Line #9 Main/MelancholyMusicalNumber


1	There are multiple ways to deal with being sad. This is one of the more unusual ones.
2
3	Perhaps the singer's friend is moving away, they're looking back on happier days gone by, or the save data of a game they've spent countless hours on has been deleted and can't be retrieved. Nevertheless, this character is sad, and has decided that the best way to express their sadness is to sing about it.
4
5	For a frequent sad song singer, see TheChanteuse. For sad characters listening to sad songs, see SongsOfSolace.
6
7	Compare FearSong, which is about a character singing about their fear and/or anxiety. Related to GriefSong, which is about a character mourning the death of another through song, and TorchSong, which is about someone lamenting a lost love. Not to be confused with BSODSong, which is about someone singing about how sad they are, rather than what they are sad over.
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9	For the villain variant, see VillainousLament. Contrast BravadoSong. Compare SelfSoothingSong.
10	----
11	!!Examples
12	[[foldercontrol]]
13
14	[[folder: Fan Works]]
15	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'' fanfiction ''Fanfic/DontSayDannit'' has a song about "It hurts inside the whole dang time".
16	[[/folder]]
17
18	[[folder: Films — Animated]]
19	* In ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'', Alice finds herself lost, frightened, and alone in the Tulgey Wood and has a breakdown. She sings "Very Good Advice" to herself and is gradually reduced to tears as she reflects on her own bad habit of knowing the right thing to do but often failing to do it. It's so sad that the other bizarre creatures in the woods cry along with her.
20	* ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsJourneyToJokeALot'': Funshine Bear, having been crowned the King of Joke-a-Lot, is beginning to have second thoughts about staying in this whimsical world of non-stop playing and clowning. He misses his old home in Care-a-Lot, where he may not have been a ruler, but he had his friends. So, while wandering the castle alone, he sings "Here I'm A King" to himself, debating on whether he should stay the King, or return to his old life in Care-a-Lot.
21	* Intersecting with TorchSong, Sawyer's "Tell Me Lies" from ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance'' accompanies images of a morose and disillusioned Danny Cat trudging through the evening Hollywood rain to the bus stop. His dream of making a splash in motion pictures resulted in a fiasco, and Danny can only retreat back to Kokomo, Indiana from whence he came. Sawyer suffered a similar setback in her early days, leaving her a snarky IceQueen secretary to a talent agent. She'd rather someone tell her bright and beautiful lies than face the grim and hopeless truth of Hollywood favoritism.
22	* Intersecting with IWantSong, "Waiting on a Miracle" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Encanto}}'' has protagonist Mirabel lament that she feels inadequate, being the only normal person in a family of magical beings, and that she's spent so long waiting for her own magic to appear, she's beginning to wonder if it's too late for her.
23	* The gypsy Esmeralda from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame\|Disney}}'' has sought sanctuary in the cathedral of Notre Dame from the wicked Judge Frollo and his minions. While they dare not violate the sanctity of the Church, she is effectively a prisoner there. Since her plight mirrors the prejudice and oppression of the gypsy people in Paris, she sings ''God Help The Outcasts'' as a prayer for divine relief of the gypsies living in the margins of French society.
24	* Zazu the hornbill from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{The Lion King\|1994}}'' begins singing "Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen" while moping in a ribcage in Scar's lair. Scar objects that the song is too maudlin, and commands Zazu shift to one with "more bounce to it." Mockingly, Zazu shifts to "It's A Small World After All", which Scar finds even worse.
25	* "Jack's Lament" from ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas''. It has elements of an IAmGreatSong as Jack notes that he's skilled at what he does and feared/respected for it. But as the song continues, he points out that it's all meaningless if he's growing weary of the same things year after year and he yearns for something else he can't express.
26	* From the ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' movie ''WesternAnimation/BigWorldBigAdventures'': "Sometimes You Make a Friend" is a somber ballad about Thomas realizing what he had done and his wanting to apologize to Nia.
27	* Tigger from ''WesternAnimation/TheTiggerMovie'' starts with his usual bouncy, self-glorifying Tigger's Tune: "The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is, that I'm the only one!" However, it later dawns on Tigger that, as the only one, he'll never have siblings or parents or a mate. The poor guy is almost in tears during the reprise:
28	--> '''Tigger:''' I'm... the lonely... one.
