Top 30 Creepy/Dark Songs from Animated Kids' Movies
Ah, the soundtrack to our childhood nightmares... Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the songs in animated kids movies that always send a chill racing up our spines.
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00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the songs
00:11in animated kids movies that always send a chill racing up our spines,
00:15especially when we listen a little more closely.
00:23Number 30. The Headless Horseman. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
00:28What is it about older tunes that make them sound so spooky?
00:31Just gather round, and I'll elucidate on what goes on outside when it gets late.
00:38Long about midnight, the ghosts and banshees, they get together for their nightly jamboree.
00:43Of course, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is supposed to be scary, but even outside of
00:48that context, there's something about the staticky recording and high-pitched backing
00:51vocals that feels disconcerting. In the second story of this anthology movie,
01:05Brom Bones narrates through song the tale of the Headless Horseman in order to scare Ichabod,
01:10and hopefully get him out of the picture when it comes to wooing a certain lady.
01:14Despite the rhythm being so upbeat, the lyrics and visuals are about as Halloween-y as they come.
01:22Number 29. Waiting on a Miracle and Canto. While I Want songs can sometimes be melancholic,
01:32Mirabelle's is straight-up eerie.
01:34Hey, I'm still a part of the family, madrigal, and I'm fine, I am totally fine.
01:42I will stand on the side as you shine. I'm not fine.
01:49This is a family who's supposed to be tightly knit and so full of love and help to give.
01:54Waiting on a Miracle is our first real glimpse into just how much pain there is hidden in its
01:58members that's going unnoticed. Anyone in Mirabelle's position would feel just as isolated
02:11as she does, and it's remarkable how much she tries to tamp down her heartbreak.
02:15Don't feel regret or sad at all.
02:18The final straw comes when she's left out of the family photo, and then we watch as our
02:22protagonist begs for her family to see her, with every plea falling on deaf ears.
02:27All I know is I can't stay on the side. Open your eyes, open your eyes.
02:35Number 28. Prince Ali Reprise, Aladdin.
02:39There's someone I'm dying to introduce you to.
02:42Jafar, get your hands off her!
02:43Prince Ali? Yes, it is he, but not as you know him.
02:48This reprise is so unnerving because it takes such a buoyant song and contorts
02:52it into something sinister enough to fit the all-is-lost moment of the movie.
02:56Say hello to your precious Prince Ali!
02:59Or should we say Aladdin?
03:02Instead of Genie's happy, bright vocals, we get Jafar's low, menacing tones as he relishes in
03:07Aladdin's undoing, taking back everything Genie gave him. It's heartbreaking to watch Jafar
03:12puppeteer around someone who normally has so much energy and bravery. Genie looks so devastated as
03:17he watches Aladdin launched off into the distance, knowing he's powerless to do anything to help.
03:22And we're right there with him.
03:24Ex-Prince Ali!
03:33Number 27. Trust in Me, The Jungle Book.
03:37Yes, man-cub. So nice to see you again.
03:44Snakes have long since been a symbol of deception as they recall the original sin of humankind.
03:49No animated serpent signals this as well as Ka, the Indian python who intends to
03:54turn Mowgli into his lunch.
04:03We get a glimpse of his hypnosis techniques at the beginning of the film,
04:07but this time around he's afforded more than just a creepy lullaby.
04:10Now the music is following his vocals as he lulls Mowgli into a sleep-like state.
04:15You can sleep safe and sound.
04:22Ka's voice actor, Sterling Holloway, strings out every syllable he can,
04:27upping the audience unease masterfully and making this whole segment one we
04:31never wanted to sit through as kids. Number 26. The Next Right Thing, Frozen 2.
04:45Loss and grief are powerful themes to construct a song around,
04:49and some of the lyrics in The Next Right Thing demonstrate exactly that.
04:53Anna is broken and lost, and in a darker place than we've ever seen her before.
04:57I've seen dark before, but not like this. This is cold, this is empty, this is numb.
05:07Of course, the song offers some genuine and realistic advice about moving through mourning,
05:12but that doesn't overshadow just how much pain there is. Kristen Bell conveys so much emotion
05:17through her voice alone, especially in places when it seems Anna is so shattered she can barely speak,
05:22never mind sing. This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down.
