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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 6 | * "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by Music/{{ACDC}} is about a ProfessionalKiller bragging about his job and the kinds of people he's "dealt with" (a high school principal trying to [[SextraCredit pressure one of his students into sex]], a philandering ex-boyfriend, and a nagging wife). |
| 7 | * Music/{{Ayreon}}'s ''The Human Equation'' has "Day 16: Loser", which is basically the protagonist imagining his father (named Father, for simplicity's sake) showing up to gloat about how much of a failure the protagonist is, throwing various insults at him and claiming that even though he's constantly sued by his exes and half his kids are in jail, he ''still'' always comes out on top. It doesn't fit the formula perfectly, but it certainly gets the over-the-top gloating tone perfectly. |
| 8 | * Music/TheBeatles: |
| 9 | ** "Taxman" from ''Music/{{Revolver|Beatles Album}}'' plays with this trope. This song is about [[IntimidatingRevenueService a Taxman singing about how he will take almost everything from you and how you should be thankful that he doesn't take]] ''[[IntimidatingRevenueService everything,]]'' [[IntimidatingRevenueService and also basically rubbing in your face how you can do nothing about it because you cannot work for anyone but him]]. However, it ''sounds'' like a hero song, with positive cries of "Taxman!" similar to cries of the names of heroes, like ''[[Series/Batman1966 Batman!]]''. Fun fact: [[TruthInTelevision Taxes in Britain back then really]] ''[[TruthInTelevision were]]'' [[TruthInTelevision that high, which is why most musicians from Britain left for America until they got lower.]] |
| 10 | ** "[[Music/AbbeyRoad Maxwell's Silver Hammer]]" is [[LyricalDissonance a happy little ditty]] about a man who likes to drop hammers on people's heads. |
| 11 | * Many of former Music/DeadKennedys frontman Music/JelloBiafra's songs across his various projects count as this, but the clearest example is "Bruce's Diary" off his collaborative album with Music/{{Nomeansno}}, ''The Sky is Falling and I Want My Mommy''; it's written from the point of view of Biafra's villainous character from the movie ''Film/TerminalCityRicochet'', Bruce Coddle. |
| 12 | * Almost every song from Music/BigBadBosses counts, but what else would you expect from a BoyBand featuring [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]], [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Ganon]], [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Eggman]], and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]]? The only exceptions in the album are "Bears and Birds", an IAmGreatSong about game composer [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Kirkhope Grant Kirkhope]], and "Another Villain", a MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber featuring various video game heroes (though the latter arguably contains enough NiceJobBreakingItHero moments to count as a Villain Song). |
| 13 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjjoSrfE8fk Cold As Ice]]" by Blacklite District can be seen as the singer saying that they already have made their choice, know they are evil, and don't care whatsoever. |
| 14 | * "Iron Man" by Music/BlackSabbath is about a man who becomes unable to speak and then revenges mankind because of this, killing everyone. In fact, Black Sabbath only used the name "Iron Man" because the song is about a villain; otherwise they would have been sued by Creator/MarvelComics. Of course, Marvel then licensed the song and repurposed it as a Hero Song for [[Film/IronMan the movie of the same title]]... but made sure that the lyrics weren't there. The original title was even going to be "Iron Bloke", except that "bloke" is a UK slang term that wouldn't be known in America, and as such they were told to change it to something more international, hence "Iron Man". |
| 15 | * Music/BlindGuardian: |
| 16 | ** "Under the Ice" is from the POV of [[UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar Queen Klymnestra]]. |
| 17 | ** "Ride Into Obsession" is an introduction to the two opposing main characters of the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' series... from the viewpoint of the villain of course! Keep in mind, the quoted section is merely the opening: |
| 18 | --->''Come, I'll show you the end\ |
| 19 | You're damned, 'cause no-one can defy me\ |
| 20 | Just watch these maddened creatures\ |
| 21 | Like you they all once reached out\ |
| 22 | A war to win\ |
| 23 | But I'm gonna burn their vision down'' |
| 24 | ** Not to mention all of their songs from the POV of [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Morgoth]] and [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings Sauron]]. |
| 25 | * "Goodbye, Mr. Bond" by the band Blotto is sung by a Franchise/JamesBond villain ranting about how weary he is of 007 always defeating him and gloating that he is done messing around and dead set on ensuring that James Bond is finished. |
| 26 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOb-Ha7UaEw "The Dismemberment Song"]] by Blue Kid, which is [[LyricalDissonance a perky, energetic song]] about a woman planning on dismembering her ex-boyfriend. |
| 27 | -->''I know the sensation you're probably dreading\ |
| 28 | But cutting you up will be so refreshing to me'' |
| 29 | * "Career of Evil" by Music/BlueOysterCult has it right there in the title. |
| 30 | * Music/DavidBowie examples: |
| 31 | ** "Please Mr. Gravedigger" (1967 [[SelfTitledAlbum self-titled]] [[Music/DavidBowie1967 debut album]]) starts with the singer sarcastically addressing the gravedigger, who's also a grave ''robber''... but then he reveals that the reason he's been able to witness these crimes is because he keeps visiting the grave of a little girl he murdered, and he's got a grave ready for the gravedigger to go into. |
| 32 | ** "Running Gun Blues" (''Music/TheManWhoSoldTheWorld'') is sung by a SociopathicSoldier who no longer has a war to fight, but (being AxCrazy) decides to just keep killing people. As the song begins, he's "cut twenty-three down since Friday". |
| 33 | ** "Sweet Thing/The Candidate/Sweet Thing (Reprise)" (''Music/DiamondDogs'') starts out as a come-on from the ''faux''-innocent "sweet thing" before opening up into the internal gloat of the "candidate" and briefly returning to the former. |
| 34 | * Janeen Brady's ''Standing Tall'' series -- 12 tapes highlighting 12 virtues -- includes the tape ''Gratitude'', in which the most enjoyable song is the Rabbit's VillainSong close to the beginning. Of course, the song itself is {{Anvilicious}}, and the guy learns his lesson by the end and pulls a HeelFaceTurn, but hey: |
| 35 | -->''I never say thank you, I never intend\ |
| 36 | Nobody likes me -- but who needs a friend?\ |
| 37 | I never say thank you, don't even know how\ |
| 38 | And it's too late to change that now'' |
| 39 | * Music/BreakingBenjamin's "Home" is from the POV of the Wicked Witch of the West from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''. |
| 40 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxScTbIUvoA Hey There Cthulhu]]" by Eben Brooks is a song sung by a [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Cthulhu cultist]] who's being driven insane and wants to bring about the end of the world. |
| 41 | * [[http://brownbird.net Brown Bird]] has the song "Blood of Angels", with the chorus: |
| 42 | -->''You could be right, they might come for me at night\ |
| 43 | In [[TorchesAndPitchforks angry mobs with torches]] bright outside my door\ |
| 44 | For all my spite, I might never win the fight\ |
| 45 | but I will [[RageAgainstTheHeavens rage against the light]] forever more'' |
| 46 | * "[[https://youtu.be/k1BneeJTDcU Welcome to the Internet]]", from ''Film/BoBurnhamInside'', is one sung from the perspective of both the people who created Web 2.0 and [[NewMediaAreEvil the Internet itself as one singular, monstrous entity]]: first drawing in newcomers like a ringmaster with its massive influx of content ("anything and everything, all of the time"), then warping them so badly that they can't function without it and barely function ''with'' it. As it goes on to gloat, Generation Z -- the first to be born into an online world -- never stood a chance. |
