History Main / DescentIntoDarknessSong

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', the infamous FinalBoss theme [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDyCZiomOS4 "Pokey Means Business"]] (better known as [[EldritchAbomination Gigyas]]'s first theme) starts off predictable and vaguely melancholic, then abruptly switches to frantic and disturbing.
* From ''Portal 2'', the track 'I AM NOT A MORON!' fits this trope to a T: it starts out with triumphant, happy electronic tones, but halfway through it switches to a much more sinister tone played by brass and strings, culminating in a [[DarkReprise dark reprise]] of the turning point in the track, combining both orchestra and electronic music, ending in a much different place than it started.

* The {{Vocaloid}} song "Wordplay" in the Franchise/EvilliousChronicles by Music/{{mothy}}. It begins with the singer talking cheerfully about the first time she learned of the world, friendship, and love. Then it slowly cycles through the first time she learned of pain, punishment, lies and evil, with the video getting darker and grayer as well. It's implied this is the same person who becomes a MadScientist in the later song "Moonlit Laboratory".

** ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g7GkUbjG7U Hyrule Castle theme]], which is the final dungeon of the game. It starts off soft and majestic, with a revision of the Hyrule Castle song from ''ALinkToThePast''. As you progress through the dungeon, however, the song gains a bassline that may sound...a bit familiar. Later, the bassline is seamlessly expanded into Ganon's theme, which is overlaid onto the Hyrule Castle theme. From that point on, Ganon's theme slowly takes over, becoming louder and more pronounced while the Hyrule Castle theme becomes softer and more subtle. By the time you're in the stairway before the final battle, Ganon's theme has completely taken over.

* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'': A very subtle, very quick version occurs during the mall confrontation scene where both Terminators find John at the same time. Due to the fact that the movie is playing up the fact that either Terminator could be evil, you hear both of their themes play one after the other. First Arnold's strong metal percussion then the T-1000's low ominous moan. Then, as both of them meet each other with John in the moment, for a brief moment both play on top of each other adding to the tension of which (if not both) Terminators are evil. Then Arnold saves John and the -1000's low moan completely takes over. ''He's'' our bad guy.

''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'': A very subtle, very quick version occurs during the mall confrontation scene where both Terminators find John at the same time. Due to the fact that the movie is playing up the fact that either Terminator could be evil, you hear both of their themes play one after the other. First Arnold's strong metal percussion then the T-1000's low ominous moan. Then, as both of them meet each other with John in the moment, for a brief moment both play on top of each other adding to the tension of which (if not both) Terminators are evil. Then Arnold saves John and the -1000's low moan completely takes over. ''He's'' our bad guy.

* 'Princess of December' from ''UFOPrincessValkyrie''. Starts out as a romantic song of eternal love and devotion, sung by the titular Valkyrie, only for it to be hijacked halfway through by her ShadowArchetype, Valkyrie Ghost, who turns it into a heart-wrenching song of loneliness and despair. It's one of the first hints that the Dark Valkyrie is actually a tragic figure, rather than the out-and-out villain she first appear to be. You can hear it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-1lbEFjRXU here]].

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' has the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0kXVfqPrLs Clock Town theme.]] It starts out rather upbeat enough, as the town is mostly going about its business and the townspeople blissfully ignorant that anything's wrong. Sure, [[WeirdMoon the moon is up there glaring at them]], but it's way out there. What's it gonna do? The next day, [[ColonyDrop the moon is demonstrably closer than its original position]], and that night, closer still. The music is slightly darker to accomodate. Then, by the third day, the music is outright apocalyptic, since the townspeople have all but fled or given up in terror, and the moon is so close it looks like it could cleanse the planet with one strong snort.
** The use of this trope is flat out perfected in ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', for its [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g7GkUbjG7U Hyrule Castle theme]], which is the final dungeon of the game. It starts off soft and majestic, with a revision of the Hyrule Castle song from ''ALinkToThePast''. As you progress through the dungeon, however, the song gains a bassline that may sound...a bit familiar. Later, the bassline is seamlessly expanded into Ganon's theme, which is perfectly overlaid onto the Hyrule Castle theme. From that point on, Ganon's theme slowly takes over, becoming louder and more pronounced while the Hyrule Castle theme becomes softer and more subtle. By the time you're in the stairway before the final battle, Ganon's theme has completely taken over.

** Still keeps its deceptively happy tune though.

* Helen Reddy's hit [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQKyGt_I5L4 Angie Baby]] (written by Alan O'Day) which starts out okay, being about a "touched" girl who uses her radio to keep her company. It soon turns to the girl having to be removed from school and eventually to the subject of potential rape and the vague aftermath that results in the disappearance of the young man, leaving the listener to wonder whether he was killed by Angie with something [[ILoveTheDead maybe worse]] (since Angie has "a secret lover who keeps her satisfied") or she's just imagining him still there.
** Helen Reddy and singer/songwriter Alan O'Day (Undercover Angel) eventually revealed the truth : Angie [[spoiler:was a RealityWarper, and the boy with 'evil on his mind' was not the first she shunted away for her pleasure.]]