05:29It's the Frozen franchise's darkest moment yet, and only balmed by Elsa winding up okay.
05:35Number 25. Les Poissons, The Little Mermaid.
05:38As funny as it is for the audience, poor Sebastian's having the worst time of his life,
05:49traumatized by the sight of his fellow sea friends becoming dinner. He spends the song
05:53trying to stay alive, and also trying to keep his lunch down as the chef delights in chopping,
05:58dicing, and boiling. Unfortunately, it's not long before the chef notices the little crab,
06:10and he's soon prepped to join the other fish. That is, until the chef notices he's not yet dead.
06:22Sebastian was always operating way above his pay grade, but this is a whole other level
06:26of disturbing business. Number 24. Remains of the Day, Corpse Bride.
06:37Don't let the high energy of this song fool you, it's as macabre as can be. Remains of the Day
06:42tells Emily the Corpse Bride story, how she fell for a man who wanted nothing but her wealth,
06:47and would end up murdered by him on their wedding night.
07:00Add in the reminder that, hey, we're all gonna end up dead someday,
07:04and we're all shifting around uncomfortably in our seats.
07:18With Tim Burton at the helm of this movie, ominous subject matter delivered through a
07:22cheery beat is right at home. Number 23. Sally Song, The Nightmare Before Christmas. It feels
07:29only natural that Tim Burton and Henry Selleck's stop-motion masterpiece would feature some
07:34unnerving ballads. It's Sally Song, however, that goes a step beyond that and ventures into
07:45the territory of downright haunting. Much of the credit can be given to Catherine O'Hara's
07:50performance, and her high, thin crooning. It perfectly matches the unearthly tone and content
08:05of the number, as Sally has a premonition, a terrible feeling that something bad is about
08:09to happen to Jack. The lyrics end with her mourning unrequited love and us trying to shake off
08:15goosebumps. It's never to be kind, for I am not the one. Number 22. One of Us, The Lion King 2,
08:28Simba's Pride. Oh, where do I start? Kiara, Zira had a plot. I was part of it, but I don't want to
08:37be, because it's because I love you. In The Lion King sequel, we follow a new generation of lions,
08:44Kiara, Simba's daughter, and Kovu, who was raised by a group of S.C.A.R.S. followers. It's a Romeo
08:50and Juliet tale until Kovu ends up framed for an attack on Simba. He asks to be heard and tries
08:55to explain, but Simba, who already had his suspicions, will hear none of it and exiles
09:00Kovu from the Pride lands. This is the piece that accompanies that dire moment. The animals
09:14express feelings of betrayal and hurt, and the chorus of so many hymning together as Kovu is
09:19chased away becomes increasingly off-putting. Number 21. Worthless, The Brave Little Toaster.
09:38You see, you never quite know what he's going to do. He's so spontaneous. This is one of those
09:44movies you're not sure managed to ever be vetted for young audiences. We follow a group of abandoned
09:49appliances as they journey to find their owner and hopefully become reclaimed. Along the way,
09:54we get some truly harrowing moments, some of which are musical. Although it's a B-movie,
10:06it's leagues beyond creepy. Worthless is even more messed up. It's sung by the old and run-down
10:11vehicles who are about to be crushed to death. They sing about their exciting pasts and lives
10:16full of life, only to end up here. Number 20. High Diddle Dee Dee, Pinocchio.
10:32This is one of those songs that radiates It's a Small World energy. It's upbeat and deceivingly
10:42cheery, but there's something so downright unsettling about it at the same time.
10:47Maybe it's because we often associate older-sounding music with being creepy,
10:52or maybe it's because, unlike It's a Small World, we know for certain something
10:56sinister is going on in this scene. Pinocchio, in all his childhood innocence, is being swindled
11:10by the typically shifty fox character. The scene radically exudes stranger danger. It only gets
11:16scarier once Jiminy Cricket catches wind of what's going on and we see his point of view
11:21through odd distorted angles. At least Pinocchio is the only singing doll here.
11:30Number 19. How Bad Can I Be, The Lorax. Ah yes, the absolutely wild deviation from
11:37Dr. Seuss's standard formula. The number definitely goes harder than it needs to,
11:42and in all fairness, it doesn't start out so dark.