| 47 | -->''We set our sights, and spent our nights\ |
| 48 | Waiting\ |
| 49 | For you, you\ |
| 50 | Insatiable you\ |
| 51 | Mommy let you use her [=iPad=], you were barely two\ |
| 52 | [[GoneHorriblyRight And it did all the things we designed it to do]]\ |
| 53 | Now look at you'' |
| 54 | * Music/RobCantor's unreleased song "[[https://youtu.be/GHGWyIh6ooI Cuckoo]]" is sung by a character named Mr. Fluglemeyer, a corrupt "cuckoo clock supplier" singing about his ambitions to become rich and famous by selling his clocks... which are assembled by child slaves, a fact that he takes pride in. Also, it's implied that the clocks somehow kill people. |
| 55 | * Many, many songs by Music/NickCave, both from Music/TheBirthdayParty and as a solo artist. ''Music/MurderBallads'' is an album of songs about murders, some of which are from the killers' perspectives, and sometimes as a duet with their accomplices or victims. Particularly notable examples are: |
| 56 | ** "Deep in the Woods", in which a serial killer gloats about his most recent murder before boasting about his general misanthropy. |
| 57 | ** "O'Malley's Bar", in which the protagonist describes a brutal and motiveless mass murder in detail before revealing himself as a DirtyCoward when the cops arrive. |
| 58 | * Music/{{CG5}} has written numerous songs for villains from video games and other media: |
| 59 | ** "Let Me Through" is song from the perspective of various incarnations of [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys Foxy]], and how they desperately want the night guard to let them into his room, presumably so they can to kill him. |
| 60 | ** "Duolingo" is based on the MemeticPsychopath take on the VideoGame/{{Duolingo}} owl, singing to a user about how he forces people to do his lessons by kidnapping and threatening their families. |
| 61 | ** "I Wanna Waa" is sung by [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Waluigi]], and it's basically a BadassBoast while showing how irritable and mean he is. |
| 62 | ** Downplayed with "Every Door". About a third of it is Baldi singing about how he'll stop at nothing to hunt down the child protagonist, but the other two thirds is the protagonist singing about how terrified he is in his situation. |
| 63 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPN0qhSyWy8 It Just Works]]" by Music/TheChalkeaters is essentially a Disney villain song for Creator/ToddHoward, president of [[Creator/{{Bethesda}} Bethesda Studios]]. |
| 64 | * The title track of Gilby Clarke's ''Music/PawnshopGuitars'': |
| 65 | -->''Your Momma says I'm evil, and I cut like a knife\ |
| 66 | You cut a little deep, find the devil inside\ |
| 67 | Now burn little honey, I hypnotize\ |
| 68 | I'm so mean, so mean, so mean\ |
| 69 | I'm so mean, so mean, so mean\ |
| 70 | I'm a motorcycle cowboy, a honky tonk junkie\ |
| 71 | Fallen shooting star\ |
| 72 | Broken desperado on the wrong side of the barrel\ |
| 73 | My best friend's a pawnshop guitar'' |
| 74 | * "[[http://clockworkquartet.com/watchmakersapprentice.html The Watchmaker's Apprentice]]" by the Music/ClockworkQuartet is from the POV of a disgruntled ex-employee framing his boss for murder. As the song progresses, he gradually gets more and more unhinged: |
| 75 | -->''I rigged up a watch to do more than just chime\ |
| 76 | And I didn't balk once at the depth of my crime\ |
| 77 | The most perfect invention, that still kept impeccable time'' |
| 78 | * Music/CoheedAndCambria's contribution to the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' soundtrack is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woPliVs5uqM Deranged]]", sung from The Joker's point of view about Batman. |
| 79 | %%** ''The Second Stage Turbine Blade'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Us4BKf4gI God Send Conspirator]]", sung by [[BigBad Wihelm Ryan]]. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 80 | %%** In the continuity of the band's {{Concept Album}}s, Al the Killer's IWantSong triple feature, "The Camper Velourium". Most notably "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCqNcl-HAzw The Velorium Camper I: Faint of Hearts]]". |
| 81 | %%** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk33WaLEff0 The Willing Well III: Apollo II: The Telling Truth]]" from ''Good Apollo vol. I''. It's technically an AntiHero song, primarily sung by the Writer, but the [[DarkReprise reprise]] of "Everything Evil" within it is believed to be sung by [[TheDragon General Dettenwolf]]. |
| 82 | %%** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDnzT-8JOZg Vic the Butcher]]" from ''The Afterman: Ascension''. |
| 83 | * Music/LeonardCohen has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q60wxayHW9c "First We Take Manhattan"]]. The theme seems to be of a potentially megolamaniacal man who was driven out of the city at some point in the past, and is now returning to - in one way or another - level the place, or simply of him talking about his quest for domination. The lyrics include such lines as "You know the way to stop me / but you don't have the discipline". Cohen himself has explicitly referred to as "a terrorist song" of sorts (moreso in the psychological terror sense). |
| 84 | -->''I'm guided by a signal in the heavens\ |
| 85 | I'm guided by this birthmark on my skin \ |
| 86 | I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons\ |
| 87 | First, we take Manhattan\ |
| 88 | Then we take Berlin!'' |
| 89 | * Music/AliceCooper has a lot of songs like this. For example: |
| 90 | ** "The Black Widow" is about some kind of demonic creature who demands that humanity worships him, even as he {{Mind Rape}}s, eats, and literal-rapes his "subjects". |
| 91 | ** "Devil's Food" praises the black widow spider for its deadly venom and for the female's tendency to eat her mate, calling it an "inborn need to dominate [and] possess" and "power and dignity unhampered by sentiment". |
| 92 | ** "Nothing's Free" serves as the villain song for The Showman of Cooper's concept album ''The Last Temptation'' and the Creator/NeilGaiman-penned [[ComicBook/TheLastTemptation comic]] of the same name. It's about The Showman tempting the protagonist into making a DealWithTheDevil with him. |
| 93 | * [[http://www.jonathancoulton.com Jonathan Coulton]] ''loves'' this trope: |
| 94 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3LP7P_8a4 "Skullcrusher Mountain"]] is a VillainLoveSong by a mad scientist who's trying to woo his object of affections with a half-pony, half-monkey monster, casually pointing out that the mountain they're on is covered with wolves, so the person might as well stay and have a drink. |
| 95 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjcH2UmK1uo# "Re: Your Brains"]] is about ZombieApocalypse. |
| 96 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbClSmM-dVc "The Future Soon"]] is about somebody who hopes to grow up to be a [[HollywoodCyborg cyborg]] [[RobotWar supervillain]]. This one is debatable though -- the singer announces his intentions to end world hunger, but then soon starts talking about how his robots are probably going to start a war on Earth and he'll end up kidnapping the girl he has a crush on when she rejects him. It's possible that the latter parts are just the painful reality that he'll always be a loser intruding on his otherwise nice fantasy. |
| 97 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI "Still Alive"]] is about the evil [[AIIsACrapshoot AI]] [=GLaDOS=] from ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}''. |
| 98 | ** While "I'm a Mason Now" isn't inherently villainous, it's certainly vengeful and gloating. |
| 99 | * Many of Creator/DAGames' songs are styled like this. |
| 100 | ** For the main channel, they include: |
| 101 | *** "[[IAmSong I'm the Purple Guy]]" is sung from the point of view from [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys the Purple]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Guy]] about his various murders. |
| 102 | *** "Follow, Greet, Wait, Repeat!" is based on the monsters from ''VideoGame/OneTwoThreeSlaughterMeStreet'' as they sing about how they will punish Denson for what he did. |
| 103 | *** Both "Left Behind" and "Unfixable" are sung from the point of view of the [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation Funtime Animatronics]]. In the former, they sing about how they were left to rot in the underground facility and how they're taking it out on the night guard. In the latter, they sing about how they are not the night guard's friends, nothing is going to change that, and the guard is going to die. |