** The use of this trope is flat out perfected in ''Videogame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', for its [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g7GkUbjG7U Hyrule Castle theme]], which is the final dungeon of the game. It starts off soft and majestic, with a revision of the Hyrule Castle song from ''ALinkToThePast''. As you progress through the dungeon, however, the song gains a bassline that may sound...a bit familiar. Later, the bassline is seemlessly expanded into Ganon's theme, which is perfectly overlaid onto the Hyrule Castle theme. From that point on, Ganon's theme slowly takes over, becoming louder and more pronounced while the Hyrule Castle theme becomes softer and more subtle. By the time you're in the stairway before the final battle, Ganon's theme has completely taken over.
* In {{Friendship is Witchcraft}} Pinkie Pie's orphanage song does this. It begins as a happy song, but then Pinkie starts singing about how unworthy she is.

* "I Believe" from ''SpringAwakening'' has its tone darken as [[spoiler:the two leads transition from kissing to ambiguously consensual sex.]]

* An instrumental example, [[MeaningfulName Rude Awakening,]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRXax5YNlao No. 2]] by CreedenceClearwaterRevival starts out mellow but becomes more and more spooky as the song goes on.

* [[spoiler:The Once-ler]]'s VillainSong from ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'' seems fine and dandy for most of the song. That is until he starts talking about [[spoiler:not caring if a few trees are dying]], while you see him [[spoiler:destroying said trees with the soundwaves from his guitar]], and carelessly hacking down every tree left and right while the forest creatures run for their lives. Not only does the song get so much darker, his voice gets a distinct malevolent echo at the end.

** Actually, "Pokey Means Business" [[CaptainObvious is]] [[BeamMeUpScotty Pokey's theme.]] Though it's somewhat understandable why it's attributed to [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]][[note]] Giygas is also "fought" in the same battle you fight Pokey in, though you can't damage him, and you need to defeat Pokey in order to progress to the next stage.[[/note]], what ''is'' this trope is actually [[ExaggeratedTrope an entire group of songs,]] starting with the somewhat stock yet [[AwesomeMusic awesome]] and aforementioned "Pokey Means Business," sounding like a failry traditional final boss theme. However, as soon as Pokey turns off the Devil's Machine and sets [[EldritchAbomination Giygas]] free, [[EldritchLocation it]] [[HellIsThatNoise turns]] [[NightmareFuel flatout]] [[NightmareFace creepy.]] First, the theme that plays when you first see Giygas, and then it starts to play something ''that is barely identifiable as a song,'' slowly getting [[FromBadToWorse worse and worse]] to the point where the final song is [[NightmareFuel flatout terrifying to listen to.]]

** Still keeps its decepticly happy tune though.

* [[spoiler:The Once-ler]]'s VillainSong from ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'' seems fine and dandy for most of the song. That is until he starts talking about [[spoiler:not caring if a few trees are dying]], while you see him [[spoiler:destroying said trees with the soundwaves from his guitar]]. Not only does the song get so much darker, his voice gets a distinct malevolent echo at the end.

* "The End", by Music/TheDoors, famously starts off as a ponderous musing about the nature of finality. However, eventually the imagery shifts into describing a masked killer grappling with the desire to kill, and then killing, his own parents. Afterwards, the tempo builds up to the end, creating a mesmerizing climax.

* ''TheLegendOfZelda: MajorasMask'' has the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0kXVfqPrLs Clock Town theme.]] It starts out rather upbeat enough, as the town is mostly going about its business and the townspeople blissfully ignorant that anything's wrong. Sure, [[WeirdMoon the moon is up there glaring at them]], but it's way out there. What's it gonna do? The next day, [[ColonyDrop the moon is demonstrably closer than its original position]], and that night, closer still. The music is slightly darker to accomodate. Then, by the third day, the music is outright apocalyptic, since the townspeople have all but fled or given up in terror, and the moon is so close it looks like it could cleanse the planet with one strong snort.

* Helen Reddy's hit "Angie Baby" (written by Alan O'Day) which starts out okay, being about a "touched" girl who uses her radio to keep her company. It soon turns to the girl having to be removed from school and eventually to the subject of potential rape and the vague aftermath that results in the disappearance of the young man, leaving the listener to wonder whether he was killed by Angie with something [[ILoveTheDead maybe worse]] (since Angie has "a secret lover who keeps her satisfied") or she's just imagining him still there.
* Several songs by StephenLynch. "Superhero" starts with describing various superheroes kids might want to be before turning into a diatribe against his unfaithful wife who now lives in Hawaii with a doctor, dumping him with three kids and no job. For those interested - song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQKyGt_I5L4 here]].

* [[spoiler:The Once-ler]]'s VillainSong from ''Film/TheLorax'' seems fine and dandy for most of the song. That is until he starts talking about [[spoiler:not caring if a few trees are dying]], while you see him [[spoiler:destroying said trees with the soundwaves from his guitar]]. Not only does the song get so much darker, his voice gets a distinct malevolent echo at the end.

* In ''SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', the "Little Boy, You're Going to Hell!" song that plays when poor Kenny, well, goes to Hell.

* In ''TurnaboutMusical'', Phoenix's 'Reawakening' song starts out as upbeat as could be, as he's feeling good about his victory in court. It [[MoodWhiplash turns downright heartbreaking]] when he returns to the office to find [[spoiler:his mentor murdered]].