29	[[/folder]]
30
31	[[folder: Films — Live Action]]
32	* “Pictures in My Head” from ''Film/TheMuppets2011'' is a musical number where Kermit sadly reminisces about happier days with the other Muppets, and his regrets of not keeping the gang together.
33	%%* "Gee, I'm Glad It's Raining" from ''Film/ErnestGoesToCamp'', sung during Ernest's HeroicBSOD.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
37	* ''Series/CrazyExGirlfriend'' parodied this with "Sexy French Depression". Rebecca was sadly singing about her depression and envisions her depression being French after watching a French movie on TV.
38	--->'''Rebecca''': Man... the French really know how to make depression look sexy.
39	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
40	** [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling Once More With Feeling]]:
41	*** The song "Dawn's Lament" is about her lamenting about her sadness because nobody is noticing her and the things she has been doing (shoplifting), but the song is cut short as she is kidnapped by the [[TheMusicMeister Demon Sweet]]'s henchmen.
42	*** In "Under Your Spell/Standing", Tara is singing about Willow using a spell to erase the memory about the fight they had about Willow using too much magic, and Giles is singing about having to leave Buffy, but he wants to still be her watcher, and the two don't want to leave but have to, and are both upset about it.
43	* ''Series/WalkerTexasRanger'' had several:
44	** Season 4's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS4E13Flashpoint Flashpoint]]" has "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50BMU5NnuB4 "The Banks of the Lee", performed by Silly Wizards]], which is played at the end of the episode when the villains [[spoiler:[[DrivenToSuicide jump to]] [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled their deaths]] [[DestenationDefenestration through the]] [[SuperWindowJump top floor]] of the building.]]
45	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnoa9wIOy4A&pp=ygUmYSByb3NlIGluIGRlY2VtYmVyIHdhbGtlciB0ZXhhcyByYW5nZXI%3D A Rose in December]]" in Season 6's [[MultiPartEpisode two-part]] TragicAidsStory, "Lucas". Also qualifies as a SolemnEndingTheme since it plays during the credits in both parts of the story.
46	** In Season 9's "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E4TheAvengingAngel The Avenging Angel]]", where the Rangers seek to build a case against a CorruptCorporateExecutive for killing the titular wrestler, Matt Escobar, has "Where Do You Fly?". The song is played when Matt's manager, Eddie Ryan (played by Creator/ErnestBorgnine) visits his grave, then at the end of the episode [[spoiler:at C.D.'s funeral, leading up his [[LocalHangout Bar and Grill]] having to [[LongLastLook close down]]. One of the show's biggest {{Wham Episode}}s to count]].
47	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv6ktK12h7U&pp=ygUldGVhcnMgZnJvbSBoZWF2ZW4gd2Fsa2VyIHRleGFzIHJhbmdlcg%3D%3D Tears from Heaven]]" in the GrandFinale, "[[Recap/WalkerTexasRangerS9E23AndE24TheFinalShowDown The Final Show/Down]]" when Walker and Trivette [[spoiler:exhume C.D.'s body on a rainy day for a second autopsy, finding out his cause of death was ricin, a type of poison, while reminiscing of the good times they had with their old friend.]]
48	--->'''Trivette:''' It's a rainy day, [[spoiler:[[AffectionateNickname Big Dog]]]].\
49	'''Walker:''' [[TitleDrop Tears from Heaven]].
50	[[/folder]]
51
52	[[folder: Puppet Shows]]
53	* ''Series/SesameStreet'':
54	** "When Bert's Not Here" is a song by Ernie about how sad he feels when Bert is away.
55	** "Sad" is a song by Little Jerry and the Monotones about how sad Little Jerry feels after several bad things, like losing his dime and having a terrible time at school, happen.
56	** Another song with the same name was sung by Olivia, who had gone from feeling fine to being sad for seemingly no reason.
57	** "Don't Walk" is about a groom who is very sad due to not being able to cross the street to his bride because of the 'don't walk' sign.
58	** "All I Can Do is Cry" is a song sung by a kitten who's sad due to losing her mitten.
59	** "Wandering Through Wonderland" is by Abby Cadabby as she's lost in a place based on Wonderland from ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' and wants to go back home.
60	** "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" is about some cowboys and cowgirls at a cafe specially designed to cry things out at.