| 104 | *** "Get Out" is sung by [[VideoGame/HelloNeighbor the Neighbor]], who demands that the kid get out of his house or he won't like what comes next. |
| 105 | *** "Ambush" has [[VideoGame/AmongUs an imposter]] singing about how it's going to murder or deceive all of the crew and they are powerless to stop it. |
| 106 | *** "Build Our Machine" is a ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' song about Bendy's [[RageAgainstTheHeavens rage against his creators]]. |
| 107 | ** This extends to his songs connected to his original story, ''[[Music/IrisUK IRIS]]'', with multiple songs describing the actions of the story's resident villain, Abrahm Valentin. |
| 108 | *** "Dimetrix" is all about the titular copycat of the IRIS and Abrahm's intent with it. |
| 109 | *** "[=BioTide=]" describes Abrahm's army of killer machines, how they attack their victims, and how they enjoy what they do. |
| 110 | * Music/HeatherDale: |
| 111 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny7NZPfl0l4&feature=related "Mordred's Lullaby"]] is about [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Morgause]] singing a prophecy to her son about how he is going to be used to bring about King Arthur's destruction -- and die in the process. |
| 112 | ** The song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-74MSONOf_E "Medusa"]] may also qualify as this. It is mostly about being true to yourself in the face of others' judgment, through the PointOfView of [[PerspectiveFlip Medusa]]. |
| 113 | --->''My garden's full of pretty men who couldn't stay away'' |
| 114 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84xZYSQRhQ4&feature=related "Joan"]] can qualify depending on how you look at it. "I kill without consequence", after all. |
| 115 | ** "Crashing Down" is officially about Mordred convincing his men to rebel against King Arthur. |
| 116 | ** "Golgotha" is a borderline example, since it's about someone in a dystopian world who thinks it isn't their place to do anything. |
| 117 | ** "Trail of Tears" is more an AntiVillain [[VillainSong Song]], since it's about a soldier who's JustFollowingOrders, though he doesn't like them. |
| 118 | * "Police Truck" by the Music/DeadKennedys, about a group of {{Dirty Cop}}s that take the title vehicle out for a night of drinking, beating up drunks, and gang-raping a prostitute. |
| 119 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULSKZ7IP930 The Rake's Song]]" from Music/TheDecemberists' rock opera ''The Hazards of Love'' is sung by an unrepentant murderer who [[OffingTheOffspring killed his three children]]. The [[MyBelovedSmother jealous forest queen's]] song "The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing" as well as the Rake's lines in "Margaret in Captivity" may also count, though it's his solo song that really stands out. |
| 120 | * "Money Power Glory" by Music/LanaDelRey is about a cold-blooded woman who takes advantage of people in order to get, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], [[RichBitch money]], [[AmbitionIsEvil power]], and [[GloryHound glory]]. |
| 121 | * Music/{{Disturbed}} has "Inside the Fire", in which [[DealWithTheDevil the devil]] tries to [[DrivenToSuicide convince the grieving David Draiman]] to [[YourSoulIsMine give up his soul]] and be with his girlfriend [[YouAreWorthHell in hell]]. |
| 122 | * Music/DoctorSteel is the embodiment of this trope. Almost every song he produces is from the viewpoint of WellIntentionedExtremist MadScientist Dr. Steel. Especially notable examples are "Back and Forth", which is designed as hypnotic propaganda, and "Ode to Revenge", in which Dr. Steel laments the state of society and calls up his legion of followers (Toy Soldiers) to "burn it all down". |
| 123 | * "Natural Born Killaz" by Music/DrDre and Music/IceCube is about two insane murderers who gleefully shoot people dead, comparing it to "a deadly game of freeze tag". |
| 124 | * Music/DreamTheater's "Scene Six: Home" from their brilliant album ''Music/MetropolisPt2ScenesFromAMemory'' follows this trope. The song contains a section where it is revealed through soliloquy that [[spoiler:the character named "the Miracle" is actually in love with his brother's girlfriend and is sleeping with her. He laments that despite the shame he feels, he will find a way to tear them apart so that he can have Victoria. In fact, the whole song is about the two brothers' different sins while the narrator of the whole story remains oblivious to the truth.]] It's a powerful song. |
| 125 | * The Electric Prunes' "Dr. Do-Good" from their second album ''Underground'', while featuring the titular hero in the chorus, is mostly the insane ramblings of a villain, possibly the DastardlyWhiplash type. |
| 126 | * Music/ElectricSix: |
| 127 | ** "Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)" is about a government man using blackmail to get sex. |
| 128 | ** [[AlliterativeName "We Were Witchy Witchy White Women"]] is sung by evil witches. |
| 129 | ** "Watching Evil Empires Fall Apart" and "Steal Your Bones" are both subversions about [[AntiVillain Anti-Villains]], the former being about a heartbroken warlord and the latter being about a person who plans to clone someone whom he loves. |
| 130 | %%** Dick Valentine's side project Evil Cowards has "Love Pigs" and "Fixing Machines". (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 131 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubhf4AAL5Hc&list=RDGMEMJQXQAmqrnmK1SEjY_rKBGAVMAjVR9gfBGy4&index=32 Worship]]" by Music/{{Eluveitie}} is one for Sesroneos, a giant who was said to have conquered and preyed upon the Celts in ancient times. The song is from Sesroneos's own perspective as he declares all the Celtic people to be his chattel, while voices chant "''Rīgēi Sesroneūi''" ("Praise be to King Sesroneos"). In the music video, this chant is accompanied by images of throngs of robed people groveling on their knees. The narration at the beginning and end of the song drives the point further home, as it quotes the Literature/BookOfRevelation, comparing Sesroneos to The Beast. |
| 132 | -->''And on your knees\ |
| 133 | You shall remain\ |
| 134 | And all shall praise\ |
| 135 | And fear my name'' |
| 136 | * "Put You On Game" by Music/LupeFiasco is one of the most evil rap songs you will ever hear, starting with an evil laugh and ending with a gunshot. When read, the first line doesn't sound too bad. |
| 137 | -->''Don't you know that I run this place?\ |
| 138 | That I've begun this race?\ |
| 139 | Must I rerun this pace?\ |
| 140 | I'm the reason it's become this way\ |
| 141 | And their love for it is the reason I have become this praised'' |
| 142 | ::But then the rest plays out[=:=] |
| 143 | -->''They love my darkness\ |
| 144 | I'll make 'em heartless\ |
| 145 | And in return, they have become my martyrs'' |
| 146 | %%** "The Cool". (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 147 | %%** "The Coolest". |
| 148 | %%** "The Die", which actually is about the villain's death. |
| 149 | * Many Music/{{Finntroll}} songs are villain songs, given that they're mostly about trolls eating people, sung from the point of view of the trolls. |
| 150 | * Music/WildManFischer (a Creator/DrDemento staple) has "I'm The Meanie", about the villainous creatures from ''WesternAnimation/YellowSubmarine''. |
| 151 | * Music/PeterGabriel's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl57Pr_2t5E Intruder]]", an IAmSong about a sexual predator who breaks into a woman's house at night, [[CutPhoneLines cuts the phone lines]], [[PervertedSniffing smells her clothing]], and eventually "[[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil leaves his mark]]", all while relishing her helplessness and terror as she lies awake. |
| 152 | * ''Music/{{Gloryhammer}}'': |
| 153 | ** "Goblin King of the Darkstorm Galaxy" has the main antagonist consult another villain for additional power to further his villainous plans. |
| 154 | ** "Masters of the Galaxy" is an anthem for the Deathknights of Crail, proudly proclaiming themselves as "destroyers of reality" and espousing the corruption of their leader by the Knife of Evil. |
