# Pleasant/innocuous songs in creepy/absurd/menacing contexts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882 "2017-01-11T18:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/1 "2017-01-11T18:18:12Z")
In _Atomic Cafe_, there’s footage of US servicemen “informing” the inhabitants of a Pacific island about the wonderful, fun new things they’re about to carry out there, and then get them to sing “You Are My Sunshine” while there’s intercut images of planes and bombing. Heaviest part in film for me. Speaking of “…Sunshine”, in a _Twilight Zone_ episode, in a scene that’s brilliantly comic and creepy at the same time, drunken buddy starts singing that song to that annoying little “you better think good thoughts about me” little Billy Mumy fucker, who eventually sends said alkie to a place that the SDMB has since been apparently much indebted to. More on the absurd side, in _Blue Velvet_, a suave Dean Stockwell lipsyncs Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams” to a somewhat aroused? discombobulated? Frank. (Indeed - here’s to your fuck, Frank.) The capper, though… In the at-times quite spooky _Night of the Hunter_\*, we see, at night, on the horizon, evil Bob Mitchum on a horse slowly ambling along, singing the traditional hymn “Leaning On the Everlasting Arms”, as he casually closes in on his quarry. Goose-bumpy. Badfinger’s “Stuck In the Middle With You” got some love in the dancing, ear-lopping scene in _Resevoir Pugs_. \*total sidebar - seriously? Cahiers du Cinema ranked _…Hunter_ second alltime greatest behind _Citizen Cane_?!? Like - wwwwwwwwwwwwwooowwww! Huh! ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/2 "2017-01-11T18:20:59Z")
Stuck in the Middle was Steelers Wheel iirc ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/3 "2017-01-11T18:24:59Z")
The TV spot for “[It’s Alive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS8jqKiO1RY)” back in the early 70s, with the tinkly music-box version of Rockabye Baby as the bassinet rotates, eventually revealing the outsize talon of the movie’s baby-monster. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/4 "2017-01-11T18:44:33Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > In _Atomic Cafe_, there’s footage of US servicemen “informing” the inhabitants of a Pacific island about the wonderful, fun new things they’re about to carry out there, and then get them to sing “You Are My Sunshine” while there’s intercut images of planes and bombing. Heaviest part in film for me. And there’s _Good Morning Vietnam_ closing out with scenes of bombings, shootings, bloodied citizens, etc to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/5 "2017-01-11T18:48:55Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > And there’s _Good Morning Vietnam_ closing out with scenes of bombings, shootings, bloodied citizens, etc to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” Much like “We’ll Meet Again” sung by Vera Lynn at the end of _Dr. Strangelove_ with the atomic bombs and the beginning of WW3 occuring in the background. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/6 "2017-01-11T18:49:03Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Stuck in the Middle was Steelers Wheel iirc oops - thanks > [@jayjay](#): > > The TV spot for “[It’s Alive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS8jqKiO1RY)” back in the early 70s, with the tinkly music-box version of Rockabye Baby as the bassinet rotates, eventually revealing the outsize talon of the movie’s baby-monster. That is so cool. One of my favourite ridiculous/scary ads I’ve ever seen. Yeah that freaked me out when I was a kid. Made me see it. Will always remember that fucking hilarious shot in the film of the top of the baby’s head as it moves along, behind a table. At the beginning of a scene that later becomes a brawl, Alex and his droogies in _Clockwork Orange_ pass around a naked, unwilling girl to the strains of Beethoven. (I always thought that bit was…“a bit much”.) ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dante\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante_G)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/7 "2017-01-11T18:58:22Z")
_Mad World_ by Gary Jules used in the original _Gears of War_ video game ad. It was eerie and moody and beautiful all at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/8 "2017-01-11T18:59:22Z")
In the infamous _X-Files_ episode “Home,” the inbred family members break into the home of avuncular town sheriff Andy Taylor (yes, Andy Taylor!), and savagely beat him and his wife to death, while the Johnny Mathis standard “Wonderful! Wonderful!” plays on the soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/9 "2017-01-11T19:02:01Z")
