Poor Old Jack

My son has been going through a Nightmare before Christmas phase.

He has been asking to listen to the soundtrack over and over and over. 

And I’ve decided that the song “Poor Jack,” the song he sings in the cemetery after ruining Christmas has got to be one of the best humanistic songs ever written. 

I’m including a link to a youtube video of a live performance of it from the composer Danny Elfman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw6r1OnIZ5A 

This song is a perfect encapsulation of a healthy response to reaching for the sky and failing and having to come to terms with that failure.

He feels sorry for himself.  “Why does nothing every turn out like it should?”

He gets angry – “no one really understood, well how could they?

He congratulates himself for at least trying “What the heck I went and did my best.”

He accepts himself for who he is “That’s right I am the Pumpkin King!!” 

He moves on “I just can’t wait until next Halloween.” 

And then, he commits to fixing his mistakes. “I wonder if there’s still time to set things right.”

Everytime I hear this I am motivated to move past my own failings.

It’s no wonder everyone yells along to “that’s right – I am the Pumpkin King!” every time we hear it. It’s really life affirming.

And ... dare I say - humanistic