History Main / TheSongBeforeTheStorm

Frequently overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber, which can be about a wider range of subjects, but must include counterpoint and various character perspectives. Not to be confused with TheElevenOClockNumber, which is sung near the end of a musical to initiate the climax.

* In ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', before the main characters crash the set of The Corny Collins Show, Motormouth Maybelle sings "I Know Where I've Been" as a reminder of how much is at stake.

So the Climax of the musical is about to begin. Something may happen {{At The Opera Tonight}}, or fate and destiny could be working to bring the characters together for some sort of final showdown. Either way, the writers find it that it's important to remind us just how important what is happening is. So they introduce a song to bring everything dramatically together. A classic example of this type of song seems to be cutting between the heroes doing a Hero Song and the villains doing their VillainSong, as they each do their own particular preparations.

* ''Series/{{Galavant}} has "A Good Day to Die" and its reprise. Though the title sounds tough and militaristic, all the lines other than the TitleDrop discuss how everyone would rather this day ''not'' be for dying in the Battle of the Three Armies.

* "This Day Aria" from the Season Two finale of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.
** "The Ballad of the Crystal Empire" from the Season 3 premiere.

[[folder:Live Action Television]]

* Appropriately enough, the song in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' just before the Reynolds Pamphlet is released is called Hurricane and perfectly fits this.

** "Savages" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''. Even overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber.

* ''WesternAnimation/IHeartArlo'': "Back To You", Arlo's SettingOffSong from the S1 finale sung just before arriving at the swamp to find it turned into TheHedgeOfThorns by the BigBad.

** "Savages" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''. Even overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber.

* The title song aka "Helping Twilight Win the Crown" from ''WesternAnimation/EquestriaGirls''.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' has "No Big Deal" for the second-to-last episode of its second season, giving the viewers one last time to chill and have fun before things go off the rails in the finale.

[[folder:Film]]
* The song "At the Opera Tonight" from ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' is a pretty clear-cut example.
* In ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', before the main characters crash the set of The Corny Collins Show, Motormouth Maybelle sings "I Know Where I've Been" as a reminder of how much is at stake.

* ''Film/MoulinRouge'' has [[Music/{{Queen}} "The Show Must Go On".]]
* ''Film/NotAnotherTeenMovie'' parodies this trope with the song "Prom Tonight".

* The TriumphantReprise of "Royal Prep" from the ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst GrandFinale, "Forever Royal", just before Vor's attack.

* ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-PYYaoq0fY Ready As I'll Ever Be]]," with both the villain, [[spoiler:Varian]], and the heroes preparing for the first season's big finale battle.

* The title song from ''WesternAnimation/EquestriaGirls''.

* ''Theatre/{{Anastasia}}'' has "Quartet at the Ballet" where Anya, Dmitri, and Grandmama prepare to meet each other, and Gleb prepares to confront Anya for the last time.
** "We'll Go From There" has Anya, Dmitry, and Vlad each muse on what awaits them and what they wish to happen most once they get to Paris.

* In ''Film/{{Hairspray}}'', before the main characters crash the set of the nicest kids in town, Motormouth Maybelle sings "I Know Where I've Been" as a reminder of how much is at stake.

* "Preparations" from ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'' where Anatole and Dolokhov prepare for Natasha's abduction.

* ''Brigadoom'' from ''Series/{{Lexx}}''. It's really almost more of a Backstory Musical, but it does also fill this role because it sort of pumps them up as well, by showing them the history of how Kai fought so hard in the past and how he shouldn't let that go to waste, and that they all must once again struggle valiantly to defeat new Big Bad Mantrid rather than running.

** The title song from ''WesternAnimation/EquestriaGirls''.

* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}},'' "What If the Town Blew Away" is {{literal|Minded}}ly this--the characters are singing about the hurricane that's about to hit Lawndale.

* "One Day More" from ''Theatre/LesMiserables'', in which one of Enjolras' lines is literally: "One more day before the storm"
* "Tonight" (the "Quintet" version with Tony/Maria/Anita/The Jets/The Sharks, even though the last two are actually groups) from ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' is one of the classics, setting up for the big rumble that changes everything.
* ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'':
** "Prima Donna" qualifies, certainly in the stage production.
** "Notes (Reprise) - Twisted Every Way" could apply as well (this song is called "We Have All Been Blind - Twisted Every Way in the movie version, as "Notes (Reprise)" was cut from this version).

* "A New Argentina" from ''Theatre/{{Evita}}'', depicting the build-up to the 1946 Argentinian presidential election. It closes the first act, while the second act picks up right after the election, with Juan and Eva giving their victory speeches from the balcony of the Casa Rosada.
* ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'' has the Fogg's Asylum sequence. As the final confrontation looms, the chorus asks "Who could see how the road would twist?" as the lunatics escape to echo the Beggar Woman's CassandraTruth across the city.
* "I Hope I Get It" from ''Theatre/AChorusLine''.

* ''Theatre/{{Godspell}}'' subverts it with "On the Willows"[[note]]Based on Psalm 137[[/note]], which is light and soft, but the lyrics talk about the coming sacrifice as one by one the apostles say goodbye to Jesus after Judas has been exposed. Heartwrenching if done properly.
* "It's Time" from ''Theatre/EvilDeadTheMusical''. The gist of the song is that Ash has decided it's time to man-up and kick a whole mess of ass. In the next few scenes, he kills things that are immortal.
* A light-hearted, waltzy version appears in ''Theatre/ALittleNightMusic'': "A Weekend in the Country".
* "Comfort and Joy" from ''Theatre/BatBoyTheMusical''

* ''Theatre/JekyllAndHyde'': "This is the Moment", sung right before Jekyll's first transformation into Hyde, and "Confrontation", sung right before the show's finale [[spoiler: where Hyde comes out at Jekyll's wedding, leading to his death]].
* ''Theatre/SeraMyu: Transylvania no Mori'' and it's revised version have "We'll Be The Last Victory" which is basically both the heroes and villains declaring what they're fighting for and end with what "group" they belong to, even if that group is themselves.
* The reprise of "Checkmate" in ''Manga/BlackButler Musical II: A Thousand Souls and a Fallen {{Shinigami}}''. All of the characters sing about what will happen AtTheOperaTonight, ending with a dramatic [[CatchPhrase "Yes, My Lord"]] from Sebastian.
* In the stage version of ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'', "Fathoms Below" is a literal example, with the bridge section telling of the storms that occur when King Triton gets mad, which happens shortly afterwards.
* Appropriately enough, the song in ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}'' just before the Reynolds Pamphlet is released is called Hurricane and perfectly fits this.
* ''Theatre/TheSpongeBobMusical'' has "Tomorrow Is" where the citizens of Bikini Bottom sing about what they hope to accomplish before Mt. Humongus erupts.
* ''Theatre/{{Anastasia}}'' has "Quartet at the Ballet" where Anya, Dmitri, and Grandmama prepare to meet each other, and Gleb prepares to confront Anya for the last time.

* "I Hope I Get It" from ''Theatre/AChorusline''.

Frequently overlaps with MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber, which can be about a wider range of subjects, but must include counterpoint and various character perspectives.

* In the stage version of ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'', "Fathoms Below" is a literal example, with the bridge section telling of the storms that occur when King Triton gets mad, which happens shortly afterwards.