Dark Reprise: Difference between revisions

Line 10:

The other form is the dark reprise. Early in the show, we get a joyous song. In a later act, sadder and wiser, those same lyrics or melody are ironic and sad. Sometimes the reprise alters the original lyrics; sometimes they are the same, only sung more slowly and mournfully. In the case of a theme's reprise, the piece may have no lyrics at all. The "dark" part may even be literal, with the reprise using dimmer lighting.

The dark reprise is a subtrope of [[Ironic Echo]], and the [[Evil Twin]] of [[Triumphant Reprise]]. Of course, the [[Dark Reprise]] and Triumphant Reprise can ''easily'' overlap if they happen to be the reprise of the [[Villain Song]]. In this case, [[The Bad Guy Wins|the reprise comes as the villain stands triumphant]] ([[You Can't Thwart Stage One|at least for now,]]) which is good news for him but bad news for everyone else. <ref>Alternatively, the [[Dark Reprise]] can turn out to be bad news for the ''villain'', when it's a reprise of the [[Villain Song]]. Whether or not the villain's demise makes things better for everyone else tends to vary.</ref>

The dark reprise is a subtrope of [[Ironic Echo]], and the [[Evil Twin]] of [[Triumphant Reprise]]. Of course, the '''Dark Reprise''' and Triumphant Reprise can ''easily'' overlap if they happen to be the reprise of the [[Villain Song]]. In this case, [[The Bad Guy Wins|the reprise comes as the villain stands triumphant]] ([[You Can't Thwart Stage One|at least for now,]]) which is good news for him but bad news for everyone else.<ref>Alternatively, the Dark Reprise can turn out to be bad news for the ''villain'', when it's a reprise of the [[Villain Song]]. Whether or not the villain's demise makes things better for everyone else tends to vary.</ref>

Compare [[Dual-Meaning Chorus]], more common in country music, where a song's chorus is interpreted differently with each iteration (and the song only plays once).

Line 28:

** Downtown is already a depressing song, but an instrumental version of it plays after Audrey dies and it's more depressing by far.

*** In the demo version, the same effect would have been had by playing an instrumental version of We'll Have Tomorrow after Audrey is killed. The difference is that while Downtown is already a depressing song, We'll Have Tomorrow would have been MADE a depressing song through its association with Audrey's death. The reason for the change is almost certainly the original version of We'll Have Tomorrow being cut.

*** In German productions, Seymour sings a [[Dark Reprise]] of Suddenly Seymour instead. Suddenly Seymour was originally a romantic duet between Seymour and Audrey, so Seymour singing it alone in that depressing voice is just... depressing. All versions of this scene are depressing.

*** In German productions, Seymour sings a Dark Reprise of Suddenly Seymour instead. Suddenly Seymour was originally a romantic duet between Seymour and Audrey, so Seymour singing it alone in that depressing voice is just... depressing. All versions of this scene are depressing.

** Though cut out of many productions, an downbeat instrumental version of Mushnik and Son plays after Mushnik is killed.

** Also noteworthy is "The Meek Shall Inherit", which starts cheerful and gradually shifts into a dark echo of its earlier verses. By the time the final "you know the meek are gonna get what's coming to 'em by and by..." rolls around, it's downright ominous.

Line 37:

* "I have a song to sing, O!" from ''[[The Yeomen of the Guard]]''. The first rendition is a sentimental ballad. In the end, it's painfully heartbreaking. And this is done without any changes in the music - only the context.

** There is ''one'' change: the line "Who loved her lord and laughed aloud" turns into "Who loved her lord and dropped a tear" because the actress playing Elsie in the premiere thought that the straight repeat was ''too cruel.'' Sir Gilbert agreed. She was right, too."

* [[Jeff Wayne]]'s ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' song "Brave New World" relates the Utopian dreams of The Artilleryman, who thinks the alien invasion is a opportunity to throw away the hated modern world and build an underground utopia. The music is a heart-rousing soundtrack to ~~any -- every~~ glorious revolution. The Journalist punctures this in deadpan narration: The Artilleryman has a tunnel ten feet long and outside tripods are moving. The song is reprised, with a maudlin tone that now belies the words, and the discordant interpretation of the music gives the impression of a drunken, foolish dreamer, sitting in a cellar singing to himself as the world goes to hell outside.

* [[Jeff Wayne]]'s ''[[The War of the Worlds]]'' song "Brave New World" relates the Utopian dreams of The Artilleryman, who thinks the alien invasion is a opportunity to throw away the hated modern world and build an underground utopia. The music is a heart-rousing soundtrack to any—every glorious revolution. The Journalist punctures this in deadpan narration: The Artilleryman has a tunnel ten feet long and outside tripods are moving. The song is reprised, with a maudlin tone that now belies the words, and the discordant interpretation of the music gives the impression of a drunken, foolish dreamer, sitting in a cellar singing to himself as the world goes to hell outside.