| 155 | ** "Keeper of the Celestial Flame of Abernethy" tells the story of Zaryothrax's corruption and transformation from simple basket-weaving peasant to the Dark Sorcerer of Auchtermuchty and the immortal Arch-Nemesis of Prince Dundax. The final verse also shows Zargothrax Clone Alpha-1's (from the end of "Legends From Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex") mission to free his master and creator from the tomb of liquid ice that he was sealed in at the end of "Tales From the Kingdom of Fife". |
| 156 | * Steve Goodman's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF3q7o8Yjrg&ab_channel=SteveGoodman-Topic Lincoln Park Pirates]]" is about a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Towing_Service Chicago towing company]] that tows cars without legal standing and threatens people who try to reclaim their vehicles without paying. |
| 157 | -->''To me way, hay\ |
| 158 | Tow them away\ |
| 159 | The Lincoln Park Pirates are we\ |
| 160 | From Wilmette to Gary\ |
| 161 | There's nothing so harried\ |
| 162 | [[BadassBoast And we always collect our fee]]\ |
| 163 | To me way, hay\ |
| 164 | Tow them away\ |
| 165 | We plunder the streets of your town\ |
| 166 | Be it Edsel or Chevy\ |
| 167 | There's no car too heavy\ |
| 168 | And no one can make us shut down\ |
| 169 | We break into cars when we gotta\ |
| 170 | With pickaxe and hammer and saw\ |
| 171 | And they said that this garage had no license\ |
| 172 | But little care I for the law\ |
| 173 | [[BlatantLies All my drivers are friendly and courteous\ |
| 174 | Their good manners you always will get]]\ |
| 175 | [[JustGotOutOfJail 'Cause they all are recent graduates of the charm school in Joliet]]'' |
| 176 | * {{Music/Gorillaz}}: "Murdoc Is God". Yes, a song named after the sociopathic TokenEvilTeammate of the band. |
| 177 | %%** What's the only way Gorillaz could top making Mos Def their band's BigBad, you ask? "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNUzz898tAs Sweepstakes]]", that's how. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what are the lyrics of "Sweepstakes" about?) |
| 178 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeFm-rM51K4 A Criminal]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsAsYO6bQ2M Mind]]" by Canadian artist Lawrence Gowan[[note]]currently the frontman for {{Music/Styx}}[[/note]] is from the perspective of an unrepentant convict. |
| 179 | -->''Some people struggle daily\ |
| 180 | They struggle with their conscience 'til the end\ |
| 181 | I have no guilt to haunt me\ |
| 182 | I feel no wrong intent''\ |
| 183 | |
| 184 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-pQ-lv-N9M "House Party at Arkham Asylum"]] by Music/TheGreatLukeSki is sung by ComicBook/TheJoker. |
| 185 | * Music/GreenDay: |
| 186 | ** "St. Jimmy" from ''Music/AmericanIdiot''. While he's not completely a villain and [[spoiler:really Johnny's drug-fueled id]], it's his grand entrance and him introducing himself. |
| 187 | ** On the other hand, "Peacemaker" from the following album ''Music/TwentyFirstCenturyBreakdown'' is a straight villain song in which the villain sings of his plan to commit mass cleaning of infidels. Not only are the lyrics appropriate for a villain song, but the music fits perfectly for what one would expect of a villain song in a musical. The identity of the villain singing isn't quite clear, but speculation goes from a radical member of society who wants to kill Gloria and Christian, the album's protagonists, for daring to stand against them, to a friend of Christian who wants to get rid of Gloria for being so adamant in changing her beliefs, to [[spoiler:Christian himself falling for the 21st Century force of change and becoming the villain, now wanting to get rid of Gloria]]. |
| 188 | * Pick a Music/{{GWAR}} song. Chances are good that it's probably one of these, either about [[VillainProtagonist the band]] or one of their many enemies. |
| 189 | * "Fight the Power" from ''Music/HeroesAndVillains'' is from [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998 Mojo Jojo]]'s viewpoint. It's about how he wants to take over the world and defeat the Powerpuff Girls. |
| 190 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJbxI-jZbA Arsonist's Lullabye]]" by Music/{{Hozier}} tells the story of a guy who simply is driven to set things on fire and how he got to be that way, as described from his own perspective. It may not be right, but he acknowledges that it's just who he is. As the chorus explains: |
| 191 | -->''All you have is your fire\ |
| 192 | And the place you need to reach\ |
| 193 | Don't you ever tame your demons\ |
| 194 | But always keep them on a leash'' |
| 195 | * Music/IcedEarth has The Dark Saga, based on ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, with three -- "The Last Laugh" by [[BigBad Male]][[DealWithTheDevil bolgia]], "Violate" by [[MonsterClown Violator]], and "The Hunter" by [[WellIntentionedExtremist Angela]] pre-HeelFaceTurn. There's also "Vengeance is Mine", which is more like a TheVillainSucksSong that Spawn sings to [[BadHumorTruck Billy Kincaid]], but [[CruelAndUnusualDeath the measures he takes]] are gruesome. |
| 196 | * Heavy metal band Music/IronMaiden have a lot, helped by [[FilkSong songs that take a lot of historical andor literature roots]]: |
| 197 | ** "Phantom of the Opera" is about [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera the title character]]. |
| 198 | ** "Sanctuary" is about a man who killed a woman and is looking for a hideout. |
| 199 | ** "Killers" starts with a SecondPersonAttack, then changes to the killer's point of view. |
| 200 | ** "Moonchild" is sung by Lucifer himself. |
| 201 | ** "El Dorado" is sung by a CorruptCorporateExecutive. |
| 202 | * Music/IronSavior has a few songs exemplifying this: |
| 203 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgiomDEzyl0 "Protect the Law"]] is sung by the titular starship as it decides to conquer the Earth in order to bring peace. |
| 204 | ** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsQY3duvMcc&feature=related "Protector"]] is about the now-quite-deranged creator of said titular starship. The villain gets the best lines indeed: |
| 205 | --->''Outcast in the void, now I'm stronger than before\ |
| 206 | Landed to retake the crown, your conqueror comes ashore'' |
| 207 | * Jayn's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5KGbxNTDB8&ab_channel=LittleJayneyCakes Smoke and Mirrors]]" is an eerie little tune from the perspective of an obsessive {{Yandere}} who [[StalkerWithACrush stalks]] her would-be lover, later resorting to kidnapping and murdering his wife to ensure no one comes between them again. |
| 208 | * "Ignorance is Bliss" by Music/{{Jellyfish}} is sung from the perspective of [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]]. |
| 209 | * Music/JTMusic has had their fair share of villain songs dedicated to the worst of video games and pop culture: |
| 210 | ** Most of the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' songs are sung by the animatronics as they try to claim their newest victim, sometimes singing with said victim in a duet. |
| 211 | ** "Video Game Legends, Vol 2" is probably the best example, as it features several villains across several games. |
| 212 | ** "Say Goodbye to Batman" is an interesting example; while the verses are delivered by Batman, a villain (presumably ComicBook/TheScarecrow) sings the chorus: |
| 213 | --->''Gotham, [[TitleDrop say goodbye to Batman]]; he had a real good ride\ |
| 214 | The Caped Crusader sends a message: "Sorry. but I've died!"\ |
| 215 | [[EvilCounterpart The Arkham Knight's]] gonna take it from here\ |
| 216 | By the end of the night, we'll have you shaking with fear\ |
| 217 | Soon, no one will have to ask\ |
| 218 | Who's that man behind the mask?'' |
| 219 | ** Two Villain Songs are EvilVsEvil rap battles; One between [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys Freddy Fazbear]] and [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the Slender Man]], and another between ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}. |
| 220 | ** [[VideoGame/FarCry5 "Shepherd of this Flock"]] is sung primarily from Joseph's point of view with his radical preaching. |
| 221 | ** [[VideoGame/{{Bioshock}} "Would You Kindly"]] is sung by Frank Fontaine about how he tried to usurp control of Rapture from Andrew Ryan and [[spoiler:how he manipulated events as Atlas to finally win]]. |
