[Intro – whispered voices, eerie organ, distant laughter] Come on in… The door is open… The lights are low… And somebody's knocking from six feet below… There's a cold wind blowing down Fairwater Street, Hear those hollow footsteps underneath your feet, Three dead men laughing in the back of the van, And Frank Bannister's got a very strange plan. He sees what you can't see, He knows what you don't know, When the dead start dancing, There's nowhere left to go! [Verse 1] Frank lost his woman on a dark country road, Car wreck, broken heart, and a lifetime load, Now he talks to the dead like they're old friends, Makes a little money while the haunting begins. Cyrus kicks the door and Stuart shakes the wall, The Judge rides in laughing with his six-shooter call, Frank walks through the front door wearing a serious face, "Don't worry, folks, I'll get this ghost out of the place!" But there's something in the darkness That Frank can't explain, People dropping dead Like they're standing in the rain. [Pre-Chorus] A number on your forehead, A shadow in the hall, You can run from the Reaper, But you can't outrun the call. [Chorus – big dancing beat] We're the Frighteners! Dancing with the dead tonight! We're the Frighteners! Running from the pale moonlight! Shake your bones, ring the bell, Heaven's got a story and Hell's got a cell, When the dead come marching through your door— You better dance, 'cause they're coming back for more! [Post-Chorus – gang vocals] Whoa-oh! The dead are on the floor! Whoa-oh! Somebody's knocking from the other side! Whoa-oh! Turn up the radio! Whoa-oh! Welcome to the afterlife! [Verse 2] Lucy sees her husband lying cold in the ground, But Ray's still hanging around when Frank comes around, He's jealous of Bannister, and Frank can't blame the guy, It's hard to compete with a man who's already died. Then Dammers comes marching with his FBI stare, Paranoia in his eyes and madness everywhere, He says, "Bannister, you're the killer that we're looking for!" Then something walks behind him And locks the bedroom door. Johnny Bartlett is laughing, Patricia knows his name, The killer found a second life And he's playing a brand-new game. [Pre-Chorus] Twelve ghosts in the darkness, A killer without a soul, The Grim Reaper's counting And he's coming for them all. [Chorus] We're the Frighteners! Dancing with the dead tonight! We're the Frighteners! Running from the pale moonlight! Shake your bones, ring the bell, Heaven's got a story and Hell's got a cell, When the dead come marching through your door— You better dance, 'cause they're coming back for more! [Instrumental Break – dark dance beat] Boom—boom—clap! Boom—boom—clap! Ghosts in the hallway, Shadows on the wall, Everybody's dead But nobody wants to fall! Boom—boom—clap! Boom—boom—clap! The Reaper's got rhythm, The Devil's keeping time, Johnny's got a body count And Patricia's losing her mind! [Bridge – slower, cinematic] Frank remembers… The road… The headlights… The rain… Debra. The memory comes crashing back Like thunder through his brain. It wasn't Frank. It wasn't his hand. Johnny was there… And now he understands. All those years of guilt, All those nights alone, He was building up a prison Out of memories of his own. [Build – drums increasing] So Frank steps through the darkness, Leaves his body behind, One foot in the grave, One foot in the light. Lucy calls his name, The dead begin to rise, And Frank Bannister looks the Reaper Straight between the eyes! [Chorus – huge] We're the Frighteners! Dancing with the dead tonight! We're the Frighteners! Standing where the darkness meets the light! Raise your hands, ring the bell, Johnny's going down and he's headed straight to Hell, When the dead come marching through your door— You better dance, 'cause they're coming back for more! [Breakdown – sinister whisper] Johnny… Patricia… The party's over. [Heavy orchestral hit] HELL IS WAITING! [Verse 3] Johnny grabs Patricia and pulls her down below, But something from the darkness says, "You're never coming home." Frank reaches for the heavens, Lucy pulls him through, And Debra's waiting somewhere In a sky of endless blue. She tells him, "You can let me go, Your heart has paid the price, You've been living with the dead too long— Now go back to your life." [Final Chorus – celebratory Halloween dance] We're the Frighteners! Dancing on the edge of night! We're the Frighteners! Ghosts and sinners taking flight! Shake your bones, ring the bell, Some are going Heaven and some are going straight to Hell, Life is short, so don't you wait— The party's at the cemetery gate! We're the Frighteners! Laughing in the moonlight glow! We're the Frighteners! Where the living and the dead both go! Turn around, somebody's there, Cold dead fingers running through your hair, When you hear that knocking at your door— DON'T OPEN IT! [Outro – spoken over dancing beat] Frank's back… Lucy can see them… The ghosts are dancing… And somewhere down below… Johnny's still screaming.