11:55We've got a rainbow in the clouds, some impressive guitar playing,
11:59and some rather enthusiastic forest animals. But before long, the once-ler is slipping into
12:04Slytherin-reminiscent attire and a sense of foreboding starts to build in this ridiculously
12:09catchy number. Axes fly, trees fall, and an almost comically realistic montage of corporate
12:16greed overwhelms the scene. This song puts the term scaling into new perspective. A giant,
12:36towering once-ler is scarier than it needs to be,
12:39and the message is made even gloomier with the current state of environmental affairs IRL.
12:44Number 18. Shiny, Moana. This is some great directing. Tamatoa, the giant coconut crab,
13:07not only looks menacing in his grandiose size and low-angle shots, he's also decidedly frightening
13:13with the lyrics he sings. Make no mistake, Tamatoa doesn't care for glam and gold so much
13:27as he does his meals, which is the whole reason he prioritizes being shiny. It lures other animals
13:33who live in the sea and the crab, in turn, has himself a nice lunch or dinner.
13:50Apparently he isn't very picky with what comes his way, because he has every intention of eating
13:55humans and demigods too. He's about as subtle as the surface of his shell, we'll just say that.
14:04Number 17. Mad Madam Mim, the sword in the stone.
14:10Madam Mim's character design is already terrifying enough, never mind when she begins to sing and
14:15dance. We've got yet another case of supersizing, which always succeeds in startling us.
14:33But the tiny bird-sized Madam Mim is pretty unnerving too. As if that wasn't enough,
14:38we quickly get to see just how far her shapeshifting abilities extend.
14:49So what's the verdict? Do we think she's creepier with a pig snout, or is the beautiful lady that
14:54so obviously has something unnatural about her? Our vote goes to the cat form, but anything with
15:00those piercing green eyes and shrill voice is bound to give us the heebie-jeebies.
15:12Number 16. The Siamese Cat Song, Lady and the Tramp.
15:17Though the song itself definitely has not aged well, Peggy Lee is a voice we always associate
15:22with warm, full, strong exuberance. Nothing like the high, thin voices of the Siamese cat twins
15:28from Lady and the Tramp.
15:46The unearthliness of the characters can probably most be attributed to their designs and how they
15:53move so fluidly in sync. Although the song really isn't very long at all, it's awfully recognizable
15:59and you'd be hard-pressed to find a fan who doesn't hear the well-known lyrics in their
16:03minds when faced with an actual Siamese cat. We're not sure if all Siamese cats are as sneaky
16:08and slippery as these two, but this song certainly made our younger selves believe as much.
16:14Number 15. Sleeping Beauty, Sleeping Beauty.
16:26This is a rather beautiful but spine-chilling melody. The scene begins with the three good
16:30fairies lamenting over Aurora, who's just succumbed to her hundred-year sleep. While
16:36dark or creepy aren't the first adjectives you're likely to use to describe the sound,
16:40it still carries a weight that always seems to make our hearts heavy.
17:00It's undeniably eerie watching the fairies put the whole castle into a quiet, morose slumber.
17:06The idea that the whole kingdom will come to a standstill for the next century is pretty dark,
17:11especially when you consider the only people who would have been awake for the duration of it.
17:15By the time the last candle has been delicately snuffed out, we're left with goosebumps.
17:36Number 14. Heffalumps and Woozles, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.
17:46If you've feared astral projection since you were a kid, we may have some answers for you.
17:51As he falls asleep, we see Winnie the Pooh transported into a nightmare sequence that
17:55goes a few steps past unsettling. Heffalumps, in case you're curious, are the elephant-like
18:01creatures you see in the sequence, while Woozles are the ones sort of resembling weasels.
18:12The latter are actually known for stealing honey,
18:15which certainly puts the dream into a bit more context for the character.
18:19The talent of the composers is apparent and we bet they had a ton of fun crafting this bit,
18:24but it was a lot less fun for us and Pooh Bear. Poor thing, look at him,
18:28he doesn't deserve to be scarred like this.
18:32Number 13. Pink Elephants on Parade, Dumbo.
