History Main / DescentIntoDarknessSong

* In ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'', one of Rapunzel's friends, a young inventor named Varian, is determined to make his father proud of him, which is also the title of his song, and provides the page quote at the top. However an accident in his lab traps Varian's father in crystal. Desperate for help, Varian goes to Rapunzel, who is currently swamped with a natural disaster and other responsibilities for her kingdom (a cataclysmic blizzard based on the legend of the evil Zhan Tiri is threatening to tear Corona apart and her parents are missing), and she sends Varian away. Feeling both bitter and guilty over this accident causes Varian to have a noticeable FaceHeelTurn in the middle of his originally chipper song, ending with a clenched fist, and with a sinister tone where he proclaims that "they will pay".

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': "City of Love" from "Summer Belongs to You" starts out with a sense of optimism, as Isabella tries to use the stop in Paris as a chance to get Phineas to enjoy the stay and at least have a romantic moment with him. However, her crush is ObliviousToLove and way too focused on trying to get the gang's plane repaired, and her glee slowly degenerates into a dull and gloomy tone as her romantic efforts are all in vain. For a bonus, the background colors go from bright and colorful to muted and dark, and the hearts floating amidst litter the ground and break.

* The Music/{{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".

* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', "Hell Isn't Good" starts out with Kenny, who [[TheyKilledKennyAgain died]] in an earlier scene, making his way to Heaven, with hopeful lyrics underscoring how Kenny is finally at peace. But when he finally reaches Heaven, the gates reject him and the heavy metal guitar kicks in as poor Kenny falls screaming into the bowels of Hell.

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]
* ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'': A very subtle, very quick version occurs during the mall confrontation scene where both Terminators find John at the same time. Because 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 middle, 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.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerryTheMovie'': Dr. Applecheek's song "God's Little Creatures" starts off as a gentle, if slightly sad song about how much he loves animals and will do anything to protect them. However, it eventually becomes much more harsh and menacing when Dr. Applecheek turns out to be EvilAllAlong.

* "Big and Loud" from ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance''. When it's first song, Darla Dimple is giving Danny advice to improve his act in order to be famous; once Danny has gone, the song is sung again in a more darker, sinister villainous fashion as Darla shows her true jealous nature against animals and wants them done.

* "Big and Loud" from ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance''. When it's first song, Darla Dimple is giving Danny advice to improve his act in order to be famous; once Danny has gone, the song is sung again in a more darker, sinister villainous fashion as Darla shows her true jealous nature against animals and wants them done.

** The song "Do It for Her" from the episode "Sworn to the Sword" starts off as a typical TrainingMontage song, but gets progressively creepier as Pearl slowly goads Connie into thinking her status as a Human means her life is of lesser value than Steven's.

** In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie'' "Drift Away" recounts Spinel's idyllic days playing with Pink Diamond in the garden, to Pink Diamond leaving the garden, to Spinel realizing she'd been abandoned thousands of years later.

* ''Theatre/{{Six}}'' has "All You Wanna Do", a poppy BadGirlSong where Katherine describes her various affairs with the men in her life. However, RealityEnsues hard as the song goes on as Katherine laments that she was just a child that got used and abused by predatory older men until she is sentenced to death at nineteen by her husband Henry VIII.

* From ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'', the track '[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XpgchQnaUY 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.

* [[spoiler:The Once-ler]]'s VillainSong from ''WesternAnimation/TheLorax'' gradually becomes darker as the song goes on, starting in his casual worker clothes with his acoustic guitar, to wearing a flashy new business suit, to making huge, polluting factories, to [[spoiler:not caring if "a few trees are dying"]], while you see him [[spoiler:destroying said trees with the soundwaves from his new electric 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.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'', one of Rapunzel's friends, a young inventor named Varian, is determined to make his father proud of him, which is also the title of his song. However an accident in his lab traps Varian's father in crystal. Desperate for help, Varian goes to Rapunzel, who is swamped with a natural disaster and other responsibilities for her kingdom, and she sends Varian away. Feeling both bitter and guilty over this accident causes Varian to have a noticeable FaceHeelTurn in the middle of his originally chipper song, ending with a clenched fist, and with a sinister tone where he proclaims that "they will pay".

* The "First Time in Forever [[DarkReprise Reprise]]" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' starts out well enough. Anna finally catches up to Elsa and the two can fully appreciate Elsa's powers for the first time since they were kids. However, once Anna informs Elsa about how the latter accidentally froze over Arendelle during her escape, the song takes a dark turn as Elsa is consumed by guilt and panic. Since Elsa's powers respond to her emotions, her [[AnIcePerson ice powers]] get so out of control she accidentally strikes Anna right in the heart, almost killing her.

* {{Inverted}} in ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''--"Jack's Lament" starts as a slow, somber song, with the title character asking "WhatHaveIDone?" About halfway through, however, he becomes bitter and then, quite suddenly, cheerful, realizing that [[HowTheCharacterStoleChristmas his failed experiment]] still managed to get him out of his existential funk.

* The "First Time in Forever [[DarkReprise Reprise]]" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' starts out well enough. Anna finally catches up to Elsa and the two can fully appreciate Elsa's powers for the first time since they were kids. However, once Anna informs Elsa about how the latter accidentally froze over Arendelle during her escape, the song takes a dark turn as Elsa is consumed by guilt and panic. Since Elsa's powers respond to her emotions, her IcePowers get so out of control she accidentally strikes Anna right in the heart, almost killing her.

** The song "What's the Use of Feeling Blue" from the episode "That Will be All" starts off as fierce and robotic as Yellow Diamond encourages Blue Diamond to stop mourning Pink and go back to her Diamond duties, then ends on a quavery note as Yellow slowly succumbs to her own bottled-up grief.

** The song "What's the Use of Feeling Blue" starts off as fierce and robotic as Yellow Diamond encourages Blue Diamond to stop mourning Pink and go back to her Diamond duties, then ends on a quavery note as Yellow slowly succumbs to her own bottled-up grief.

* From ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':

* In the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "On the Run", the title song starts out as a cheery ode to life on the open road and ends as a clear sign that Amethyst is using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with her feeling inadequate to the rest of the Gems.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'', one of Rapunzel's friends, a young inventor named Varian, is determined to make his father proud of him, which is also the title of his song. However an accident in his lab traps Varian's father in crystal. Desperate for help, Varian goes to Rapunzel, who is swamped with a natural disaster and other responsibilities for her kingdom, and she sends Varian away. Feeling both bitter and guilty over this accident causes Varian to have a noticeable FaceHeelTurn in the middle of his originally chipper song, ending with a clenched fist, and with a sinister tone where he proclaims that "they will pay".
* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverseTheMovie'' "Drift Away" recounts Spinel's idyllic days playing with Pink Diamond in the garden, to Pink Diamond leaving the garden, to Spinel realizing she'd been abandoned thousands of years later.

* ''Theatre/{{Six}}'' has "All You Wanna Do", a poppy BadGirlSong where Katherine describes her various affairs with much older men. However, RealityEnsues hard as the song goes on as Katherine laments that she was just a child that got used and abused by predatory older men until she is sentenced to death at nineteen by her husband Henry VIII.