History Main / CreepyChildrenSinging

* In the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'', [[spoiler: while [[CheerfulChild Greg]] begins to turn into an Edelwood tree]], has Greg's vocals in two songs. First, in the second half of the Beast's VillainSong "Come Wayward Souls". Then is "Potatus Et Molassus", a DarkReprise of Greg's earlier song "Potatoes and Molasses", with Greg [[OminousLatinChanting singing in Latin]] (which ends with a line taken from the previous song).
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', Scrooge and his family venture to [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece Ithaquack]] where they face various challenges from [[JerkassGods Zeus]] who has a grudge against Scrooge. One of them involves Zeus summoning a siren (who has taken the appearance of a little girl) to hypnotize his son [[BoisterousBruiser Storkules]] to destroy the [=McDuck=] family against his will. Scrooge even lampshades this trope when the siren begins her song.
--> '''Scrooge (to his nephews)''': "Plug your ears! [[GenreSavvy No good ever came from a creepy child singing]]!"

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E29NightmareAsAChild Nightmare as a Child]]", Helen Foley hears Markie creepily singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in her mind.

* In the final episode of ''WesternAnimation/OverTheGardenWall'', [[spoiler: while [[CheerfulChild Greg]] begins to turn into an Edelwood tree,]] a DarkReprise of Greg's earlier song "Potatoes and Molasses" can be heard, with Greg [[OminousLatinChanting singing in Latin]], and a line from [[BigBad The Beast's]] song thrown in at the end for good measure.

* A trailer for ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' film has children creepily singing "I've Got No Strings" (from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Pinocchio}}'') as violent action plays on the screen... the last lines ominously spoken rather than sung by Ultron himself (James Spader).

--> "One, two, Freddy's coming for you...
--> Three, four, better lock your door...
--> Five, six, grab your crucifix....
--> Seven, Eight, gonna stay up late...
--> Nine, Ten, never sleep again."

* The opening credits of children-turned-zombies-comedy ''Film/{{Cooties}}'' feature the journey of a [[TheVirus tainted chicken nugget]] from slaughterhouse to cafeteria, with all the gory details...which would have been disturbing enough without a soundtrack consisting of [[OminousLatinChanting children chanting gibberish]], grinding synthesizers, and what can only be described as a ''sinister kazoo chorus''.
* ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' (composed by Music/JerryGoldsmith) has a great one with "Carol Anne's Theme", a semi-religious sounding lullaby that sounds very innocent and pure. Taken to a disturbing level in the ending credits [[LastNoteNightmare when the children laughed ominously]].
* In a creepy scene in ''Film/TheBirds'' by Creator/AlfredHitchcock, schoolchildren sing the nonsense folk song "Risselty-Rosselty" while a mass of CreepyCrows slowly gather on an empty playground, waiting to attack them as soon as they leave. Subverted in that the children themselves are innocent victims, the creepiness coming from the context, suspense, and situation.
* Samara Morgan sings one herself in ''Film/TheRing''.
-->"Round we go, the world is spinning.
-->When it stops, it's just beginning.
-->Sun comes up, we laugh and we cry.
-->Sun goes down, and then we all die..."

* In 2007's ''Film/{{Hannibal Rising}}'', the German children song "Ein Männlein steht im Walde" is a central theme that continues through the whole movie. The last scene shows young Hannibal marching off to his next kill while a creepy, high-pitched children's choir sings the song.
* DeepRed has a creepy lullaby that serves as a background music for some of the creepiest moments.

* ''{{Literature/Phantoms}}'': At one point during the 1998 film, the Ancient Enemy uses a child's voice to sing 'Jesus Loves Me.'

-->''It's raining, it's pouring''\\
''The old man is snoring''\\

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YSPl8TPH1A The original theme]] for ''Film/TheAmityvilleHorror1979'' includes a childlike choir of "la la la"'s that just sound... [[NightmareFuel unsettling.]]

* The protagonist of ''Literature/AncillaryJustice'', the ArtificialIntelligence of a spaceship that operates planetside through MeatPuppet soldiers called ancillaries, hears some children playing a game and singing about them.

-->-- '''Creator/EddieIzzard'''

* The tag children singing "Kagome, Kagome" around Miku in the first ''VideoGame/FatalFrame1'', and the handmaidens singing "Sleeping Priestess" in the [[VideoGame/FatalFrameIIITheTormented third one]]. Specially effective with the handmaidens, since they are singing about skinning and impaling people in a monotone, almost entranced tone of voice.

* In ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' the theme tune of the [[BonusBoss Ba'als]] includes a segment of this in their {{Leitmotif}}. The bosses in question are [[EarlyBirdCameo Early-Bird Cameos]] for ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'', where the theme returns

* The track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lERQBzb5k Pendulum]] from ''Manga/{{Shiki}}'' starts out innocently enough with a childlike chorus singing a La La La melody, only for it to slowly descend into darkness and madness as the tune shifts into a a much grimmer tone with the singing starting to sound less like innocent children and more like they are screaming the melody.
* Kara's theme in ''Boruto: Naruto Next Generations'' has these.

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has been doing this since at least "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS23E1TheMysteriousPlanet The Trial of a Time Lord]]" where the Doctor was hunted through a series of abandoned warehouses whilst [[TropeNamer Creepy Children]] sang Ring-a-Ring-o-Roses in the background. It wasn't clear if he could hear or not. The new series used it in the Series 6 episodes "Night Terrors", "Closing Time", and 'The Wedding of River Song".
** ''The Beast Below'':
--> A horse and a man, above, below
--> One has a plan, but both must go
--> Mile after mile, above, beneath
--> One has a smile, the other has teeth
--> Though the man might stop and say hello,
--> Expect no love from the beast below
** ''Night Terrors'':
--> Tick tock, goes the clock
--> And now, what shall we play?
--> Tick tock, goes the clock
--> Now summer's gone away
** Long before that, during the Seventh Doctor's run, we have "Remembrance of the Daleks", where a little girl witnesses the Doctor and Ace arriving, before singing
-->Five, Six, Seven, Eight,
-->There's a Doctor at the gate.

--> Can't even shout, can't even cry,
--> The Gentlemen are coming by.
--> Lookin' in windows, knockin' on doors,
--> They need to take seven and they might take yours.
--> Can't call to mom, can't say a word,
--> You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard.
* ''Series/{{Star Trek|The Original Series}}''
--> Hail, hail, fire and snow
--> Call the angel, we will go
--> Far away, for to see
--> Friendly angel come to me.
** Also, the episode "Miri" has unseen children singing standard schoolyard chants, to creepy effect.
* ''Series/{{Quatermass}}''
--> Huffety puffety Ringstone Round.
--> If you lose your hat it will never be found,
--> So pull up your britches right up to your chin,
--> And fasten your cloak with a bright new pin,
--> And when you are ready, then we can begin,
--> Huffity, puffity puff!

* ''Film/{{Poltergeist|1982}}'' (composed by Music/JerryGoldsmith) has a great one with "Carol Anne's Theme", a semi-religious sounding lullaby that sounds very innocent and pure. Taken to a disturbing level in the ending credits when the children laughed ominously.

* Music/{{Nightwish}}'s ''Imaginaerum'' album is full of this, particularly on "Scaretale."