18:47Yeah, so this is terrifying. The whole trippy, psychedelic art style would have
18:52maybe been okay on its own if not for the very weird imagery accompanying it.
18:57Plus, they managed to make the music sound so foreboding,
19:00our stomachs are twisting uncomfortably even now.
19:11If you've got very young children, do them a favor and don't let them watch Dumbo until
19:15they're just a little bit older. You remember the scene of Dumbo crying over his mom, right?
19:20The trauma is strong with this one. Like, seriously, what is that grotesque elephant
19:25head monster? We're good to never see another pink elephant again, thanks.
19:37Number 12. Mother Knows Best, Tangled.
19:41As far as villain numbers go, this is definitely one for the history books.
19:45We obviously knew Mother Gothel was evil before this, but her song shows us exactly how she
19:51scares Rapunzel into compliance, and likely how she's been doing it since she kidnapped her.
20:09The worst part is that, while she's exaggerating, Gothel definitely isn't lying.
20:14The world's a scary place. Of course, the role of a parental figure or guardian is to teach their
20:19kids to navigate that scary world, not fear it so badly they never want to leave.
20:33Another example of fabulous directing, this scene plays wonderfully with lighting,
20:38shadows and lyrical cues. Still, the spookiest part of it is watching Gothel's maltreatment
20:44of Rapunzel play out right in front of us.
20:50Number 11. My Lullaby, The Lion King 2, Simba's Pride.
21:05There's a lot to be put off by in this scene. For one, young Kovu doesn't deserve to be
21:10manipulated by Zira, especially not when he's just a cub. For another, Zira's lyrics,
21:16when you really pay attention to them, spell out some pretty nasty desires.
21:21Not only does she long to kill Simba, but his wife and daughter are mentioned too.
21:27Actually, she makes no attempts to hide her ideal outcome.
21:35It doesn't get much darker than that. The rest of the song goes on to detail
21:39how she'll raise Kovu to take his vengeance and turn him into a killer.
21:47Yeah, we don't really feel like dozing off right now.
22:00Number 10. Friends on the Other Side, The Princess and the Frog.
22:10Voodoo Man Dr. Facilier is here to facilitate your dreams.
22:16While trying to rope Prince Naveen into his dark schemes, Facilier sings this seductive
22:26song telling him about his past, present, and future. It may seem that Facilier is showing
22:31Naveen the future he dreams of, but when you listen a little closer, he is actually predicting
22:36Naveen's fate as a frog. It's never said explicitly as Facilier simply
22:46refers to the source of his powers as his friends from the other side.
22:50When his voodoo dolls, masks, and talking heads join in on the spooky rhythm,
22:55it is clear he's talking about evil spirits.
23:06Number 9. Toxic Love, Fern Gully, The Last Rainforest.
23:16The humans have gone too far. They've caused so much pollution that the evil spirit Hexus
23:22uses all the smog and oil to resurrect his powers. Don't let the song's bluesy beat,
23:27smooth sax, and Tim Curry absolutely giving this song distract you from the disturbing message.
23:33The entire movie, and this song in particular,
23:36warn against the true cost of pollution and deforestation.
23:51As Hexus prepares to ooze all over Fern Gully, he sings this love song to all the animals he'll
23:57consume, the trees he'll destroy, and most importantly to the greed of humans that brought
24:03them together. Number 8. The Mob Song, Beauty and the Beast.
24:25Also affectionately known as Kill the Beast, this song shows how mob mentality takes over
24:31and turns the townspeople into a murderous horde. Much like how real-life incidents of
24:35mob violence begin, this tune starts as a whisper, rumors passing between the townspeople,
24:41and quickly erupts into a rallying cry by Gaston to storm the castle and kill the beast.
24:53Gaston plays on the townspeople's fears and calls to them to literally grab torches and pitchforks
24:59like a scene straight out of any classic monster movie.
25:09Number 7. Savages, Pocahontas.
25:19Governor Ratcliffe has been looking for the perfect justification to invade Chief Powhatan's land,
25:24and now he has it. After an altercation between John Smith and Kokuum that results
25:29in Kokuum's death, John is taken to pay for his crime. Ratcliffe wastes no time sounding the drums
25:36of war, with the Native Americans following suit to defend themselves. Though it isn't handled with
25:41the most sensitivity or nuance, what makes this song so dark is how deeply rooted in truth it is.
