TRACK #342:

Horror Movie by Skyhooks

We were starting to get into a whole “movie” groove there before we got all sidetracked by balls.

Hmmm.

Well, that’s probably the most direct route to where I was headed anyway, so let’s just go with it.

But yeah, movie songs. There’s a ton of em, and we’re gonna take Horror Ball’s lead and segue from the “Monster” Movie straight into the “Horror” Movie with a tune from Australian glam rock outfit, Skyhooks.

Their 1974 hit Horror Movie is no stranger to Halloween music lists. Hell, Elvira herself included it on her excellent 1988 double LP compilation Haunted Hits.

And why not? Lead singer Shirley Strachan says the phrase “Horror Movie” no less than 22 times in this tune. So people can be forgiven for taking it at face(ish) value and assuming they’re just tuned into an episode Deadly Ernest’s Aweful Movies on Syndey’s Channel 10.

Alas, the lyrics to this one state pretty plainly that the Skyhooks boys are simply likening the evening news to a Horror film, and not talking about genre movies at all.

With its penchant for peddling hatred and violence while it sells you detergent and booze, it’s clear that the band definitely feels a certain way about the news media, even back in 1974.

The more things change.

They’re certainly not the first band to disguise (though I use that term quite loosely here) a social message amidst a song about Halloween or Horror. They’re not even the first band on the playlist to do that, so we won’t hold it against ‘em. Besides, this song’s pretty groovin’, even if it’s not really about horror movies at all.

You’re probably reading this on a phone, but I watch a horror movie right there on my TV.