Looking for some scary country songs to get you in the Halloween spirit? We’ve got you covered.
Folks, we’re now just a couple days away from Hallow’s Eve. I’m a big fan of “Spooky Season,” which is why I’ve previously done a deep dive on the ghost of Hank Williams haunting Downtown Nashville, as well as analyzed what I believe to be the creepiest song of Johnny Cash’s catalogue.
And fortunately for you, I’ve got yet another spook-tacular story ready to go before the spooky season passes us up and gets eaten up by Christmas.
It seems like a great time to put forth a collection of songs – 10 to be exact – that all evoke spookiness in some way or another. Some of these tracks below are straightforward nods to Halloween and it’s themes. Others are dark tales that would easily stand up against any ghost story out there.
Shall we?
“Delia’s Gone” by Johnny Cash
I already alluded to this one. For my money, this is the darkest and creepiest song that Johnny Cash ever recorded (and he’s got plenty of murder ballads). That’s saying something, considering Cash also released “Ain’t No Grave,” “The Beast in Me,” and “The Long Black Veil” during his legendary career.
But this murder story – inspired by true events – is as spooky as they come.
“The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” by Reba McEntire
Do I really need to explain why this Reba hit makes this list? Her classic cover of Vicki Lawrence’s 1972 classic is an all-timer, and the music video that pairs with it is just as captivating. It’s another murder ballad, and quite possibly the best one that’s ever been released.
It’ll easy act as a Halloween playlist staple.
“Bitin’ List” by Tyler Childers
Tyler Childers’ surprise, zany hit from his 2025 album Snipe Hunter works incredibly well as a Halloween song… with a little bit of imagination, of course.
It’s a story about someone getting rabies and then going around and biting everyone they have issue with, and if you dress up that person as a werewolf, it’s a Hallow’s Eve hit.
“Midnight in Montgomery” by Alan Jackson
Though this Alan Jackson hit mentions New Year’s Eve, the haunting story it tells aligns more with the October 31st holiday.
The 1992 song is actually a ghostly tribute to Hank Williams (who we may or may not see pop up again later in this list), and it’s got everything you’d want in a Halloween-worthy tune.
“Werewolf” by Koe Wetzel
The aforementioned “Bitin’ List” needed some imagination to work. “Werewolf” by Koe Wetzel does not. Released just last year, Wetzel paints a story of being a half-wolf, half-man hybrid.
Though it’s more figurative, it checks all the boxes of a spooky story, and even features an easy-to-sing-along portion where listeners can howl at the moon along with Wetzel.
“This Haunted House” by Loretta Lynn
You can’t have Halloween without a haunted house. Or in the case of Loretta Lynn, “This Haunted House.” The song, which was released in 1964, features the country music legend saying goodbye to a significant other – who is very much alive – and being haunted by the fact they are no longer there in the house with her.
“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band
A fiddler and the literal devil battling? That’s about as scary and spooky as it gets. Charlie Daniels crafted this story with a soul on the line and the world was never the same.
It’s one of the most iconic country music songs of all time, and certainly works within the spirit of Halloween.
“Howlin’ At The Moon” by Hank Williams
Yes, “Howlin’ At The Moon” is our third werewolf/wolf themed selection. And I said that Hank Williams would pop up again on this list… so here we are. Williams penned this one himself, and released it in 1951.
Again, it doesn’t explicitly come out and mention a spooky Halloween creature, but it’s easy to imagine this song fitting into a werewolf tale, no?
“The Dead Don’t Die” by Sturgill Simpson
Sturgill Simpson (A.K.A. Johnny Blue Skies) was entrusted to write a song to act as the theme for the 2019 Jim Jarmusch film of the same name. He did not disappoint. “The Dead Don’t Die” is a wonderfully paced, hauntingly peaceful track that acts as an ode to those who have passed.
“Gravedigger” by Willie Nelson
If you’ve never heard the song “Gravedigger” before, you are in for a treat (no tricks required). The first version of the song I ever heard was by Willie Nelson, even though the song was actually first written and recorded by Dave Matthews.
It’s a spooky storytelling masterclass, and the black-and-white music video that goes along with it is brilliant… Willie plays the gravedigger, the priest, and the hearse driver.
