This ship pulled in without a sound
The faithful captain long since cold
He kept his log till the bloody end
Last entry read “Rats in the hold.
My crew is dead, I fear the plague…”

DRACULA!!!

Well not quite. But if you’ve ever seen F. W. Murnau’s classic silent horror film Nosferatu — and if you haven’t, you’ve got a LOT of nerve! — you’ve not only experienced a masterpiece of German Expressionism in motion, but you’d also know that Murnau’s unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is almost a note-for-note retake on the legend of our favorite Central European undead badass.

And the Bram Stoker estate, quite rightly, attempted to sue the movie out of existence.

But you can’t quite kill the undead that easily.

Nosferatu survived and has become a celebrated classic of the genre. The very name (a description of the creature itself; the character was named “Count Orlok”) is synonymous with vampires, evil, the undead, creepy crawlies, terrifying elementary school nurses, etc.

This did not go unnoticed by seminal 70s rock band Blue Oyster Cult, who recorded an ode to this terrifying night creature on their 1977 album Spectres. The song’s creepy menace, menacing tone, gothic piano flourishes, and overall sense of dread makes this a perfect Halloween tune.

Pray for daylight.

Only a woman can break his spell
Pure in heart who will offer herself
To Nosferatu…