# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/41 "2017-01-12T09:49:46Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > 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. Well, slowing down any piece of music can make it creepy, but I agree it’s particularly effective in that movie, especially since the lyrics also take on a _very_ different meaning… By the way, _1408_ is the only recentish horror movie that I found unsettling. The whole premise is unconfortably close to some nightmares I used to have : being trapped in a place where spooky things keep on happening and each “escape” is only an illusion, leaving you exactly where you started. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/42 "2017-01-12T13:46:12Z")
In Stephen King’s novel (just before the final confrontation in the garage), Christine’s radio is blasting out “Waitin’ In School” by Ricky Nelson. ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/43 "2017-01-12T20:07:28Z")
How about Westworld (First Episode) when it uses the orchestral version of “Paint It Black”? ---
**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 13, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/44 "2017-01-13T02:37:11Z")
[Well, at least the soundtrack is pleasant.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFoFhvHDX4Q) ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/45 "2017-01-16T00:58:02Z")
London Bridges in the Dark Shadows series. Although Quentin’s Theme was written for Dark Shadows it sounds a lot like Shadow of Your Smile. Waltzing Matilda in the Movie On the Beach The Merry Widow Waltz in the movie The Merry Widow. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/46 "2017-01-16T01:12:27Z")
Not to mention the Merry Widow Waltz in Hitchcock’s **Shadow of a Doubt**. “…Widows…horrible, faded, fat, greedy woman. Are they human, or are they fat, wheezing animals? And what happens to animals when they get too fat and too old…?” – Uncle Charlie ---
**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 16, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/47 "2017-01-16T01:43:38Z")
“When he Gang Away, Jamie” in _The Body Snatcher._ Not so much as when it’s sung,as when the singing suddenly stops. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/48 "2017-01-16T20:08:17Z")
“[Close To You](https://youtu.be/re-6eOhrejE)” in Mirrormask. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/49 "2017-01-16T21:20:20Z")
The Odessa Files - a film about escaped Nazis Perry Como - Christmas Dream [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OREM7kXDycc/hqdefault.jpg "Christmas Dream-Perry Como") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OREM7kXDycc) ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/50 "2017-01-16T21:30:15Z")
Edelweiss, over the opening montage that shows for The Man in High Castle. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/51 "2017-01-16T22:20:20Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Edelweiss, over the opening montage that shows for The Man in High Castle. I was going to post this too. It’s haunting, and some days just rolls around in my head. Unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882/52 "2017-01-16T22:49:43Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Edelweiss, over the opening montage that shows for The Man in High Castle. The insistence that the edelweiss is white, clean, etc. does take on a new meaning… Similarly, Queen’s “One Vision” has creepy lyrics, especially after Laibach got their hands on it and added their Teutonic mark. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleasant-innocuous-songs-in-creepy-absurd-menacing-contexts/776882.md?page=2)