25:55It's a pretty heavy message in a kid's movie that wars are fought because cultures distrust each
25:59other simply because they're different.
26:05Number 6. Be Prepared, The Lion King.
26:16As green smoke billows from the ground, Scar walks straight towards you. So close it almost feels
26:22like he's going to walk right out of your screen. Scar is not a subtle character, and there's no
26:27beating around the bush when he sings flat out about murdering his own brother and nephew to
26:32take their throne.
26:43Like any good tyrant, he promises his subjects extravagance in exchange for their support and
26:49obedience. Dark and creepy are definitely two descriptions for this song. Scar is as menacing
26:54as ever, and the mise-en-scene perfectly conveys just how dangerous the character is.
27:07Number 5. In the Dark of the Night, Anastasia.
27:19Rasputin, the evil sorcerer, tried and failed to destroy the entire Romanov line.
27:25As punishment, he was sentenced to an eternity in purgatory. When a new opportunity to complete
27:31his dark purpose arises, he goes off on this evil villain soliloquy about how he tried to
27:36kill Anastasia as a little girl, and is now back to finish the job.
27:49Though the somewhat campy visual of his minions acting as his backup singers and dancers is a bit
27:54disarming, it's overpowered by the terrifying imagery used throughout the scene.
28:02Once Upon a December is also worth a mention. Despite how delicate and beautiful it is,
28:08Anya is dancing with the ghosts of her past, people who were very likely murdered during
28:13the siege of the palace.
28:26Number 4. Poor Unfortunate Souls, The Little Mermaid.
28:37Ursula, the sea witch, only wishes to help those poor unfortunate souls get their heart's desire.
28:42Or so she tricks Ariel into believing.
28:50The interesting thing about this song is that Ursula never technically lies to Ariel.
28:55She manipulates her into signing over her voice by telling her the truth.
28:59She confesses that she has punished those who could not pay her price.
29:03She even shows her the gruesome fate that has befallen her previous clients.
29:15And Ariel signs anyway. Ariel may think she's making a fair trade,
29:19but she's really signing away her soul to Ursula.
29:24Number 3. This is Halloween, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
29:33In a movie that's basically a horror flick for kids, all of the songs are pretty creepy.
29:38But what else would you expect from a collaboration between Tim Burton and Danny Elfman?
29:43There's a lot to simultaneously love and dread in Jack's Lament,
29:47but we had to give this entry to the famed This is Halloween.
29:51The song serves as an introduction to all of the terrifying creatures in Halloween Town.
30:03It definitely had us checking under our beds and beneath our stairs before we went to sleep.
30:09With this spooky number as one of the first songs in the movie,
30:13it makes it clear you can expect this level of creepy from here on out.
30:20Number 2. The Plagues, The Prince of Egypt.
30:24To punish Rameses for enslaving the Hebrews, God has put plagues upon the people of Egypt.
30:29In this song, Moses pleads with Rameses to let his people go.
30:33But there is another part of this tune that lies beneath the surface of the conversation
30:37between the two feuding brothers.
30:54It is the plagues creeping into Egypt.
30:57The voices start out as a whisper and grow more and more intense with each coming evil.
31:02Just as frightening as the lyrics are the images of frogs emerging from the river,
31:06locusts swarming the fields, and people being covered in boils.
31:23Number 1. Deliver Us.
31:25Deliver Us is a song equally as haunting and the accompanying visuals do little to reassure us.
31:53Make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
31:57Number 1. Hellfire, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
32:11It may have gone over your head as a kid, but when you listen to this song as an adult,
32:15you realize just how dark it was for a kid's movie.
32:19Judge Frollo has fallen in love, or rather lust, with Esmeralda.
32:33Naturally being a righteous man, none of this is his fault.
32:37The blame is all on Esmeralda for tempting him into sin.
32:41In this tune, Frollo sings about his uncontrollable thirst for Esmeralda.
32:46He will make Esmeralda his or she will burn on the pyre and continue to burn in hell.
33:01Just your average love song, right?
33:03Which song still creeps you out? Let us know in the comments.
33:26Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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