My dad had a visit the other day from a BBC location scout wanting to film a zombie TV series in his barn. He told 'em where to go. With his shotgun. He hates TV people worse than he hates zombies. Besides, as I said to him afterwards, like we need another whole series of a TV show devoted to zombies in a barn...
From The Walking Dead to World War Z, you can't go anywhere without bumping into a zombie these days. The living dead have gone mainstream... and the music industry's full of them too!
Special mention to Rob Zombie, Zombie Zombie and, of course, The Zombies.
10. David Bowie - Dead Man Walking
Late period Bowie. Trying too hard to be cutting edge and dance. Video scarily reminiscent of Dave's old mate Mr. Lynch. Still, always worth a listen.
9. Tom Petty - Zombie Zoo
Kids these days, eh, Tom? What do they look like?
8. Magnetic Fields - Zombie Boy
Discordant and disturbing, like the best low budget zombie shockers.
You seem to have diedHe's referring to the voodoo tradition of sacrificing chickens to bring back the dead. Honest.
of some form of the pox
They left you inside
your tiny black box
I heard when you cried
and I answered your knocks
Let's make you a bride
with another two cocks
7. Suede - The Living Dead
The living dead in question is a drug addict acrobat, lamented by his wife. Or maybe it's all a metaphor. FOR ZOMBIES!
6. Roky Erikson - I Walked With A Zombie
When you start your musical career in a 13th Floor Elevator before being committed to a psychiatric facility for ECT treatment, it should come as no surprise when you end up walking with a zombie.
5. Sufjan Stevens - They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahh!!!
Sufjan Stevens' songs rarely live up to their titles. But with a title like that - what could?
4. Michael Jackson - Thriller
OK, so there's not just zombies after your blood in Jacko's defining moment, but they're part of the crowd. And where else will you find the undead dancing?
3. Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler - Zombie Christmas
Zombies and Christmas go together like mistletoe and the whine from a shredded, undead throat. But Tim and Emmy make them gel in this track from their excellent festive collaboration of last year, This Is Christmas.
And they're not the only ones to find a link... see also: MXPX - Christmas Night of Zombies.
2. Adam Ant - Cool Zombie
Adam Ant is back with his first single in 17 years... and bloody hell, it's a belter! New album out in 2013.
1. The Cranberries - Zombie
No prizes for guessing our Number One, though its message is a little more serious than the rest of the songs on this chart.
Those were my favourite zombie songs. Which one gets you going "Grr!! Arrghh!!" ?
Don't mention this to John Gray http://disasterfilm.blogspot.co.uk/...he'd have loved to have a zombie programme in his back garden. I hear from a good authority they've had to re-shoot a lot of World War Z
ReplyDeleteProbably because it's the least filmic narrative of any zombie story ever written. Works well as a book, can't imagine it as a film.
DeleteI'm clutching at straws here (for a change) but how about:
ReplyDelete'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' by Nick Cave, because Lazarus was the original zombie (with Jesus a close second).
or
'Night of the Living Baseheads' by Public Enemy, which also isn't really about zombies, but it does compare crack addicts to zombies (I think).
or
'Pet Sematary' by The Ramones
Points for all those, particularly Nick Cave. Pet Sematary already had its moment in my Top Ten Stephen King songs.
Delete'Don't Go Into That Barn' by Tom Waits might be appropriate, too. It sums up the entire second season of the Walking (Talking) Dead but is about 100 times scarier. And your dad could play it to passing location scouts.
ReplyDeleteJust listened to that Tom Waits song again, and you're right. That whole album is pretty disturbing, actually.
DeleteThat bit towards the end of the song, where he says, "Did you bring your knife? Yes, sir. Did they see your face? No, sir. Did the mom see you? No, sir." scares the crap out of me every time I hear it. I don't think I could name a creepier song.
DeleteI have to concede that it's probably even scarier than Psycho by Elvis Costello.
DeleteI not claiming it as a great song or anything but what about Zombie Love Song? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCVMuevcCvY
ReplyDeleteWell, it certainly fits the bill. And I dug the lyrics.
DeleteBy the way, Martin - what do you make of the Martin Rossiter album? I'm loving it.
DeleteIt is my album of the year! Out-bloody-standing, if you'll pardon my French (and tmesis).
DeleteBraineaters by the Misfits...
ReplyDeletePoints for that, for the fact its 58 seconds long, and for the fact that they have a guitarist called Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein.
DeleteBlimey - bit wierd 'round 'ere innit!
ReplyDeleteI work in Local Government and therefore in continual contact with zombies. I have therefore no wish to consider them in my leisure time.
Ah, you'll be eating brains with the rest of us one day, DVD. They'll get you in the end!
DeleteClutching at straws again, I suppose 'Death Is Not The End' by Nick Cave (or Bob Dylan) might be appropriate, too.
ReplyDeleteGoing solely by the criteria of "Is it a great song?", it beats just about everything else on this list.
Delete'When the cities are on fire, with the burning flesh of men, just remember that death is not the end.' I just listened to the Bob Dylan original for the first time ever, and it didn't sound any less sinister than Nick Cave's version.
DeleteNot surprising, seeing as Bob sings like his throat's been torn out anyway.
DeleteI have to confess, I didn't even it was a Zimmersong until today.