| 222 | ** [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 "Ready Or Not"]] is sung by Mr. X as he brags about his invincibility and how he's coming to kill the protagonists. |
| 223 | ** The third verse of [[VideoGame/BlairWitch "Don't Put Me In A Corner"]] is sung by the Blair Witch as she taunts her latest victim. |
| 224 | ** [[Literature/{{It}} "What You're Scared Of"]] is [[MonsterClown Pennywise]] singing about how much he enjoys the taste of [[IAmAHumanitarian human flesh]] and [[EmotionEater fear]]. |
| 225 | ** "Gun Show" is about the Film/{{Predator}} will effortlessly hunt his prey. |
| 226 | * Music/JudasPriest: |
| 227 | ** "The Ripper", sung from Jack the Ripper's point of view. |
| 228 | ** "Electric Eye", about a spy satellite ensuring that BigBrotherIsWatching. |
| 229 | * Music/{{Kamelot}}: |
| 230 | ** ''Music/{{Epica|Album Series}}'' has "Descent of the Archangel", in which Ariel, the album's protagonist, is about to kill himself in despair over the fact that his search for the meaning of life went fruitless for years when Mephisto approaches him and [[DealWithTheDevil offers him the resources to continue his search in exchange for his soul]]. |
| 231 | ** And then there's "March of Mephisto" from ''The Black Halo'', which is essentially gloating over [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend Helena's]] death and how this will aid Mephisto's plan to win Ariel's soul and re-enter heaven. |
| 232 | ** Outside of that series, ''Music/{{Silverthorn}}'' has several songs from [[EvilTwin Robert]]'s point of view, including "[[FreudianExcuse Ashes to Ashes]]", "[[AGodAmI Veritas]]", and "[[EvilGloating Falling Like the Fahrenheit]]" ("Solitaire" is also from his perspective, but is more of a BeingEvilSucks song). He also takes the second verse of "[[HopeSpot My Confession]]", even though his unnamed twin brother (the protagonist) sings the rest of the song. |
| 233 | * ''Music/KidsPraise'': While most of the songs are praising God or have nothing to do with God or religion and are simply plot-related, a couple are sung by the villain, Risky Rat. |
| 234 | * The album ''Preservation Act 1'' by Music/TheKinks has two: |
| 235 | ** The album starts with a song called "Preservation" about a corrupt leader called Flash who says that he does what he does to help people, but really only does it for himself. |
| 236 | ** The song called "Here Comes Flash" is just a straight-up warning of the man: |
| 237 | --->''He'll be a friend to you, be so sweet to you\ |
| 238 | Then he's going to screw you, just like that\ |
| 239 | You'd better run, you'd better fly\ |
| 240 | Hide your daughters, hide your wives\ |
| 241 | Lock your doors and stay inside, here comes Flash'' |
| 242 | %%** "Scum of the Earth" is about Flash's life and philosophy. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; what exactly ''is'' his life and philosophy?) |
| 243 | %%** "Money Talks". |
| 244 | %%** "Second-Hand Car Spiv". |
| 245 | %%** "When a Solution Comes" is this for [[spoiler:Mr. Black]]. (What's the song about, and how is he a villain?) |
| 246 | %%** "Shepherds of the Nation." |
| 247 | * "Villain Song" by Music/{{Kirby Krackle|Music}}, despite the title, is actually about a villain announcing retirement after growing tired of the hero constantly beating him. [[spoiler:This changes in the final verse, where the villain realizes that his life just isn't the same without the thrill of constantly fighting the hero and committing evil deeds and happily proceeds to get back to active villainy.]] |
| 248 | * "I Want to Be Evil" by Music/EarthaKitt is about a GirlNextDoor who is convinced that evil is hot and wants to set aside her frills and become a FemmeFatale. |
| 249 | * "Dark Matter" by Music/LesFriction sounds like one of these: |
| 250 | -->''I am Dark Matter\ |
| 251 | Your road to ruin\ |
| 252 | I am Dark Matter\ |
| 253 | I'm your undoing'' |
| 254 | * Music/LivingColour's "Cult of Personality" is about ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. |
| 255 | * Michael Longcor's done several: |
| 256 | ** The epic "Falconsbane": |
| 257 | --->''For I know life is never pretty -- and no fight is ever fair\ |
| 258 | And the power and the glory go to those with strength and flair\ |
| 259 | Those who cross me never prosper, those who threaten end up dead\ |
| 260 | I don't get mad -- I don't get even -- I make sure I get ahead'' |
| 261 | ** "Valley Forge", from the point of view of an agitator calling for desertion from the Revolutionary Army in the coldest winter of the war. |
| 262 | ** "Sharks of the Open Sea", an epic pirate song. |
| 263 | ** Arguably, "When Tenskwatawa Sings", which is either this or an AngryMobSong, depending on how you feel about UsefulNotes/WilliamHenryHarrison, the 9th President of the United States: |
| 264 | --->''The French Whites came to the Shawnee tribes bringing furs to take and trade\ |
| 265 | And the British gave guns and bought the scalps of Americans we'd raid\ |
| 266 | Now Harrison comes by the river-side runs crying "justice" he will bring\ |
| 267 | But Tecumseh speaks and the people rise when we hear Tenskwatawa sing'' |
| 268 | * Music/{{Lordi}}'s "Blood Red Sandman" falls under here, being about a monster or a murderer returning to wreak havoc again in his old stomping ground. Considering Lordi's stage act, this is pretty much par for the course for them -- a band of monsters, singing about the things that ''make'' them monstrous. Examples can be readily found on every album of theirs so far. |
| 269 | %%* "Darkness of Da Kut" by Lord Infamous. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 270 | * Music/{{Ludo}}: |
| 271 | ** "Skeletons on Parade" counts, being about a gleeful army of the undead and going from lighthearted parody to creepy in the span of about a minute. |
| 272 | ** "The Horror of Our Love" is about a StalkerWithACrush SerialKiller. |
| 273 | * "Craig" by Music/StephenLynch is about Jesus's JerkJock brother Craig Christ, who spends his time partying it up unlike his pussy brother and his gay little buddies. |
| 274 | -->''[[TheUnfavorite Jesus was our mother's fave]]\ |
| 275 | All her love to him she gave\ |
| 276 | But there's no sibling rivalry\ |
| 277 | When he's nailed to that tree'' |
| 278 | * Music/{{Macabre}}'s songs are sometimes song from the perspective of the killer, like "Vampire of Düsseldorf". |
| 279 | * Music/{{Madonna}} has "Back In Business" from her ''Film/DickTracy'' soundtrack album ''Music/ImBreathless'', probably reflecting her character in the film "Breathless" Mahoney. The song is about how you're better off being bad than a goody two shoes, and how it's more fun as well. Surprisingly, a different song called "Back In Business" appears in the movie instead of Madonna's version. |
| 280 | * The song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfDVg6fs71I "Un Mauvais Dieu"]] ("A Bad God") from French hip-hop group Manau tells in its intro the story of an evil deity trapped below the earth by the druids, foretold to return at the dawn of the year 2000. The actual song is the aforementioned evil god bragging about how dark and sinful he is, and how he will bring hatred and suffering to Earth once he is free. |
| 281 | * Music/MCFrontalot's "Final Boss", which is sung from the perspective of, predictably enough, the final boss. |
| 282 | * Music/MeatLoaf's "Everything Louder Than Everything Else", a show-stopping IAmSong about a boorish motorcycle thug [[EvilIsHammy absolutely reveling]] in what a [[TheAlcoholic drunken]], [[DumbMuscle violent, ignorant]] jackass he is. |
| 283 | -->''A wasted youth is better by far than a wise and productive old age'' |
