Folk Songs About Halloween

Halloween (from All Hallows Eve) falls on October 31st. The evening before Halloween is Devil's Night, and the day after Halloween (Nov. 1) is the Day of the Dead. November 1st is also All Saint's Day and November 2nd is All Soul's Day.

Halloween is also the pagan Celtic new year holiday of Samhain (pronounced "sow-in" or "sow-een"). Samhain marks the end of the summer half of the year, the last harvest before the snows.

See also Devil.

Peter, Paul and Mary\ A' Soulin'
Fairport Convention\ Tam Lin (Child 39?)\ Liege And Lief
Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen\ Ghost of Tom Joad\ Sowing the Seeds (VA)
John Lilly\ Haunted Honky Tonk\ Haunted Honky Tonk
Anne Hills\ Ef You Don't Watch Out\ When the Frost is on the Punkin
David Massengill\ Morgana's Sleepover and the Witch's Hand\ Come Take a Ride on My Broom

[played and liked 2007]
Johnson, Miller & Dermody\ Witching Hour Blues\ Deceiving Blues\ Orb
Guy Davis\ Candy Man\ Stomp Down Rider\ Red House
Baby Gramps & his Back Swamp Potioners\ Goblin Fruit\ Baptized on Swamp Water\ Self
Loudon Wainwright III\ Graveyard\ Last Man on Earth\ Red House
Christopher Smith\ Pumpkintown\ Gravedigger's Boy\ Self (and title track)
Rebecca Riots\ Cemetary\ Gardener\ Appleseed
Hank Williams\ Howlin' At The Moon\ The Original Singles Collection\ Polydor
Cosy Sheridan\ The Underworld\ The Pomegranate Seed\ Wind River
Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen\ Friend of the Devil\ Epon.\ Rounder
White Ghost Shivers\ White Ghost Shivers Ball\ Hokum If You Got 'Em\ Self
John Lilly\ Pave My Grave\ Haunted Honky Tonk\ Self

[played and liked 2006]
Anna Coogan & North19\ The Holy Ghosts of Texas\ Glory\ Self
Austin Lounge Lizards\ Highway Cafe of the Damned\ Highway Cafe of the Damned\ Watermelon
Austin Lounge Lizards\ Hillbillies in a Haunted House\ Never an Adult Moment\ Sugar Hill
Carolyn Currie\ Ghosts\ Kiss of Ghosts\ North C
Cindy Mangsen\ The Griesly Bride\ Long Time Traveling\ Compass Rose
Cindy Mangsen\ The Haunted Hunter\ Songs of Experience\ Redwing
Crooked Still\ Ain't No Grave\ Shaken By A Low Sound\ Signature
Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer\ I Go Like the Raven\ Drum Hat Buddha\ Signature
Del Rey\ Devil Call Your Name\ Boogie Mysterioso\ Hobemian
Fourtold\ The Nine Little Goblins\ Fourtold\ Appleseed
Front Range\ The Lantern\ Ramblin' on My Mind\ Sugar Hill
Guy Clark\ The Dark\ The Dark\ Sugar Hill
Hank Cramer\ The Witch of the Westmorland\ Songs from Maurie's Porch\ Ferryboat
(original by Archie Fisher, covered by Stan Rogers, many others)
Heidi Muller & Bob Webb\ Ghost Stories\ Seeing Things\ Self
Herdman, Hills and Mangsen\ Away Ye Merry Lassies\ At the Turning of the Year\ Hand & Heart
(also done by Linda Waterfall)
Jean Redpath\ Hallowe'en\ Leaving the Land\ Rounder
John Prine\ Daddy's Little Pumpkin\ The Missing Years\ Oh Boy
Johnny Cash\ The Long Dark Veil\ Essential\ Columbia
June Tabor\ The Devil and Bailiff McGlynn\ Ashes and Diamonds\ Green Linnet
Mary McCaslin\ Ghost Riders in the Sky\ Things We Said Today\ Philo
Mustard's Retreat\ Mallon's Bridge\ Back to Back\ Red House
Mustard's Retreat\ Samhain Wish\ MR7\ Yellow Room
Ralph Stanley w/Gillian Welch\ Oh, Death\ Clinch Mountain Sweethearts\ Rebel
(or Ralph solo on the O Brother album)
Robert Johnson\ Hellhound on my Trail\ Martin Scorsese Presents\ Columbia
Sparky and Rhonda Rucker\ Midnight Thirst\ Midnight Memories\ Tremont
The Rarely Herd\ Simon Crutchfield's Grave\ Midnight Loneliness\ Pinecastle
The Wailin' Jennys\ The Devil's Paintbrush Road\ Firecracker\ Red House
Utah Phillips and Ani Difranco\ Joe Hill\ Fellow Workers\ Righteous Babe
Warren Zevon\ Werewolves of London\ I'll Sleep When I'm Dead\ Asylum

Folk Music Song Themes Last modified