Pumpkins are appearing on porches, autumn crispness fills the air, and jumbo bags of Reeses’ Peanut Butter Cups are now stacked on store shelves — hmmm… maybe I’d better get an extra bag so the trick-or-treaters can have some, too. Halloween is approaching! And there’s no better time to immerse yourself in the haunting beauty of “Transylvania Lullaby” from the classic comedy Young Frankenstein. (Or is that “Frahnk-en-steen”?)
“Young Frankenstein” is one of just a few comedies included in the American Film Institute’s 2005 list of the 250 greatest film scores. With Gene Wilder’s electrifying screenplay, Mel Brooks’s genius for direction, and composer John Morris’s intuitive gift for stitching it all together with music, the film’s comedy is infused with such musical sweetness that something wondrous — dare we say “Abby Normal” — awakens.
Central to “Young Frankenstein” is “Transylvania Lullaby,” the monster’s tender, haunting theme that beats with beauty and longing as the musical heart of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder’s timeless comedy. And like the lonely, aching heart of Frankenstein’s misunderstood monster, it reaches out through the years with something that maybe only music can fully express — a kind of hope that even if you weren’t born into the life or body or circumstance you might have wished for, you still can search, learn, grow, and find friends and fulfillment in the end.
As recounted in the short documentary, “Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris,” Mel Brooks gave Grammy- and twice-Oscar-nominated composer John Morris this musical direction for his upcoming film: “I want you to write for Young Frankenstein the most beautiful lullaby that’s ever been heard. This is about the monster’s childhood. Write the most beautiful Middle European lullaby.”
The original piano solo sheet music for “Transylvania Lullaby” was published in 1975. This simplified arrangement begins with a series of bass notes evoking the monster’s lurching first steps that transform into a rhythm like a steady heartbeat pulsing through the piece. The melody mirrors the monster’s developmental journey — one step forward, one step back, another step forward as he moves along through an often lonely world, learning as he goes through trial and error. Sometimes the melody dips and soars in a pairing of notes —often thirds or fifths played together — as it tells two intertwining stories. In music, as in the film, the monster and Dr. Frankenstein are bound together as they journey through successes, failures, and discovery.
One aspect of John Morris’s score that’s not included in the 1975 piano sheet music, but which I would love to see featured throughout another published arrangement, is notation for a more fleshed out version of the ascending bass line, one more true to the original score, since it so strongly underscores the lonely monster’s laborious yet inspiringly optimistic and ultimately successful ascendancy into self-actualization and belonging.
In “Young Frankenstein,” the first time the monster hears “Transylvania Lullaby” as a violin solo in the lab, he grasps for the lovely notes in the air, like someone trying to catch shimmering soap bubbles floating overhead.
In a particularly memorable scene, Dr. Frankenstein lures the wayward monster back to the castle by playing the lullaby on the violin (featuring a notable horn solo by Igor, which I would also love to see included in a future published version!). The monster arrives and starts climbing the castle wall, ascending to finally reach the source of the gorgeous music — with ascending notes in the score expressing his physical action as he climbs. “Transylvania Lullaby” appears at other key points in the film, as well, as this compilation shows.
Many violinists and other musicians around the world still cover and perform this beautiful piece. The original 1975 sheet music for piano is out of print, but some arrangements can be found online (violin solos, an orchestra score), and a few vintage copies pop up from time to time at library sales and used bookstores. But this is such a wonderful piece, and so much fun to play, I wish the sheet music would be re-released.
By the way, So Many Songbooks founder Jane Moffat noticed that the vintage sheet music includes the rather curious note that “Transylvania Lullaby” was also “recorded by Rhythm Heritage on ABC/DUNHILL Records.” Which means that Rhythm Heritage, the same funk/boogie outfit that recorded tunes like the most excellent “Theme from S.W.A.T.,” also brought to life this groovy take on the monster’s theme from “Young Frankenstein.” Please listen to it; it is peak Seventies!
John Morris and Mel Brooks collaborated on over 20 films from 1967 to 1991, starting with “The Producers.” Brooks so enjoyed Morris’s arrangement of “Springtime for Hitler” that he asked him to score the rest of the film, which Morris did — teaching himself how to score a film as he went along. “Blazing Saddles,” “The Elephant Man,” “High Anxiety,” “Silent Movie,” “Spaceballs,” “To Be Or Not To Be,” and many others followed. Morris also collaborated with Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman on films of their own, in addition to countless other projects.
There are songbook anthologies dedicated to Halloween-season themes as well as at least one anthology of music from horror movies, but none of these contain “Transylvania Lullaby.” We’d love to see the tune included in an anthology of music from classic monster movies. And why not a John Morris collection?
By Nancy Stokes, Special to So Many Songbooks
Where to find it:
“Transylvania Lullaby” (Theme from “Young Frankenstein”)
Composed by John Morris
VINTAGE SHEET MUSIC: search for the very rare sheet music on eBay, on AbeBooks, on Biblio.com, or on Amazon. (Good luck!) Or use WorldCat to look for the music at a library.
Publisher: 20th Century Music Corp. (1975)
Item number: 5742TSM
Status (2025): Out of Print
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS: browse SheetMusicPlus to find digital downloads of “Transylvania Lullaby” (sometimes listed as “Transylvanian Lullaby”) arranged for various instruments including concert band, orchestra, and violin. Also find orchestra arrangement on Alfred Music or violin duet at SheetMusicDirect.
FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION:
- Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris documentary
- Fresh Air Archive: John Morris: A Career in Musical Parody (1987 interview)
- Variety: John Morris, ‘Blazing Saddles’ and ‘Young Frankenstein’ Composer, Dies at 91
- Film Music Society: AFI Scores with Top 250 List (May 2005)
- Stereogum: The Number Ones - Rhythm Heritage: “Theme from S.W.A.T.”
Bonus content:
- Wait! Where are you going? I was going to make espresso.
- A lovely unrelated piece of music by John Morris that you may not find otherwise: “Scarlett’s Love Theme” from the 1994 made-for-TV movie “Scarlett”.
- FYI: John Morris also composed the theme to Julia Child’s TV show, “The French Chef”!
So Many Songbooks 