| 284 | * Music/TheMegas have crafted many a VillainSong for the various and sundry [[Franchise/MegaMan Robot Masters]], as well as a couple for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqIJqFap6gU Doctor Wily]] himself, and even one for [[CameBackWrong Proto Man]]. A full list would probably require its own subpage. The most villainous of them all may be "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khgrybkBnzM Man On Fire]]", [[KillItWithFire Heatman's]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme]], although "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ROx7eXfAo Walk Away from Light]]" (Snakeman) and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtUJeBURzOk Annihilation of Monsteropolis]]" (Airman) are also pretty sinister. That said, several Robot Master songs subvert this, from [[AntiVillain anti-villains]] who hate what they've become and are fighting against themselves, like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8HiGDdlVXM Needleman]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpCZer0jTMA Shadowman]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfXhoR_VSc Crashman]], to songs where the singers see themselves as the heroes and Mega Man as the villain, like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbv0x-91BQo Quickman]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZUdUneR4l4 Geminiman]], and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpJRycj5Q4 Hardman]]. |
| 285 | * Music/{{Metallica}} has many songs about [[WarIsHell soldiers slaughtering others]] and [[SanitySlippageSong people losing their minds and doing evil]]. For more explicit examples: |
| 286 | ** "Jump in the Fire" is sung by the Devil. |
| 287 | ** "Sad But True" could be interpreted as a a demon who possesses our main protagonist and makes him do evil things while trying to convince him that the world hates him. Out of context, it could pass for a Disney villain song. |
| 288 | * Bigg Milt's rap "What's Going On" is a rather strange version of this trope. Instead of being sung from the point of view of a actual person, it's actually sung from the point of view of the drug dope, claiming that he is the real terror in the world. He says that GodIsEvil according to what he wrote about God in the Bible. |
| 289 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_iy71v46r4 Hey Alice]]" by Rachel Rose Mitchell is a FilkSong of ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''. It's about someone in the real world teasing Alice about her stories of Wonderland and the Looking Glass. |
| 290 | %%* "Space Lord" by Music/MonsterMagnet. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 291 | * "Teenagers", by Music/MyChemicalRomance. It doesn't sound like one at first, just a punk/emo kid ranting about the world around him, but after the second verse, you realize that this kid is probably [[AxesAtSchool about to start a school shooting]]. |
| 292 | * Music/RandyNewman has two in ''Faust'': |
| 293 | ** [[GodIsEvil God Himself]] gets in on the action, singing "How Great Our Lord", with a wonderfully slimy performance by Music/JamesTaylor. |
| 294 | ** Newman himself sings the Devil's parts; the most straightforward Villain Song from him is probably "Can't Keep A Good Man Down", where he plots to return to Heaven by winning a (heavily stacked) wager with God. |
| 295 | * "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by Music/TheOffspring, which seems to be about a MagnificentBastard mentoring another MagnificentBastard. By the end of the song, it seems the student became the master... |
| 296 | * Ookla the Mok: |
| 297 | ** The song called "Suprema Lex" consists of ComicBook/LexLuthor singing about his hatred of Franchise/{{Superman}} and how he will one day defeat him. Also an example of TheHeroSucksSong. |
| 298 | ** In "Mwahaha", the singer is a villain trying to figure out which famous villainous quote to use: |
| 299 | --->''How about [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"]]\ |
| 300 | Or maybe [[Film/SupermanII "Kneel before Zod!"]] or [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi "Give yourself to the Dark Side!"]]\ |
| 301 | [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan "From hell's heart, I stab at thee!"]]\ |
| 302 | Or [[Film/Batman1989 "Wait until they get a load of me!"]]\ |
| 303 | How 'bout [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall\ |
| 304 | Who's the fairest of them all?"]]'' |
| 305 | * Music/PainOfSalvation's 2004 concept album ''"BE"'' features a few of these, most notably "Dea Pecuniae", in which the villainous character sings about how he got rich through cut-throat duplicity, before it becomes a duet between him and the very voice of his dark desires. |
| 306 | * "Live" by Music/PaulAndStorm is all about a mad scientist's desire to create an undead bride. Though it's arguably the villagers who are more villainous, as they burst in and kill him as he and his bride finally get to be together. It's worth noting that Paul and Storm wrote this song as a parody of Jonathan Coulton's songs in the same vein. His response was to write a song parodying their music, called "Big Dick Farts a Polka". |
| 307 | * Music/PepeDeluxe, ''Music/QueenOfTheWave'', "A Night and a Day". The liner notes describe the subject as "a poetic synopsis" of Mainin's descent into "destroy the world"-tier villainy, and the lyrics don't suggest even a hint of regret. |
| 308 | * Music/PinkFloyd's ''Music/TheWall'': |
| 309 | ** "The Happiest Days of Our Lives" may count as one for the [[SadistTeacher Schoolmaster]], as he sings about how back in his days, the teachers would abuse the children at school, only to be abused by their wives in return once they came home. |
| 310 | ** "In the Flesh", "Run Like Hell", and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ysgG3zNUOg Waiting for the Worms]]" are three of them in a row, representing the character of Pink's fall to fascism as a result of his self-imposed isolation and the drugs in his system. |
| 311 | %%* "Supervillain" by Music/Powerman5000. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 312 | * In "Trouble" by Music/ElvisPresley, the P.O.V. character describes himself as "evil as can be" and says that misery is his middle name. |
| 313 | * Music/TheProtomen have given one to their version of Dr. Wily with "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBcDoZnN8ac The Hounds]]". He spends half the song ''gloating'' about framing Dr. Light for ''murder''. For something that seems to depict just how much of a sociopath Wily is, it sure has a tune that one can dance to. It also explains part one of his totalitarian state, which is "a giant screen in the middle of town everyone can see and hear, constantly barraging the populace with misinformation and propaganda." So basically, your standard dictatorship, but more high tech. And unlike most villain songs, Wily doesn't pull it out while there's still any chance of his plan being stopped. He waits until his victory is essentially secured. |
| 314 | * Ra's song "Parole" is about the P.O.V. character leaving prison to pursue what is presumably an ex who is the reason he was put away to begin with. The lines include: |
| 315 | -->''I called your mom and she told me\ |
| 316 | That you're afraid of me''\ |
| 317 | [...]\ |
| 318 | ''I won't be disregarded\ |
| 319 | I won't be turned away\ |
| 320 | We'll finish up what you started\ |
| 321 | You're gonna pay today'' |
| 322 | * Music/RidersInTheSky made a song called "Someone's Got to Do It!", in which a pair of b-movie villains sing about how the story needs them to work. |
| 323 | * "Sympathy for the Devil" by Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}. Despite the name, it doesn't give {{Satan}} a SympatheticPOV at all. |
| 324 | %%* Music/{{Rush|Band}}'s concept album ''Music/ClockworkAngels'' has one in "The Anarchist". (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample) |
| 325 | * The metal band Music/{{Sabaton}}, which has a lot of songs about historical battles, has done a few that are clearly done from the perspective of the side they wouldn't support: |
| 326 | ** The most obvious examples are "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aebOM8M_jtc Stalingrad]]" and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wik-Xv9uD7I We Burn]]", the latter being about the Yugoslavian Civil War). |
| 327 | ** There's a whole ''album'' dedicated to Charles XII of Sweden, also known as UsefulNotes/CarolusRex. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZMY-YXLa38 The titular song definitely fits the bill well]], as while it's handled a lot more favorably than the previously mentioned examples by the band, he's still a warmonger with slight AGodAmI tendencies. |
| 328 | * {{Music/Savatage}} likes to make use of this trope on their RockOpera albums. |
| 329 | ** ''Music/StreetsARockOpera'' has the song "Agony and Ecstasy", which is also part BSODSong. The villain portion represents the knowledge that drugs destroyed DT once, cannot do anything to help him, but he still longs for them. |
