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7 Horror Movies That Made Normal Songs Creepy



Estimated reading time — 4 minutes

How many times have you felt eerie sensations from a song whose lyrics should provoke warm emotions? If you’re wondering why, you should know that the genre of horror could be responsible for your weird feelings. The truth is that songs featured in horror movies often end up being associated with terrifying, haunting scenes. As a result, after hearing them in scary movies, we can’t help but feel a chill run down our spine every time.

Wondering which normal songs were transformed into those creepy soundtracks? Let’s take a look at the 7 horror movies that made normal songs creepy.

1. Insidious  — “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”

People who have never seen James Wan’s ‘Insidious’ might think that “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” is just an innocent song with cheerful lyrics. And indeed, at first glance, this song is perfectly suitable for children. But once you see the demon scene in the 2010 movie ‘Insidious’, it will never be the same.

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The reason is that this song features specific sound effects that turn it into a haunting prelude to terror. It’s exactly the power of SFX that helps filmmakers create chilly sensations and freak people out with normal, playful songs.

2. Halloween II — “Mr. Sandman”

The original version of the famous song “Mr. Sandman” written by Pat Ballard and performed by The Chordettes, is not at all creepy. In fact, it has dreamy lyrics and cheerful melodies, which might even evoke feelings of nostalgia. But surprisingly (and maybe even unfortunately for some), the composer of the famous horror movie ‘Halloween II’ decided to change the tone of this song and turn it into a creepy song that leads to emotions of tension and terror. 

This new version of the song points out the powerful effect of music in determining the atmosphere of the film and most importantly, affecting the viewers’ emotions.

3. Annabelle: Creation — “You Are My Sunshine”

Who hasn’t heard the sweet classic tune “You Are My Sunshine,” which sounds like a lullaby? Well, the warmth and affection associated with this song have completely disappeared since 2017, when it first appeared in the prequel to the horror movie ‘Annabelle’. The song quickly became associated with the frightening doll Annabelle. 

“You Are My Sunshine” was once a country music standard and a children’s lullaby. But now it has become a haunting motif that is far from the original happy emotions it used to provoke.

4. Silence of the Lambs  — “Goodbye Horses”

Do you remember ‘Q Lazzarus’  “Goodbye Horses” from the iconic scene of Jonathan Demme’s classic horror movie ‘Silence of the Lambs’? If so, then you surely understand how a normal song can be transformed into a haunting melody.

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When Q Lazzarus was writing “Goodbye Horses”, she probably couldn’t even imagine that this song would be used in a scene of a horror movie where a ​​serial killer is applying makeup while women in captivity are screaming in the background. It’s no wonder that the song will never lead to chill sensations for anyone who has seen the movie ‘Silence of the Lambs’. 

5. American Psycho — “Hip to be Square”

In this case, the movie ‘American Psycho’ might not completely change the feelings associated with the song “Hip to be Square” if you’ve known it before watching the movie. The reason is that this lively song has always carried a sense of irony, which is suitable for the movie’s plot. 

Christian Bale, who played serial killer Patrick Bateman in the movie, performed his famous dance and monologue on the song and then (spoiler alert) brutally killed Jared Leto’s character. That’s why “Hip to be Square” forever became a soundtrack to madness.

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6. Get Out — “Run Rabbit Run”

Jordan Peele, the director of the Oscar-nominated horror movie ‘Get Out’, never disappoints the audience with an extraordinary soundtrack. In the case of ‘Get Out’, one song that stands out with its impact is “Run Rabbit Run,” a classic oldie from Flanagan and Allen that tells the story of a farmer who shoots rabbits to make pie every Friday.

In the movie, we hear this cheerful tune from the 1930s in a scene where Jeremy kidnaps Andre Hayworth. As a result, “Run Rabbit Run” has become a song that sets the creepy context of the film and creates a horrifying environment.

7. Us — “I Got 5 On It”

Perhaps not surprisingly, ‘Get Out’ isn’t the only movie directed by Jordan Peele that uses ‘normal’ music in order to create a creepy atmosphere. In fact, “I Got 5 On It” by American rap duo Luniz is indeed one of the most weird songs in Peele’s horror masterpiece, “Us.” The song is about smoking weed and back in the 1990s, people considered it a feel-good track for friendly gatherings. But in the movie, Peele repurposed the context of the song and turned this rap song into a frightening theme that leads to chilling sensations.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, horror movies often feature normal, cheerful, happy songs and transform them into creepy, haunting tunes. The 7 soundtracks from these famous horror movies are just a few of the many examples of such songs that forever became synonymous with fear. Considering that this effect of music actually works on the audience, the upcoming horror movies are likely to feature iconic happy, beloved songs and turn them into something eerie and ominous.

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