TRACK #388:

Trick or Treat by Diamond Head

Turns out, if you gotta song called Trick or Treat, there’s like a 60% chance that shit’s got nothing to do with Halloween. And those are Shindig numbers. You take that game over to Apple Music or Spotify and you’re probably lookin at closer to 80%. Pretty damning numbers.

I’m not sure what it is about Trick or Treating that inspired so much non-festive music, but here we are. I guess it’s just a phonetically pleasing phrase that’s helpful in any number of non-holiday related situations. It does the heavy lift for you and conjures up all kinds of imagery on its own. Now, I’d argue that that imagery is exclusively Halloween based, but apparently it can mean a lot of different shit a number of (and specifically sexy) contexts.

Even King Diamond, Mr. Halloween himself, wrote a song called Trick or Treat that is not only not about the holiday, but doesn’t even reference Trick or Trreating beyond the use of the iconic phrase.

Should we be surprised then that Diamond Head, the band that asked the world if they were, in fact, evil, has a song called Trick or Treat that’s basically “women be shoppin” ?I’m not, I can tell you that much.

But of course, like Witchfynde, Fastway or even the Actual King of Rock ‘N Roll himself, Mr. Chuck Berry, the song still rocks the house. And for a band like Diamond Head, exceptions can and will be made.

Besides, sometimes just saying Trick or Treat is enough, even if you aren’t evil. But if you are? Well, that kinda changes everything.