History VillainSong / Music

* "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)" by Will Wood 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.
-->It doesn't take a killer to murder\\
It only takes a reason to kill\\
We've all got evidence of innocence, it's 'everything's coincidence' the\\
Difference twixt fate and free will is whether you're singing\\
Ooh, could you take a look at me\\
Am I bad, am I bad, am I bad, am I really that bad?\\
Now we're singing\\
Ooh, whatever you think of me\\
If you were in my shoes\\
You'd walk the same damn miles I do!\\

* "Sympathy for the Devil" by Music/TheRollingStones. Despite the name, it doesn't give {{Satan}} a SympatheticPOV at all.

* "Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)" by Music/{{WASP}}, which is sung from the perspective of a CorruptCorporateExecutive.

* "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)" by Will Wood 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.

** There are plenty in the Music/EvilliousChronicles. Comes with having [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters multiple villains]]:

** There's even more in ''Act 2'': "He's Evil" is a straightforward "TheVillainSucksSong" and Flash himself gets to sing "Scum of the Earth," "Money Talks," and "Second-Hand Car Spiv" about his life and philosophy. However, this album also features a few for [[spoiler: Mr. Black]], specifically "When a Solution Comes" and "Shepherds of the Nation."

** There's even more in "Act 2": "He's Evil" is a straightforward "TheVillainSucksSong" and Flash himself gets to sing "Scum of the Earth," "Money Talks," and "Second-Hand Car Spiv" about his life and philosophy. However, this album also features a few for [[spoiler: Mr. Black]], specifically "When a Solution Comes" and "Shepherds of the Nation."

* Arguably, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGitBIedvbY I Can't Decide]]" by the Music/ScissorSisters, since it is FoeYay in song form. 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).

* Music/LeonardCohen has the aptly-titled "First We Take Manhattan", which seems to be from the perspective a megalomaniacal man talking of his quest for domination. Includes such line as "You know the way to stop me / but you don't have the discipline". Cohen himself described it as a "terrorist song" of sorts (moreso in the psychological terror sense).

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yc9tGBtf4 "Don't Mess With Me"]] by Temposhark is all about the narrator bragging about being an all-powerful InvincibleVillain who's worshiped and feared.

This is how I rule the world\\''

%%* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0yc9tGBtf4 "Don't Mess With Me"]] by Temposhark. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)

* 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 [[FanNickname (Toy Soldiers)]] to "burn it all down".

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULSKZ7IP930 The Rake's Song]]" from Music/TheDecemberists' {{Rock Opera|s}} ''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.

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB2BKdgSW4U Club Villain]]" by [[WebVideo/EqualsThree Your Favorite Martian]] is about a club whose patrons are all various villains from both pop culture and real life.

* "[[https://youtu.be/k1BneeJTDcU Welcome to the Internet]]", from Creator/BoBurnham's ''Inside'', 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.

** Outside of that series, ''Music/{{Silverthorn}}'' has several songs from [[EvilTwin Robert]]'s point of view, including "[[FreudianExcuse Ashes to Ashes]]" and "[[AGodAmI Veritas]]" ("Falling Like the Fahrenheit" and "Solitaire" are also from his perspective, but are more BeingEvilSucks songs). He also takes the second verse of "[[HopeSpot My Confession]]", even though his unnamed twin brother (the protagonist) sings the rest of the song.

* {{Music/Gorillaz}}: (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
** "Murdoc Is God". Yes, a song named after the Sociopathic TokenEvilTeammate of the band.
** 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.

%%* {{Music/Gorillaz}}: (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
%%** "Murdoc Is God".
%%** 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.

** The song called "Suprema Lex" consists of ComicBook/LexLuthor singing about his hatred of {{Superman}} and how he will one day defeat him. Also an example of TheHeroSucksSong.

