My last “soundtrack” post was filled primarily with hard rock/metal, and I realize this. Those are usually the genres that I stick with, so by default, those are most of the types of songs I have in my playlists. But by no means are those the only songs I indulge myself in.

After all, you don’t always want to stick your snout into someone’s ribcage and gnaw on their internal organs while they scream. Sometimes you just want to dine on a quiet meal of long pig with some potatoes on the side.

I digress. Here is the Lycanthropology 101 list of songs to gently nibble people to.

1. Werewolf—Tyler Lyle

Found by accident, actually, while flicking through werewolf-related songs on Bandcamp. After browsing the lyrics, I was expecting something a little more punk rock than what I actually got, but somehow it managed to work anyway.

And some days I am a mother fucking werewolf
I am a cannibal that eats himself alive
So if you see me tonight on the floor or the ceiling
It depends how I’m feeling, maybe you’ll take me home
and I’ll climb your mountains and build a castle around it
But bring your silver bullets just in case

2. Werewolf—Cat Power

Yes the song is, technically, written by Michael Hurley, but in all honesty his singing does very little for me. Cat Power’s cover, on the other hand, is just… haunting.

Oh the werewolf, the werewolf
Comes stepping along
He don’t even break the branches where he’s gone
Once I saw him in the moonlight, when the bats were flying
I saw the werewolf, and the werewolf was crying

3. Wolfen (Das Tier in Mir)—E Nomine

I found this one by accident, actually. It’s uh… hard to describe. The best I can do is “German Gregorian chants set to techno.” Just… just go with it.

Dunkle Wolken und finstere Gedanken / Dark clouds and dark thoughts
die Vollmondnacht zerbricht meine Schranken / The full-moon night smashes my barriers down
In mir kommt die Gier auf Getier, dass ich massakrier / The animal desire that I massacre comes in me
Spür diese Lust auf Blut jetzt und hier / I feel this bloodlust here and now

4. FullMoon—Sonata Arctica

Yes this is by all accounts undeniably power metal, but in my experience even people who overall don’t care for metal still like power metal so I’m adding it anyway.

She should not lock the open door (run away run away, run way)
Fullmoon is on the sky and
He’s not a man anymore
She sees the change in Him but can’t (run away run away, run away)
See what became out of her man… Fullmoon

5. The Legend—Steve Cook

Well, I couldn’t have a list of low-key werewolf songs without including the song that shoved Michigan’s famous cryptid, the Dogman, into the spotlight.

Eleven lumberjacks near the Garland Swamp found an animal they thought was a dog.
In a playful mood they chased it around, ’til it ran inside a hollow log.
A logger named Johnson grabbed him a stick and poked around inside.
Then the thing let out an unearthly scream and came out…and stood upright.

6. Werewolves of London—Warren Zevon

Did you really think that I wasn’t going to add Werewolves of London to this list

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook’s
Going to get a big dish of beef chow mein

7. Hey Werewolves—El Dog

From their concept album of the same name.

The sunshine of your smile
Turns these yellow eyes to green.
The moonlight on your shape
Makes a monster out of me