61	** "Just Take a Look at 15" is sung by a number 15 who feels unnoticed.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder: Theater]]
65	* "The Gentleman Is a Dope" from the obscure Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein musical ''Theatre/{{Allegro}}'' has Emily lamenting how she is in love with her boss, and loves him better than her boss's actual wife, but it will never be.
66	* In ''Theatre/CrossRoad'', after the demon Amduscias tells Elisa that her lover is dying because of her love, she sings [[https://youtu.be/cjqdRxguicI?si=NBcNR16H4P0kbaqv "Hanarereba Hanareruhodo ni Ai"]], about how even though her love for Niccolo was the only thing in her life that felt true, she will leave him if that's what's best for him.
67	--> All I did was love you\
68	Is that a sin?\
69	I'll part from you, if that's the only thing I can to do love you
70	* "Sonya Alone" from ''Theatre/NatashaPierreAndTheGreatCometOf1812'' features Sonya, who is heartbroken over a particularly cruel MortonsFork. She knows that her cousin Natasha has fallen desperately in love with the married Anatole (although Natasha does not know about his wife) despite being engaged to Andrey, and further that Natasha is secretly planning to elope with the former. Sonya laments that her only options are to let Natasha go with Anatole and have her heart broken, or to somehow prevent the elopement but have Natasha hate her forever. She ultimately decides to try to keep the lovers apart, because [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy Natasha's well-being matters more to her than her own emotions.]]
71	* In ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'', Curly attempts to persuade Jud to hang himself, and "Lonely Room" begins with Jud detailing how miserable his life is. However, at the end, rather than deciding to kill himself, he decides will instead take what he wants (i.e. Laurie) and kill whoever stands in his way.
72	* The most despondent song in ''Theatre/RideTheCyclone'' -- a musical about six high school students who die in a tragic roller coaster accident winding up in limbo to compete for a single chance to [[BackFromTheDead return to the land of the living]] -- is probably Jane Doe's signature song, "The Ballad of Jane Doe." Of the six dead teens, Jane Doe is the only one to suffer from GhostAmnesia (after losing her head in the crash). The only thing she knows for certain is that no-one claimed her body from the morgue or mourned her passing. In her song she laments not knowing who she was in life, having no memories of her time on Earth, and not knowing what will happen to her spirit if she passes on to "whatever comes next."
73	--> Oh no soul, and no name\
74	And no story, what a shame\
75	Cruel existence was only a sham?\
76	Oh St. Peter, let me in!\
77	You must know where I've been\
78	Won't you tell me at least who I am?
79	* ''Theatre/{{Wicked}}'': After having a HeelRealization from nearly killing Boq, who she was in love with, Nessarose sings about how she deserves to be alone with nobody but herself and her reflection, which she refers to as "The Wicked Witch of the East".
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder: Music]]
83	* ''Music/JeffWaynesMusicalVersionOfTheWarOfTheWorlds'': The Journalist/Narrator fights his way to the home of his love, Carrie, taking three days only to find her and her father have left the house to escape the Martian attack, this segues into the song "Forever Autumn". The song itself contrasts two Autumn (Fall for USA readers) seasons, the previous when the singer and his love were together and the current where they are apart, and how his life will be "forever autumn" as he can't move on from the memory.
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Web Original]]
87	* ''WebVideo/{{Jreg}}'': "Stockholm Syndrome With Being Alive" from the ''Mental Illnesses'' episode of the same name. The song details Depression's bleak worldview and how he views the "normal ones" as having StockholmSyndrome with life, disillusioned with reality. Yet, at the same time, Depression desperately wishes to be like them.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder: Western Animation]]
91	* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':
92	** "Full Disclosure" is Steven debating whether or not he should tell Connie what happened in the previous two episodes after seeing his father's horrified reaction, and if she should be involved in his life at all for her own safety.
93	** "Tower of Mistakes" is Amethyst lamenting the outcome of Sugilite, blaming it on herself and wishing she could make it up to Garnet.
94	** "That Distant Shore" is Lapis lamenting about trying to adjust to Earth, only for her fears to get in the way, and that her attempt at staying safe just made her feel alone.
95	* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'':
96	** In "Texas", Sandy gets homesick and sings a song about her missing Texas and wanting to go home. Another episode has the opposite, with Sandy singing a song about how much she'll miss Bikini Bottom when she [[WithAFootOnTheBus thinks she's going to leave]].
