Ghost stories involving children are a perfect setting for suspense and horror movies. When writer Henry James, The Turn of the Screw, in 1898, a classic was made. That is the source of Netflix‘s The Haunting of Bly Manor.

The book plot is somewhat simple, but also extremely complex. Written in first person, we come to lear the story of a young a governess who’s alone in the country with two kids and begins to suspect the place is haunted. The 1961’s movie, The Innocents, is directed by Jack Clayton and starred by Deborah Kerr, is so far the best adaptation of the book. One detail of the feature helps to turn it into a classic, its soundtrack, written by French composer, Georges Auric.

Georges worked with Jean Cocteau and wrote the song O Willow Waly, also part of the Netflix’s series.

The gothic waltz opens the movie , sung by young Isla Cameron, who plays Flora. It’s kind of creepy. The lyrics were written by Paul Dehn, and it’s spoilery.

We lay, my love and I beneath the weeping willow,
But now alone I lie and weep beside the tree,
Singing “O Willow Waly” by the tree that weeps with me,
Singing “O Willow Waly” till my lover returns to me.
We lay my love and I beneath the weeping willow,
But now alone I lie.  
O willow I die. 
O willow I die…

A geek favorite, the original version was never released so it’s hard to find. Listen to a version here .