ESLSongs

Celebrate Halloween in your ESL class with this classic song, the Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett.

These song lyrics include 11 examples of halloween-related vocabulary: eerie, monster, graveyard, vampires, ghouls, zombies, wolfman, dracula, Igor, coffin & Transylvania

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

I was working in the lab, late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab, began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise

He did the monster mash
(The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash
(He did the mash) It caught on in a flash
(He did the mash) He did the monster mash

From my laboratory in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes

They did the monster mash
(The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash
(They did the mash) It caught on in a flash
(They did the mash) They did the monster mash

The zombies were having fun (Wa hoo, tennis shoe)
The party had just begun (Wa hoo, tennis shoe)
The guests included Wolfman, Dracula and his son
The scene was rockin’, all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, ‘The Crypt-Kicker Five’

They played the monster mash
(The monster mash) It was a graveyard smash
(They played the mash) It caught on in a flash
(They played the mash) They played the monster mash

Out from his coffin, Drac’s voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist and said
“Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?

It’s now the monster mash
(The monster mash) And it’s a graveyard smash
(It’s now the mash) It’s caught on in a flash
(It’s now the mash) It’s now the monster mash

Now everything’s cool, Drac’s a part of the band
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you

Then you can monster mash
(The monster mash) And do my graveyard smash
(Then you can mash) You’ll catch on in a flash
(Then you can mash) Then you can monster mash

Easy Igor, you impetuous young boy (Wa hoo, monster mash)
(Wa hoo, monster mash)
(Wa hoo, monster mash)
(Wa hoo, monster mash)
(Wa hoo, monster mash)

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Check that you know the meanings of the halloween vocabulary in the list below, then listen to the song and fill the gaps: coffin, crypt, Drac, dracula, eerie, ghouls, graveyard, hounds, Igor, lab, laboratory, monster, Transylvania, vampires, wolfman, zombies

I was working in the ¹__________, late one night
When my eyes beheld an ²__________ sight
For my ³__________ from his slab, began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise

He did the ⁴__________ mash, it was a ⁵__________ smash
It caught on in a flash, he did the ⁶__________ mash

From my ⁷__________ in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the ⁸__________ feast
The ⁹__________ all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes

They did the ¹⁰__________ mash, it was a ¹¹__________ smash
It caught on in a flash, they did the ¹²__________ mash

The ¹³__________ were having fun
The party had just begun
The guests included ¹⁴__________, ¹⁵__________ and his son
The scene was rocking, all were digging the sounds
¹⁶__________ on chains, backed by his baying ¹⁷__________
The ¹⁸__________-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, ‘The ¹⁹__________-Kicker Five’

They played the ²⁰__________ mash, it was a ²¹__________ smash
It caught on in a flash, they played the ²²__________ mash

Out from his ²³__________, Drac’s voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist and said
“Whatever happened to my ²⁴__________ Twist?

It’s now the ²⁵__________ mash, and it’s a ²⁶__________ smash
It’s caught on in a flash, it’s now the ²⁷__________ mash

Now everything’s cool, ²⁸__________’s a part of the band
And my ²⁹__________ Mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living, this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you

Then you can ³⁰__________ mash, and do my ³¹__________ smash
You’ll catch on in a flash, then you can ³²__________ mash

Bobby Pickett

Robert George Pickett, better known as Bobby “Boris” Pickett, was an American singer-songwriter and comedian. He is best known for co-writing and performing the 1962 smash hit novelty song “Monster Mash”.