The lyrics of “Monster Mash” is a grave yard smash!  The song clearly isn’t based on factual events, so any logical fallacies or gaps in continuity are easily forgiven. It’s totally made up!

The background vocals, though, are undoubtedly out-of-place, even for a novelty song about a zombie dance party where a lot of people came to said party!

We’ll start from the beginning!  The song was released in 1962! It was performed by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, was written by Pickett and Lenny Capizzi.  Pickett and Lenny Capizzi were in a group called The Cordials. The idea for the song came when Pickett began demonstrating his Boris Karloff impressions.

(Video courtesy of Timeless Music)

Pickett said in a 1995 interview, he remembered that the song’s producer, Gary S. Paxton, performed all the practical sound effects himself, simulating the noises of bubbling potions with a straw and a glass of water, and mimicking the sound of a creaky coffin by pulling a rusty nail out of a board.

Another memory about the song, Pickett couldn’t recall why the background vocalists were singing about shoes during the song’s bridge.

“They’re saying ‘Ooh, tennis shoe, wah-ooh,” he told Dr. Demento in 2006. “We don’t know why.”

Despite its eccentricities or more accurately, because of them, the song went reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts later that year, and remained in radio rotation for six decades.

“I never thought anyone would play it,” said Pickett.

Pickett embraced his fame and went on to record other, novelty songs like “Monster Swim” and “Werewolf Watusi.” He also continued to perform at concerts and Halloween festivals until his passing in 2007. One other memory from Pickett, he recalls, Elvis said “Monster Mash” was the “dumbest thing he’d ever heard.”

“Monster Mash” has paid my rent for the last 33 years,” he remarked in his 1995 interview with Henderson. “I have no complaints!”