Havin' A Bad Scare Day

Well there's no way around the fact that this is a really silly song. We're taking advantage of the ongoing vampire craze with this song that pokes fun at the vampire yarn, most specifically, the segment of lore that states vampires must be back in their coffins (beds) before the sunrise. The poor vampire in our story wakes with the sun but feels no ill effects. He lurks around in broad daylight trying to scare people, but no one will take him seriously. There are lots of cliché lines and sounds so your kids can learn what is... uh... cliché. Take a cue from our studio singers and stylize with a "spooky" vocal approach. You can even use a Transylvanian accent throughout if you like.

Musically, we move back and forth from scary orchestral verses to a Hee Haw-style country chorus. There is an optional second part for the chorus which really adds to the flavor if you can pull it off. We've included our usual isolated part mixes on our web site so your group can hear their parts to rehearse them. (See the box on page 77 for details.)

Of course, you'll need several hams for the dialog section. And overacting is a good thing in this instance, as you can hear on the recording.

The song ends with a big group sing-along vampire party, using the Transylvanian accent for best – and silliest – results. If you have the nerve, invite audience participation. You can also have a few kids ad lib some vampire lines during the long last note of the song.