* ''Music/{{Gloryhammer}}'':
** "Goblin King of the Darkstorm Galaxy" has the main antagonist consult another villain for additional power to further his villainous plans.
** "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.
* [[https://youtu.be/k1BneeJTDcU "Welcome to the Internet"]], from Creator/BoBurnham's ''Inside'', 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.
-->We set our sights, and spent our nights\\
Waiting...\\
For you, you\\
Insa~tiable you\\
Mommy let you use her [=iPad=], you were barely two\\
[[GoneHorriblyRight And it did all the things, we designed it, to do]]\\
''Now look at you.''
* ''Music/JTMusic'' has had their fair share of villain songs dedicated to the worst of video games and pop culture.
** "Video Game Legends Volume 2" is probably the best example as it features several villains across several games.
** "Say Goodbye to Batman" is an interesting example; while the verses are delivered by Batman, a villain (presumably ComicBook/TheScarecrow) sings the chorus:
--->Gotham, [[TitleDrop say goodbye to Batman]]; he had a real good ride!\\
The Caped Crusader sends a message: "Sorry. but I've died!"\\
[[EvilCounterpart The Arkham Knight's]] gonna take it from here\\
By the end of the night, we'll have you shaking with fear\\
Soon, no one will have to ask\\
Who's that man behind the mask?
** 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.
** "Shepard of this Flock" is sung primarily from Joseph’s point of view with his radical preaching.
** [[VideoGame/{{Bioshock}} "Would You Kindly"]] is sung by Frank Fontaine about how he tired to usurp control of Rapture from Andrew Ryan and [[spoiler:how he manipulated events as Atlas to finally win]].
** 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.
** [[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.
** [[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]].
** "Gun Show" is about the Film/{{Predator}} will effortlessly hunt his prey.
** 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}}.

* Finnish proge band YUP has a song called "Kuonamagneetti" ("Drossmagnet") on their 1994 album ''Music/ToppatakkejaJaToledonTerasta''. It is a confession song of album's big bad, Volmar Pätsi.

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPN0qhSyWy8 It Just Works]]" by Music/TheChalkeaters is essentially a Disney villain song for Todd Howard, president of [[Creator/{{Bethesda}} Bethesda Studios]].
* "[[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.
* Music/BreakingBenjamin's "Home" is from the POV of the Wicked Witch of the West from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.
* Music/MeatLoaf's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ubRx9HSOLo 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.
-->"A wasted youth is better by far than a wise and productive old age!"
* Music/TallyHall: "[[https://youtu.be/GHGWyIh6ooI Cuckoo]]", an unreleased song by Rob Cantor, 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.
* [[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.
-->"I know the sensation you're probably dreading\\
But cutting you up will be so refreshing to me!"
* "[[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' 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 Book of Revelation, comparing Sesroneos to The Beast.
-->"And on your knees/you shall remain/and all shall praise/and fear my name!"
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjjoSrfE8fk Cold As Ice]] by "Blacklite District" can be seen as the singer saying that that they already made their choice, they know they are evil and they also don't care whatsoever.
* Music/TalkingHeads's Psycho Killer, naturally. It's about a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin psycho]] who is on the verge of a murder spree.
* Music/SteveGoodman'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.
-->''To me way, hay''
-->''Tow them away''
-->''The Lincoln Park Pirates are we''
-->''From Wilmette to Gary''
-->''There's nothing so harried''
-->''[[BadassBoast And we always collect our fee]]''

-->''To me way, hay''
-->''Tow them away''
-->''We plunder the streets of your town''
-->''Be it Edsel or Chevy''
-->''There's no car too heavy''
-->''And no one can make us shut down''

-->''We break into cars when we gotta''
-->''With pickaxe and hammer and saw''
-->''And they said that this garage had no license''
-->''But little care I for the law''

-->''[[BlatantLies All my drivers are friendly and courteous]]''
-->''[[BlatantLies Their good manners you always will get]]''
-->''[[JustGotOutOfJail 'Cause they all are recent graduates of the charm school in Joliet]]''
* Many of Creator/DAGames are styled like this. They include:
** "[[IAmSong I'm The Purple Guy]]" is sung from the point of view from [[VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys the Purple]] [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Guy]] about his various murders.
** "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.
** 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 they are going to die.
** "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.
** "Ambush" has [[VideoGame/AmongUs an imposter]] singing about how its going to murder or deceive all of the crew and they are powerless to stop it.
** "Build Our Machine" is a ''VideoGame/BendyAndTheInkMachine'' song about Bendy's [[RageAgainstTheHeavens rage against his creators]].
* ''Music/{{Gloryhammer}}'':

* 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 [[NotSoDifferent to count as a Villain Song]]).

