Halloween (Dave Matthews Band song)

Song_infobox
Name = Halloween


SorA = album
Artist = Dave Matthews Band
Album = Before These Crowded Streets
Released = April 28 1998
track_no = 6
Recorded = The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA & Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Genre = Rock
Length = 5:07 (6:30 on "Recently")
Writer = David J. Matthews
Composer = Dave Matthews Band
Label = RCA
Producer = Steve Lillywhite
Chart position =
prev = Stay (Wasting Time)
prev_no = 5
next = The Stone
next_no = 7Extra tracklisting
Album = Recently
Type = EP
prev_track = "All Along the Watchtower"
prev_no = Track 4
this_track = "Halloween"
track_no = Track 5
next_track = End of Album
next_no =

"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 EP "Recently" in 1992. It debuted live on Halloween of 1992 (10/31/1992) and was originally titled, "The Halloween Song." It opened the show, and featured Kristen Asbury. The debut was different from newer versions of Halloween, and it is also the longest version of the song (12:07) to date. [cite web
url=http://dmbalmanac.com/TourShowSet.aspx?id=453055597
title=dmbalmanac.com
accessdate=2008/04/02
author=Rob Bokon
coauthors=Matias Niño
coauthors=Henry Hart
coauthors=Andy Bouwman] "Halloween" was written by Dave Matthews about an ex-girlfriend Julia Grey who turned down his proposal of marriage three times. It is believed that Halloween is the third in a set of three songs written about said ex-girlfriend. [cite book
last=Delancey
first=Morgan
title=The Dave Matthews Band: Step Into The Light
publisher=E C W Press
date=2001
isbn=9781550224436] The first being "I'll Back You Up," and the second being "Lover Lay Down."

"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. However, the song was copyrighted with the lyrics "Love... love... love..."

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."

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 Beauford. 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, OH. The band followed that performance up by including Halloween in the next 2 concerts. This marked the first time that Halloween had been played at three straight Dave Matthews Band concerts since November of 1994. As of August 14, 2008, Halloween has been performed 4 times in 2008.

With the exception of 12/10/05 and the recent performances from 2008, every Halloween played since 2002 has been officially released.

Live releases

*"Recently" (original EP release)
*"Live at Luther College" — Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds acoustic
*"Warehouse 5 Vol. 3"
*"The Gorge (Special Edition)"
*"Weekend on the Rocks"
*"Live Trax Vol. 9"

Footnotes