| 330 | ** ''Music/DeadWinterDead'' has two: |
| 331 | *** "I Am" is human selfishness and greed turning people against each other. |
| 332 | *** "Doesn't Matter Anyway" is for the {{Arms Dealer}}s who get rich off war and don't give a damn about the ideology or politics of their buyers. |
| 333 | ** ''Music/TheWakeOfMagellan'' has "Complaint in the System": Irish mobsters and drug dealers have created a status quo that benefits them and will protect it. |
| 334 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGitBIedvbY I Can't Decide]]" by the Music/ScissorSisters. It's about a guy who is contemplating if they should kill the person they are singing to. Aside from [[Series/DoctorWho The Master]] using it as a full-fledged VillainSong, it's also spawned a whole lot of villainous tribute videos (go search "Can't Decide" on [=YouTube=]. We'll wait). |
| 335 | * Music/PaulShapera: |
| 336 | ** ''AudioPlay/TheDollsOfNewAlbion'' has "Edgar Builds a Business", where, [[LoveMakesYouEvil in order to impress a girl]], young Edgar [=McAlistair=] uses his MadScientist mother's research to make a business out of bringing the souls of people's dead loved ones back from the afterlife and putting them into mechanical dolls. Then, after amassing a huge fortune, he financially destroys the man his would-be love interest is actually interested in, brings back her dead father as a doll, and tells her that [[IHaveYourWife the only way she can see or speak to him]] is if [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe she marries Edgar]]. |
| 337 | ** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] with "Han Mi" from ''AudioPlay/MissHelensWeirdWestCabaret'', which sounds like it was ''supposed'' to be a proper villain song about a DragonLady crimelord. As it progresses, though, the singer injects her complaints about the role's racist implications, then devolves further when she realizes that she's never interacted with the writer and doesn't even remember her life outside the cabaret show, which makes her question if she's losing her mind. |
| 338 | * Music/{{Slayer}}'s "Angel of Death", about [[ThoseWackyNazis Josef Mengele]]. This is far from their only example, as the band has a habit of making songs sung from the perspective of {{Serial Killer}}s and other lovely individuals, but it is undoubtedly their most famous. |
| 339 | * In Judge Smith's RockOpera (or "songstory") ''Curly's Airships'', the War Office motif, beginning in "A Capital Idea" and returning in "A Kindly Sort of Cove," features them making foolish decisions that will eventually lead to the R101 disaster. |
| 340 | ** There's also "A Byronic Sort of Blighter," the song that properly introduces Lord Thomson. The song outlines how he's clearly using the airship program so he can advance his career, and when his motif returns in "A Ship of Fools," it's for an angry conversation where he threatens Captain Irwin with firing and forces him to continue the flight despite his misgivings. |
| 341 | * Music/TomSmith: |
| 342 | ** Smith has had a musical called ''Skullrose And Tourmaline'' kicking around the back of his brain for years. He's written three songs so far: "Heat of the Blood", "Ho! For the Death of Time", and "This Ain't Over Yet". They're ''all'' Villain Songs. |
| 343 | ** In the concept album ''The Last Hero on Earth'' there's both "[[MadScientist Mad Scientists United]]" and "The Sinister Cavortings of Sir Wilfred P. Hufflebaggins III" (there's a reason why of him you never have heard). |
| 344 | * ''The Vice Quadrant: A Space Opera'' by Music/SteamPoweredGiraffe brings us "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOj4i6iYFbs Necrostar]]", about a sort of ''Franchise/PowerRangers''/[[Creator/HPLovecraft Lovecraft]] mashup villain. Far more awesome than it sounds. |
| 345 | * Music/StoneTemplePilots song "Sex Type Thing" is about a serial rapist singing about how the women he raped asked for it because of how they dressed. |
| 346 | * "Mirdautas Vras" by Music/{{Summoning}}, a villainous {{fanfare}} that provides the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic crowning track]] of their ''Oath Bound'' album, and written in BlackSpeech no less. Translated excerpt: |
| 347 | -->''Northwards ride on [[EvilArmy a thousand orcs]]\ |
| 348 | On [[SavageWolves wolves with giant bloody fangs]]\ |
| 349 | They take the storm and power\ |
| 350 | Of {{Mordor}} through the world\ |
| 351 | Fire and ice -- the Nazgûl fly\ |
| 352 | It is a good day to kill\ |
| 353 | [[RedSkyTakeWarning Painted red is earth and sky]]\ |
| 354 | Even [[TopGod Manwe]] shall bow down'' |
| 355 | * Music/SymphonyX has an entire album of these in ''Paradise Lost''. Unsurprising, as most of the songs are from the point of view of Lucifer. Almost every single song is a Villain Song from Lucifer, with the only exception being the opening and "The Sacrifice". |
| 356 | * Music/TalkingHeads' "Psycho Killer", naturally. It's about a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin psycho]] who is on the verge of a murder spree. |
| 357 | * "Trauma" by Music/TechN9ne is about a mass murderer and serial killer. Just to name one example of the singer's craziness, he considers cutting off his victim's nipples "a murderous foreplay". |
| 358 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yc9tGBtf4 "Don't Mess With Me"]] by Temposhark is about the narrator bragging about being an all-powerful InvincibleVillain who's worshiped and feared. |
| 359 | -->'''Cause all your heads are gonna roll\ |
| 360 | I've made your misery my goal\ |
| 361 | So if you want survival, kneel on my arrival\ |
| 362 | This is how I rule the world'' |
| 363 | * "Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown)" by Music/TenaciousD (featuring Music/DaveGrohl) is about Satan engaging in a rock-off with the duo. If he wins, he gets to take K.G. back to Hell as his SexSlave (and also probably take over the world). It also doubles as an IWantSong for Satan. |
| 364 | * Music/TheoryOfADeadman have a number of songs about how much of a jerk the lead singer is, though the most obvious example is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0paVuESN3F0 Villain]]", where he proclaims that he's the villain of the story and that people are more interested in him than heroes. |
| 365 | * Music/TheyMightBeGiants like this trope: |
| 366 | ** "Kiss Me, Son of God" is sung from the perspective of a CorruptCorporateExecutive VillainWithGoodPublicity: |
| 367 | --->''I built a little empire out of\ |
| 368 | Some crazy garbage called the blood of the\ |
| 369 | Exploited working class\ |
| 370 | But they've overcome their shyness\ |
| 371 | Now they're calling me "Your Highness"\ |
| 372 | And the world screams\ |
| 373 | "Kiss me, Son of God!"'' |
| 374 | ** "Hall of Heads" is commonly interpreted to be about Princess Mombi (or Princess Langwidere from the book version) of ''Film/ReturnToOz''. |
| 375 | ** "No One Knows My Plan" is about a guy in prison who spends his time planning new crimes, knowing now that he needs to be more careful next time. |
| 376 | ** "Reprehensible" is about a person who hears voices talking about the horrible crimes he committed in past lives, and it's implied that he may not be a great person in this one either. |
| 377 | ** "I'm Your Boyfriend Now", which is named after a [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984 Freddy Krueger]] line. |
| 378 | * "Mack the Knife", adapted from ''Theatre/TheThreepennyOpera''. Who knew that so many wholesome 1950s singers could get away with singing gleefully about a spree killer and thief? (Not to mention that in the 1980s UsefulNotes/McDonalds famously adapted it -- and some would say briefly [[CoveredUp covered it up]] -- as "Mac Tonite.") |
| 379 | * The Toadies' "Possum Kingdom", sung by a serial killer (or vampire, depending on your interpretation) to his victim. |
| 380 | * Music/TransSiberianOrchestra's third [[ChristmasSongs Christmas album]], ''The Lost Christmas Eve'', features [[AntiChristmasSong "What Is Christmas?"]], sung by a Scrooge-like character whom an embittered businessman agrees with. |
| 381 | * A lot of Music/{{Vocaloid}} songs qualify, and many of them can also be viewed as {{Villain Love Song}}s. In particular, we have: |
| 382 | ** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0uU2PZVfM8 Kaito Ga Uninstall]]" for Kaito, in which he [[{{Yandere}} murders all of the other Vocaloids so their master will only pay attention to him]]. |
