 2005. The set is packaged on two CDs and one DVD. However, a complete recording of the four...
- Live Trax Vol. 9Live Trax Vol. 9Live Trax Vol. 9 is the ninth live album released in the Dave Matthews Band Live Trax series. The four-disc live album was recorded at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada over a two-night span on March 23–24, 2007. The performance was the band's first show in 2007, after not having...
- Live Trax Vol. 15Live Trax Vol. 15Live Trax Vol. 15 is a live album by Dave Matthews Band, and is the 15th volume in the band's Live Trax series. The album was recorded on August 9, 2008 at Alpine Valley Music Theater in East Troy, Wisconsin....