Poor Jack

Happy Halloween!

The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the “real world.” When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life — he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.

Director: Henry Selick
Story by: Tim Burton
Music: Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman wrote the film score and provided the singing voice of Jack, as well as other minor characters.

The Nightmare Before Christmas originated in a poem written by Tim Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions. With the success of Vincent in the same year, Burton began to consider developing The Nightmare Before Christmas as either a short film or 30-minute television special to no avail. Over the years, Burton’s thoughts regularly returned to the project and in 1990, he made a development deal with Walt Disney Studios. Production started in July 1991 in San Francisco.

Tim Burton featuring Plain White Tees (2014)

Poor Jack is a song from the film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. It is sung by Jack after he survives an explosion in Christmas Town that was meant to kill him. The song is about Jack confronting his guilt surrounding the mess he made of Christmas Town. He then chooses to remain the Pumpkin King and rushes off to save Sandy Claws.

Written by Danny Elfman (1993)

What have I done? What have I done?
How could I be so blind?
All is lost, where was I?
Spoiled all, spoiled all, everything’s gone all wrong

What have I done? What have I done?
Find a deep cave to hide in
In a million years they’ll find me
Only dust and a plaque that reads here lies poor old Jack

But I never intended all this madness, never
And nobody really understood, well how could they?
That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great
Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?

Well, what the heck I went and did my best
And by God I really tasted something swell, that’s right
And for a moment, why I even touched the sky
And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did

And for the first time since I don’t remember when
I felt just like my old bony self again
And I Jack, the Pumpkin King
That’s right I am the Pumpkin King

And I just can’t wait until next Halloween
‘Cause I’ve got some new ideas that will really make them scream
And by God, I’m really gonna give it all my might
Oh, oh, I hope there’s still time to set things right Sandy Claws