How many times have you turned on a horror movie only to hear Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” playing as people are stalked, terrorized, and murdered? Why do so many horror movies use it, and is there any reason behind its usage?
Horror movies use “Don’t Fear the Reaper” because it creates a feeling of nostalgia for days gone by and the rolling of joints to vinyl records. Some of the best cult classics have used it to create a sense of terror in the viewers. Keep reading to learn why it is so effective and some of the best uses of it throughout the last several decades!
Taking a Quick Look at the Meaning Behind the Song
Songs can easily be given different interpretations and meanings by people, as we all have varying live experiences that cause us to take different things from them. In particular, “Don’t Fear the Reaper” has been interpreted as a pro-suicide song even though Donald Roeser, guitarist, and writer of the song, said it was never meant to mean that. So, what is the meaning behind “Don’t Fear the Reaper?”
While thinking about his mortality, he wrote the first two lines and guitar riff, and the rest came to him as a tale about love transcending death. He was thinking about his wife and how they might be together after death, and thus birthed one of the most iconic songs from within the last fifty years.
So, the song is about a love transcending death, sounds pretty romantic, but why do so many people treat it as a pro-suicide song? That comes from the second verse, which refers to Romeo and Juliet, commonly known as a love story between two teens who take their own lives. Roeser said, though, that wasn’t what he was thinking about at all.
He had meant it to express the fact that they had the faith to believe in their love and eternity, not to promote suicide. Alongside the Romeo and Juliet part of the song, there is the line “40,000 men and women everyday,” which was actually just a number he pulled out of the air as a guess at how many people die worldwide yearly, not the number of people who take their own lives.
Why is it So Effective in Horror Movies?
What makes it so effective in horror films, though? When properly used, it creates a slightly off-putting feeling within a film, especially as the song’s tune is fairly peppy. It does not sound like usual horror music, which is developed to invoke a feeling of terror and put you on edge. “Don’t Fear the Reaper” does not do that, though, and rather it is through the lyrics speaking of the transcendence of death while victims are stalked (Halloween, 1978) or brutally murdered (X, 2022) that truly gets to you.
As the song plays, a feeling of foreboding hangs over you, and you can’t help but begin questioning your mortality as Roeser did as he wrote it. Death comes for us all, but we don’t have to fear the reaper because death is not the end of our tales but merely the beginning of a new chapter. Regardless of your beliefs, live your life to the fullest, and always remember, don’t fear the reaper.
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” is so effective because it creates a creepy and off-putting feeling that adds a whole new layer to horror movie murders and leaves you feeling weird after witnessing a death to an upbeat song about love transcending death.
Horror Movies That Have Used “Don’t Fear the Reaper” in the Past
To wrap this article up, here is a list of the main horror films that have used “Don’t Fear the Reaper” in the past. As new movies are released, they will be added here if they use the song. If we missed any, let us know in the comments below!
- Halloween (1978)
- The Stand (1994)
- Scream (1996)
- The Frighteners (1996)
- Halloween (2007)
- Zombieland (2009)
- Chucky Tv Show: “I Like to Be Hugged” (2021)
- X (2022)
- Halloween Ends (2022)