97	** In "Welcome to the Chum Bucket," [=SpongeBob=] ends up working at Plankton's restaurant after Mr. Krabs foolishly wagers his employment contract in a poker game. Both [=SpongeBob=] and Mr. Krabs sing the DistantDuet "This Grill is Not a Home" about how sad they are about the situation, complete with smoky renditions of the two reaching out to hold each other's hands, only to fall just short. It's promptly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Plankton, who complains about "the tears and the show tunes."
98	** [=SpongeBob=] gets one in "Mimic Madness", as he is succumbing to Mocking Mimicry Madness and doesn't remember his true identity, flipping through various characters and objects while questioning who he really is.
99	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePony'':
100	** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'': "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyAndFriendsE17TheGlassPrincess2 The Glass Princess, Part 2]]" has "All Wrong", where a depressed Shady sings about she's a useless klutz and how everything she does goes wrong, while Molly tries to cheer her up.
101	** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
102	*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 A Canterlot Wedding, Part 1]]" has Twilight worry her BBBFF (Big Brother, Best Friend Forever) Shining Armor won't stick around with her as much when he is engaged. Taken a step further with the DarkReprise when he rejects her and thinks he won't appreciate her anymore.
103	*** "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E1TheCrystalEmpirePart1 The Crystal Empire, Part 1]]": Twilight is given a test to protect the titular kingdom and laments in song that she wasn't prepared for such.
104	*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure Magical Mystery Cure]]", Twilight botches a spell and causes the rest of the Mane Six to swap destinies ([[CloudCuckooLander Pinkie]] [[GenkiGirl Pie]] gets [[FarmGirl Applejack]]'s destiny, Applejack gets [[TheFashionista Rarity]]'s destiny, Rarity gets [[ActionGirl Rainbow]] [[WeatherManipulation Dash]]'s destiny, Rainbow Dash gets [[FriendToAllLivingThings Flutter]][[ShrinkingViolet shy]]'s destiny and Fluttershy gets Pinkie Pie's destiny). Everything turns horrible because none of them are suited to do the others' destinies, and Twilight [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feels it's her fault]] and she sings a sad song about how it was her fault and how she has to set things right.
105	*** In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E19CrusadersOfTheLostMark Crusaders of the Lost Mark]]", after Diamond Tiara loses the class election to Pipsqueak and her mother berates her for her failure, she sings about how she feels deeply lost and insecure.
106	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': The song in "The Faith" is composed of three parts, with the second being a lament from Alan, asking why Gumball and Darwin thought their previous song (which was a very bleak take on life and how almost everything in it sucks) would make him feel better, how his life is crumbling down and asking why ''should'' he feel better when everything seems so horrible and isn't going to get better.
107	* ''WesternAnimation/{{MAD}}'' had a sketch with Creator/GordonRamsay singing about how he felt empty doing the same shows over and over and desired variety.
108	* In the ''WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst'' PilotMovie "Once Upon a Princess", Sofia sings about how hard her new life will seem like now that she's royalty and she doesn't know anything about it.
109	* Twice in the ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'' episode "Green Christmas":
110	** Tilly gets "Christmas is Busted" when Cricket's naughty antics end up putting her on the naughty list as well and regrets such.
111	** Cricket himself has "No Christmas at All", where after some hesitation, he finally learns all the disasters were no one's fault but his own, and believes he'll never get a gift from Santa and his Christmas is ruined.
112	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcgee'', we get two:
113	** In the musical number ''It's a Lose-Lose'' from [[Recap/TheGhostAndMollyMcGeeS1E17ScratchTheSurface Scratch the Surface]], Molly sings about how much she laments having to keep Scratch's existence a secret from Libby, putting a strain on her friendship with the latter.
114	** The musical number from [[Recap/TheGhostAndMollyMcGeeS1E36HomeIsWhereTheHauntIs Home Is Where The Haunt Is]], ''Everything is Totally Normal'', is an interesting variant where Molly pretends to be perfectly normal, but it is clear to the audience and Libby that she is actually upset. Libby is not aware why, but the audience clearly knows it is because the Mcgees [[spoiler:are now homeless.]]
115	[[/folder]]

Context Main / MelancholyMusicalNumber