| 383 | ** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGThHuZ3lBQ Rotten Girl, Grotesque Romance]]" for Miku, in which she's a murderous, psychopathic StalkerWithACrush who kills a cat and leaves its head on the doorstep of her "beloved". |
| 384 | ** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVFfeTIWWco Fear Garden]]" for Rin, in which she [[AxeCrazy cuts off the other vocaloids' arms and]] [[GardenOfEvil plants them like flowers in her garden]]. |
| 385 | ** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFeQ0w3OR_U Spice]]" for Len, in which he [[TheCasanova courts and has sex with various girls]] while at the same time [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove considering concepts like "love" and "satisfaction" to be absurd]]. |
| 386 | ** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cli6w_izx0o Love Disease]]" for Luka, another stalker song. |
| 387 | ** Hatsune Miku's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q3XHFFfu3w Splatter Party]]" is told from the perspective of a SerialKiller who kidnaps people and holds them in a blood-soaked chamber before killing them by mutilating their bodies and gouging out their eyes. |
| 388 | ** There are plenty in the Music/EvilliousChronicles. Comes with having multiple villains: |
| 389 | *** Every headlining song in the Seven Deadly Sins series is this, with the main character being a villain acting out a respective sin. Special mention goes to "The Lunacy of Duke Venomania", where the titular Duke gloats freely about his [[RapeAsDrama conquest]] of multiple women using [[QuestionableConsent supernatural means]], and "Judgement of Corruption", where Judge Gallerian Marlon ''revels'' in the money he's taking from people with the biggest SlasherSmile on his face, though the song also highlights his motivation (to heal his disabled daughter). However, there is the notable exception of "Daughter of Evil", which strangely enough, despite using Rin's voice (Princess Riliane's [[AnimatedActors actor]]), is told as if the audience is listening to a story about Riliane instead of Riliane herself gloating. In fact, it comes off kind of like a TheVillainSucksSong. And weirdly enough, it's ambiguous as to whether "Evil Food Eater Conchita" and "The Tailor Shop of Enbizaka" are meant to be in first person. |
| 390 | *** Allen Avadonia's "Servant of Evil" tells the story of "Daughter of Evil" from Allen's perspective, reflecting on all of the horrible things he had to do in service to his sister and the eventual regret and final fate he destined for himself. |
| 391 | *** "Master of the Graveyard" is the VillainSong of the titular master, though it's sung mostly by her servants about how she eats [[ImAHumanitarian everything]]. |
| 392 | * Music/{{Voltaire}}: |
| 393 | ** "When You're Evil", a song from the perspective of a CardCarryingVillain, fits this rather well while being generic enough to work for most any villain. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZBSDzimfq8 Here's]] a video made using various Disney villains. |
| 394 | ** "[[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy BRAINS!]]" is a song about a brain-eating alien. |
| 395 | ** "Almost Human" is a villain song for ''[[{{Satan}} Lucifer]]''. |
| 396 | ** "Ex Lover's Lover" is about a man who fantasises about murdering his ex and her new boyfriend. |
| 397 | ** "Dead Girls" is about a man who turned to necrophilia because living girls kept rejecting him. |
| 398 | * "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" by Music/{{WASP|Band}}, which is sung from the perspective of a CorruptCorporateExecutive. |
| 399 | * Pretty much any song written by Wednesday 13, be it with the Murderdolls, Bourbon Crow, Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13, Gunfire 76, or his self-named band. Some gems include: |
| 400 | ** "Love at First Fright", a love song toward Reagan from ''Film/TheExorcist'', sung from the point of view of the demon possessing her. |
| 401 | ** "A Dead Body", an outlaw country song about being too drunk to dig a shallow grave at the roadside. |
| 402 | ** "All American Massacre". ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. |
| 403 | * Music/KanyeWest's "Power" is basically about an all-powerful celebrity getting off on how much people hate him. There's a remix version that's meant to be a song of empowerment by being an asshole and bragging about dumping on Music/TaylorSwift. |
| 404 | * [[Music/WhosNext "Behind Blue Eyes"]] by Music/TheWho is a lament from the perspective of an ([[AntiVillain anti-]]) villainous character, and was intended to be the theme song for the antagonist in a RockOpera planned by Pete Townsend. |
| 405 | * "[[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7BBHJMPK4U8 Villain]]" by Wild Fire, which takes its inspiration from the Joker, as well as referencing other members of Batman's rogues gallery. |
| 406 | * "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)" by Music/WillWood is about a person who has committed many evil acts (heavily implied to be a serial killer, or at least someone with a body count). The singer character tries to justify his actions by claiming that everyone is equally flawed and that they would do the same things he does if they were in his situation. His case is not helped by his utterly deranged tone of voice that makes it clear that he doesn't have an ounce of pity for his crimes. |
| 407 | -->''It doesn't take a killer to murder\ |
| 408 | It only takes a reason to kill\ |
| 409 | We've all got evidence of innocence, it's "everything's coincidence"\ |
| 410 | The difference twixt fate and free will\ |
| 411 | Is whether you're singing\ |
| 412 | Ooh, could you take a look at me?\ |
| 413 | Am I bad, am I bad, am I bad, am I really that bad?\ |
| 414 | Ooh, whatever you think of me\ |
| 415 | If you were in my shoes, you'd walk the same damn miles I do'' |
| 416 | * Music/TheWorldInfernoFriendshipSociety: |
| 417 | ** "Fiend in Wien" is a raucous villain song from the perspective of [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]] about his awful youth and how he came to see the world as shit. Considering the band's main hero is Creator/PeterLorre and they're a bunch of anarchists, it's more sarcastic than anything else. |
| 418 | ** "Lust for Timing" from ''The True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League'' is sung by the League's leader, Jon Gilch, as he gloats over his [[NothingCanStopUsNow luck and apparent invincibility]] while heading a crime syndicate. The previous song, "Incendiarism", is sung by the League as a whole while in the process of joyfully stealing cars with the foolproof alibi of being asleep at the time. However, the musical casts the BWAL members sympathetically rather than as hardened criminals, especially in the second act. |
| 419 | * God of Greed, a collaboration between Jonathan Young, Creator/LaurenBabic, Judge and Jury, and [=RichaadEB=], appears to be about... Well, a god of greed. One lyric is literally, "Find salvation only when you obey." |
| 420 | * "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB2BKdgSW4U Club Villain]]" by WebAnimation/YourFavoriteMartian is about a club whose patrons are all various villains from both pop culture and real life. |
| 421 | * Finnish proge band YUP has a song called "Kuonamagneetti" ("Drossmagnet") on their 1994 album ''Music/ToppatakkejaJaToledonTerasta''. It is a confession song of the album's big bad, Volmar Pätsi. |
| 422 | * "Mr. Bad Example" by Music/WarrenZevon, sees the titular VillainProtagonist proudly bragging about the various misdeeds and crimes he has performed ever since he was a young boy, and how [[KarmaHoudini he has always managed to get away with them completely scot-free]]: |
| 423 | -->''I'm very well acquainted with the seven deadly sins\ |
| 424 | I keep a busy schedule tryin' to fit them in\ |
| 425 | I'm proud to be a glutton and I don't have time for sloth\ |
| 426 | I'm greedy and I'm angry and I don't care who I cross\ |
| 427 | I'm Mr. Bad Example, intruder in the dirt\ |
| 428 | I like to have a good time, and I don't care who gets hurt\ |
| 429 | I'm Mr. Bad Example, take a look at me\ |
| 430 | I'll live to be a hundred, and go down in infamy'' |
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