1

WHAT’S THIS?
from Tim Burton’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Music and Lyrics by

DANNY ELFMAN
Fast, exuberant
C

          
1 2

 
What’s this? What’s this? There’s col - or ev - ’ry -

 
mf
        

5

B C

         
  
2

 
where. What’s this? There’s white things in the air. What’s

 
    

    

Em/B Cmaj7

      
2
       

this? I can’t be - lieve my eyes. I must be dream - ing. Wake up,

    

   

Em6/C# B/D# G C
 
    
4

    
1

    


Jack, this is - n’t fair! What’s this?
       

Copyright © 1993 Buena Vista Music Company
All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
2

         
    
What’s this? What’s this? There’s

           

      
  

   

2

some - thing ver - y wrong. What’s this? There’s peo - ple sing - ing

  
        

C Em/B

            
2

 
songs. What’s this? The streets are lined with lit - tle crea - tures

         


Cmaj7 Em6/C# B/D# Em

                

laugh - ing. Ev - ’ry - bod - y seems so hap - py. Have I pos - si - bly gone

     

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
 3

G7/F F#dim7 G7 C

        
2 4

   
1

    
daf - fy? What is this? What’s this?

           

Am

            
5

   
      
There’re chil - dren throw - ing

 
mp

  
1
2

Em Am

         

    

   
snow - balls in - stead of throw - ing heads. They’re bus - y build - ing

  

Em Gm

          
   

  
toys and ab - so - lute - ly no one’s dead. There’s frost on ev - ’ry

   

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
4
Bbm A

 
        
     
4 5

 
win - dow. Oh, I can’t be - lieve my eyes. And in my bones I

    
  


C#m/E A A7 D

        
    
4
1

 

 
feel the warmth that’s com - ing from in - side. Oh, look! What’s

       
mf


C#
 
        
  

2

  
this? They’re hang - ing mis - tle - toe. They kiss? Why,

                 
 


D

       
2
    
 
that looks so u - nique, in - spired! They’re gath - er - ing a -

                 
  

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
 5

F#m/C# Dmaj7 F#m6/D# C#/E# A7

  
              
 
4
1

round to hear a sto - ry, roast - ing chest - nuts on a fire. What’s

          


D
  
              
1

  

   
this? What’s this? In

          

C#
 
        
  

2

  
here they’ve got a lit - tle tree. How queer! And

                
   


D

            
2

 
who would ev - er think, and why? They’re cov - ’ring it with

                 
  

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
6
F#m Dmaj7/F# F#m6 C#7
 
             
 
 

ti - ny lit - tle things, they’ve got e - lec - tric lights on strings and there’s a

         
    

F#m A7 Ddim7/F A
    
         
2

   
smile on ev - ’ry - one. So now, cor - rect me if I’m wrong. This looks like

      
   

D F#/C# Bm Bb+ A7

              

4

  
1

fun! This looks like fun! Oh, could it be I got my wish! What’s
f
      


 
                
this? Oh

 
mp
      

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
 7
C#
          
       
my, what now? the chil - dren are a - sleep. But
  
     


D

          
  
2 2

 

 
look, there’s noth - ing un - der - neath. No ghouls, no

     

F#m Dmaj7 F#m6

 
               

  
witch - es here to scream and scare them or en - snare them, on - ly lit - tle

     


C#+/E# F#m F#m6/A

 
             

   
co - zy things se - cure in - side their dream - land.

   
rit. slowly, tenderly

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
8


A7 D
   
4

       
1

     
mf

(sigh) What’s this?

 f

a tempo

       
1


Bm F#m

                
The mon - sters are all miss - ing and the night - mares can’t be
mp
  
    
1
2

 
Bm F#m

              

 
found, and in their place there seems to be good feel - ing all a -

     

 
Am Cm/Eb

              

4

 
round. In - stead of screams, I swear I can hear mu - sic in the

       

2
4

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
 9
B Ebm

                
   
2 3

   
air. The smell of cakes and pies is ab - so - lute - ly ev - ’ry -

   

 
Bb Eb

  
   
  
    
4 2

where. The sights, the sounds, they’re ev - ’ry - where and

     
mf
    
5

D Eb
       
         
2

 
all a - round. I’ve nev - er felt so good be -

        


Gm/D Ebmaj7

             
    
2

   
fore. This emp - ty place in - side of me is fill - ing up. I
   


SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT
10

Gm6/E D/F# Gm Bb7

               
    
sim - ply can - not get e - nough. I want it, oh, I want it. Oh, I

      
 

Adim7 Eb G7/D

                

   
2

want it for my own. I’ve got to know. I’ve got to know. What is this

     
    

Cm B+ Ebm/Bb B Cdim7

     
       
3

     

1

place that I have found? WHAT IS THIS?!

        


Bb µ

       
 
 
Christ - mas town? Hmmmm...
       
 

SheetMusicDirect.com Order 9064164 | 1 copy purchased by Rebecca Schlappich Charles on Aug 23, 2023 at 2:14pm CDT