[Showa × Halloween] A roundup of chilling songs with scary lyrics and an unsettling atmosphere!

Wax MuseumSeikima II

THE HOUSE OF WAX (The House of Wax – Japanese ver.)

Seikima-II’s songs, created as part of their long-running mission to conquer the Earth since the Showa era, are perfect for Halloween.

This particular track, a shocking piece released in April 1986, depicts the terror of a girl being turned into a wax doll in a mansion deep in the forest.

The lyrics hint at a brutal incident and the fear of losing tomorrow within it, sending chills down the listener’s spine.

The song was also used as an insert track in the anime Beelzebub.

It’s a highly recommended pick when you want to create a scary atmosphere at a Halloween party.

Ghost RockGō Hiromi, Kigeki Kirin

Hiromi Go & Kiki Kirin – Ghost Rock (1977)

This song sung by Hiromi Go and Kiki Kirin features lyrics inspired by old-fashioned ghosts, and it’s absolutely adorable.

A ghost falling in love with a girl… but since he’s a ghost, he can’t talk to her, leaving him all flustered.

With its much-talked-about comical choreography, the song was released in September 1977 and was used as the theme for TBS’s Wednesday Theater series “Muu.” It’s perfect for getting everyone hyped during the Halloween season.

You might even feel the bittersweet ache of love by getting into the ghost’s feelings!

BalletYellow Magic Orchestra

YMO – Ballet HD

It’s a fantastical, mysterious electronic tune that feels like wandering through a fog-shrouded old European city.

The lyrics, depicting mist-veiled scenes of Warsaw and introspective inner landscapes, create a beautiful yet subtly unsettling world.

The locomotive-inspired sound effects and whispers in French fit perfectly, sending shivers down your spine as you listen.

This piece is a track from YMO’s album “BGM,” released in March 1981, and the album is also known as one of the first works to fully incorporate the groundbreaking TR-808 drum machine.

It might be just right for a Halloween night when you want to evoke a slightly mature, dark, and decadent mood.

Say that you’re alive.Tomokawa Kazuki

Kazuki Tomokawa / Say You're Alive

This is a number by Kazuki Tomokawa, also known as the “shouting philosopher.” With a voice that sounds wrung out from the very bottom, he repeatedly interrogates the meaning of being alive—truly a cry from the soul.

It evokes a primal fear that wells up from within the human psyche, different from ghosts or witches.

The single first appeared in 1974, performed by the Down Town Boogie-Woogie Band, and it’s also known for being re-recorded in September 1986 as the theme song for the drama ‘Ikka Danran Monogatari.’ If you’re tired of conventional horror, this is a sure bet.

Listen to that fiercely intense voice and feel the chills.

The Woman of MetamorphosisTogawa Jun

Jun Togawa - The Lady of Metamorphosis (Pupal Stage)

This song wishes to become as lowly as an insect for the sake of a loved one.

From its devoted expressions of love, the lyrics reveal an extreme that might send chills down anyone’s spine.

The performer is Jun Togawa, who blazed through the music scene of the 1980s.

The track appears on the classic album “Tamahime-sama,” released in January 1984, and later served as an insert song in the film Helter Skelter.

The way single-minded love turns into madness may feel less like affection and more like a curse.

Listen to it on Halloween night, and you may find yourself drawn into its uniquely chilling world.

a grievance songKaji Meiko

Meiko Kaji - Urami Bushi (Lament of Resentment) | Meiko Kaji

This is a dark number in which the protagonist—pushed down to rock bottom—seethes with unfathomable resentment.

Meiko Kaji’s low, menacing, almost spat-out vocals are its hallmark; just listening sends a chill down your spine.

The lyrics vividly convey the indelible thirst for vengeance of a woman who’s been betrayed and stripped of everything.

Released as a single in December 1972, the song became a hit, peaking at No.

6 on the Oricon chart.

It also served as the theme song for the Female Prisoner Scorpion film series, in which Meiko Kaji herself played the protagonist, Nami.

Unlike ghosts or witches, it’s the terrifying passion hidden within human beings that might make Halloween night all the more profound.

witchKoizumi Kyoko

Kyoko Koizumi Witch

A delicate, literary world of witches—quite different from the images of vampires or zombies.

Sung by Kyoko Koizumi, this song portrays a woman’s earnest wishes and inner conflict.

Released in July 1985, it reached No.

1 on the Oricon charts.

Despite having no tie-ins with TV dramas or commercials, it captured many hearts with a charm that transcended the idol pop genre.

The lyrics, expressing the feelings of a woman suffering in love, depict themes of love and jealousy through a longing to transform into a witch.

It might be the perfect song to listen to on Halloween night, as you think of someone dear.