Earn Your Happy Ending / Music

• At the end of the Ludo rock opera, "Broken Bride," the time traveler has, after slaving at a time machine for fifteen years, gotten stranded in the Cretaceous era, come forward in time to the end of the world. He gives up his last chance of seeing his wife in order to save what's left of humanity. But angels arrive, and grant him his request: to return to that last morning in May. And then — he gets into the car with his wife, so that they can die together. *wibble*
• The Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner": "You know you gotta go through Hell before you get to Heaven."
• Some Bruce Springsteen songs fall into this trope, notably "Badlands", "None But the Brave" and "Land of Hopes and Dreams". Also, in his concert DVD "Live From New York City", filmed during the E Street Band's 1999-2000 tour, during an extended bridge in "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out", he delivered an impassioned speech, telling the audience that joy, faith, healing, companionship, a second chance, all of life's blessings can be yours— "But you gotta work at it!"
• "Good Enough" at the end of Evanescence's "The Open Door".
• The Antlers' album Hospice seems like it ends this way, with the narrator finally letting people back into their life. However, the final track, "Epilogue", shows the protagonist still haunted by the events months later.
• After spending most of History Repeating in a downward spiral since the end of Get Equipped, Mega Man breaks himself out of it, pulls Dr. Light back from the Despair Event Horizon, gets Protoman to commit a Heel–Face Turn, destroys Gamma, and spares Dr. Wily.
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor and "The Dead Flag Blues". The entire song reeks of grimdark, with all the horrors of a ruined world and decay. But as the song goes on, its tone gets a bit more happier, culminating in its last two minutes having a very upbeat and hopeful ending.
• "Good Night" at the end of The Beatles' The White Album.
• The full 8-stanza version of the de facto national anthem of Norway, "Ja, vi elsker dette landet", depicts how the Norwegians went through plenty of hard times before finally gaining their freedom.
• "The Edge of the World" by Dragonforce. It ends with its protagonist saving the world after finishing a long and difficult journey.
  At the end of the journey for the savior of the earth
  Sound the bells of victory through the signs of our rebirth
  As the shadows fade away, we watch the new sun rise
  No one fears the darkness anymore
• Jennifer Lopez: "Waiting For Tonight". Basically, she (or the protagonist, as it's unclear if it's about her or not), has had a ton of failed relationships and is terribly lonely. Then, one day, she finally manages to find true love.
• P!nk: "F**ing Perfect". The music video depicts a woman (played by Tina Majorino) who, against all odds, overcomes abusive parents, anger issues, self-image issues and self-harm to become who she is today: a successful artist who's Happily Married and is now singing this song to her peacefully-sleeping daughter.
• "The Other Side" by Dream Map is split into three parts. The first is a Descent into Darkness Song as the protagonist struggles with temptation and torment on their journey, the second reflects their Heroic Resolve as they muster their inner strength and persevere, and the third is triumphant as they complete their journey and are welcomed into a place of peace and joy.

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