----

** "Taxman" from ''Music/{{Revolver}}'' 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.]]

** "Killers" starts with a SecondPersonAttack, then changes to the killer point of view.

* Ookla the Mok has a song called "Suprema Lex", which consists of ComicBook/LexLuthor singing about his hatred of {{Superman}} and how he will one day defeat him. Also an example of TheHeroSucksSong.

* Music/{{Madonna}} has "Back In Business" from her ''Film/DickTracy'' soundtrack album ''I'm Breathless'', probably reflecting her character in the film "Breathless" Mahoney. Surprisingly, a different song called "Back In Business" appears in the movie instead of Madonna's version.
* Music/{{Vocaloid}} producer Music/{{mothy}} does this type of song quite a bit, more particularly in the Music/EvilliousChronicles. At least half of the Seven Deadly Sins Series is the sinner gloating about how evil they are, with Conchita from the gluttony song making a repeat performance in "Master of the Graveyard" for the Clockwork Lullaby Series.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DTLcR5awn0 "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...
* Many, many songs by Music/NickCave, from both Music/TheBirthdayParty and as a solo artist. Particularly notable examples are "Deep in the Woods" (in which a serial killer gloats about his most recent murder before boasting about his general misanthropy) and "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). ''Murder Ballads'', from which the latter song came, 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.
* 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.
* "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirty 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).
* The album ''Preservation Act 1'' by Music/TheKinks 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, and then goes on later to a song called "Here Comes Flash" which is just a straight-up warning of the man:
-->"He'll be a friend to you, be so sweet to you\\
Then he's going to screw you, just like that.\\
You'd better run, you'd better fly\\
Hide your daughters, hide your wives\\
Lock your doors and stay inside, here comes Flash."
* "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.]]
* "Mwahaha" by Ookla the Mok - the singer is a villain trying to figure out which famous villainous quote to use:
--> How about [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"]]\\
Or maybe [[Film/SupermanII "Kneel before Zod!"]] or [[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi "give yourself to the Dark Side!"]]\\
[[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan "From hell's heart, I stab at thee!"]]\\
Or [[Film/Batman1989 "Wait until they get a load of me!"]]\\
How 'bout [[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall,]] \\
[[WesternAnimation/{{Snow White|AndTheSevenDwarfs}} Who's the fairest of them all?"]]
* Many {{Horrorcore}} songs are written from the point of view of serial killers or mass murderers; examples include "Darkness of Da Kut" by Lord Infamous and "Trauma" by Music/TechN9ne. Even mainstream rappers do this on occasion (who more commonly take on the "street thug" persona), such as Music/DrDre and Music/IceCube in "Natural Born Killaz".
* "Goodybe, 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 James Bond is finished.
* ''The Vice Quadrant: A Space Opera'' by Music/SteamPoweredGiraffe brings us ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOj4i6iYFbs Necrostar]]'', about a sort of ''Power Rangers/Lovecraft'' mashup villain. Far more awesome than it sounds.
* ''Music/KidsPraise'': Most of the songs are praising God, a few have nothing to do with God or religion and are simply plot-related, and a couple are actually sung by the villain, Risky Rat.
* ''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]].
* [[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.
* ''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.
* "Dark Matter" by Music/LesFriction sounds like one of those.
-->I am Dark Matter,\\
Your road to ruin.\\
I am Dark Matter,\\
I'm your undoing.
* "Fight The Power" from ''Music/HeroesAndVillains'' is from Mojo Jojo's viewpoint. It's about how he wants to take over the world and defeat WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls.
* Music/{{CG5}} has written numerous songs for villains from video games and other media:
** "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 to kill him.
** "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.
** "I Wanna Waa" is sung by [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Waluigi]], and it's basically a BadassBoast while showing how irritable and mean he is.
** Downplayed with "Every Door." About 1/3 of it is Baldi singing about how he'll stop at nothing to hunt down the child protagonist, but the other 2/3 is the protagonist singing about how terrified he is in his situation.