Hal singing “Daisy Daisy” in 2001 Space Odyssey as he was being ‘killed’ by Dr. Chandra was kinda creepy. ---
**Author:** ![greenmario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/97f17d/32.png) [@greenmario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenmario)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/10 "2017-01-11T19:07:56Z")
HAL singing “Daisy Bell” in a Space Odyssey gives me chills every time. His deteriorating voice really puts it over the top Edit: Cardigan beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/11 "2017-01-11T19:14:40Z")
The game **Dead Space** makes much use of [“Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”](https://youtu.be/doOoTXwdaPY). ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/12 "2017-01-11T19:18:53Z")
“You Are My Sunshine” is sung (in two-part harmony) in the TV series The A-Team by Hannibal and Face while they’re being held hostage to cover up the Morse code tapping Murdock is doing to signal them. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/13 "2017-01-11T19:20:46Z")
The song “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters is used prominently in the movie “1408.” A sweet, gentle song that really takes on a menacing air when it’s slowed down. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/14 "2017-01-11T19:32:34Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > …to the strains of Beethoven… damn I haven’t woken up yet - that particular part could actually be to Rossini. In an old made-for-tv movie with the sunny Susan Dey playing a dangerously abusive mom, the ending shows her clutching her young daughter (whom she had just killed) while dazedly singing “Hush Little Baby”. While I can’t think of any examples, I’m sure the work of Todd Solondz would have something in this kinda neighbourhood. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/15 "2017-01-11T19:38:29Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > At the beginning of a scene that later becomes a brawl, Alex and his droogies in _Clockwork Orange_ pass around a naked, unwilling girl to the strains of Beethoven. (I always thought that bit was…“a bit much”.) Even more memorable: Alex attacking the old man while performing “Singin’ in the Rain.” “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” in the _Black Mirror_ episode “White Christmas.” ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/16 "2017-01-11T19:43:06Z")
> [@Eddie The Horrible](#): > > oops - thanks > > That is so cool. One of my favourite ridiculous/scary ads I’ve ever seen. Yeah that freaked me out when I was a kid. Made me see it. Will always remember that fucking hilarious shot in the film of the top of the baby’s head as it moves along, behind a table. > > At the beginning of a scene that later becomes a brawl, Alex and his droogies in _Clockwork Orange_ pass around a naked, unwilling girl to the strains of Beethoven. (I always thought that bit was…“a bit much”.) It is Rossini. And during the rape/break-in, Alex sings “Singin’ In The Rain”. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/17 "2017-01-11T20:05:53Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > It is Rossini. And during the rape/break-in, Alex sings “Singin’ In The Rain”. It _is_ Rosini, you mean? (as in - acknowledging that you _did_ see my Rossini acknowledgement in post #14?) (figured I’d ask, since in the next post (15) it looks like you were ninja’ed.) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/18 "2017-01-11T20:34:03Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > Hal singing “Daisy Daisy” in 2001 Space Odyssey as he was being ‘killed’ by Dr. Chandra was kinda creepy. Two nitpicks. One, it was Dave Bowman who shut down HAL. Second, wasn’t the song “Bicycle Built For Two”? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/19 "2017-01-11T20:46:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Two nitpicks. One, it was Dave Bowman who shut down HAL. Second, wasn’t the song “Bicycle Built For Two”? Less right. The actual song title is [_Daisy Bell_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell). _Bicycle Built for Two_ is the secondary title. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/20 "2017-01-11T20:59:53Z")
Mia Farrow sings whimsically over _Rosemary Baby_’s end credits. In the first _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_, for some reason I have this totally obscure memory of a laid-back hayseed honky-tonk number coming over the radio while girl victim is sitting/waiting in what looks like a rag-tag butcher’s shop (before she’s hauled off to the house). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882.md?page=2)