** Of course, If you complete the game [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0UjCsZIIOk&feature=related as the Martians, it's implied he wouldn't have failed so hard if he had got a few people to help him..] {{spoiler|Oh look, he did!}}

** The song 'The Spirit Of Man' combines this with the Sarcastic Echo - whilst the embittered, broken and deranged Parson Nathaniel's verses deal with his disillusionment with the sins of those around him, and his delusional belief that the invading Martians are 'demons' sent by Satan to wipe out humanity, his wife Beth's chorus is an optimistic, hopeful exhortation to the finest and noblest elements of human nature within 'the spirit of man'. Then a Martian craft crash-lands on the house in which the characters are sheltering, Beth is crushed under the rubble and Nathaniel takes over her chorus, the lyrics now altered to reflect his bitter, defeatist worldview.

Line 71:

** Likewise, in the 1941 film, Ivy first sings "See Me Dance the Polka" in a cheery production number; later, Hyde forces her to sing it as he strangles her.

* In ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'', Toby sings an innocent song of devotion to Mrs Lovett called "Not While I'm Around", in which he promises to never let her come to harm. Later, Mrs Lovett sings a section of the same song... while looking for Toby to hand him over to Sweeney to be killed.

** Even better - Mrs. Lovett's first [[Dark Reprise]] of "Not While I'm Around" actually comes ''right in the middle of Toby's version'', complete with an off-key violin screeching under her vocals to set it apart from the rest.

** Even better - Mrs. Lovett's first Dark Reprise of "Not While I'm Around" actually comes ''right in the middle of Toby's version'', complete with an off-key violin screeching under her vocals to set it apart from the rest.

** Anthony's soaring ballad "Johanna" from midway through Act I, gets partially reprised at the top of Act II. The sentiment is similar, albeit intensified: Anthony seeks at all costs to free Johanna from the tyrannical Judge Turpin so they can be together. What makes it a [[Dark Reprise]] is its juxtaposition with Sweeney's lyrically and musically distinct song, also called "Johanna," as he ''cuts people's throats and shunts their corpses into a bakery''.

** Anthony's soaring ballad "Johanna" from midway through Act I, gets partially reprised at the top of Act II. The sentiment is similar, albeit intensified: Anthony seeks at all costs to free Johanna from the tyrannical Judge Turpin so they can be together. What makes it a Dark Reprise is its juxtaposition with Sweeney's lyrically and musically distinct song, also called "Johanna," as he ''cuts people's throats and shunts their corpses into a bakery''.

*** Sweeney's version, by contrast, is an exercise in complacency, an emotionally repressed farewell to his daughter in which he states that he's so involved in his murdering and goal of ultimate revenge that he's stopped caring about her.

*** In the original stage version of Sweeney, the Judge had a musically distinct Dark Reprise of "Johanna", like Sweeney's, but it was cut from the final production.

** Sweeney's songs in general are always dark, but at least Mrs. Lovett is singing along in most of them. In the final one, Sweeney Todd begins singing a falsely jaunty tune ("The history of the world, my pet...") -- itself a reprise of "A Little Priest" ~~-- while~~ maniacally waltzing with a visibly terrified Mrs. Lovett, who intersperses his lyrics by frantically begging for his forgiveness. [[Kill It with Fire|We all know what happens next...]]

** Sweeney's songs in general are always dark, but at least Mrs. Lovett is singing along in most of them. In the final one, Sweeney Todd begins singing a falsely jaunty tune ("The history of the world, my pet...") -- itself a reprise of "A Little Priest"—while maniacally waltzing with a visibly terrified Mrs. Lovett, who intersperses his lyrics by frantically begging for his forgiveness. [[Kill It with Fire|We all know what happens next...]]

** In fact, nearly every song in this show has a [[Dark Reprise]]... most of which are incredibly dark to begin with: "A Barber and His Wife," "A Little Priest," and "Pretty Women," just to name a few. Sondheim's pretty economical with his musical material.

** In fact, nearly every song in this show has a Dark Reprise... most of which are incredibly dark to begin with: "A Barber and His Wife," "A Little Priest," and "Pretty Women," just to name a few. Sondheim's pretty economical with his musical material.

* In the Broadway version of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]],'' the Beast acknowledges that Belle is his last chance when he sings "If I Can't Love Her," then reprises it bitterly when convinced that his chance has been lost.

* In the musical version of ''[[The Scarlet Pimpernel (theatre)|The Scarlet Pimpernel]]'':

Line 82:

** Shortly after "When I Look at You", it is repeated by a second character with exactly the same lyrics.

** A reprise of Madame Guillotine. While hard to make darker, it is a declaration of determination to hunt by Chauvelin and is in some cases referred to as The Riddle: Part 1. While not on most albums, it's on the German cast album as "Das Verwirrspiel: Teil 1"

* In ''[[Of Thee I Sing]]'', President Wintergreen and his wife Mary dismiss the concerns of reporters by singing "Who Cares?" They sing a [[Dark Reprise]] when those concerns have escalated to the point where his impeachment is imminent. The preceding scene has Diana singing a personal reprise of "Because, Because," which with new lyrics becomes accusatory rather than "sweet and sunny."

* In ''[[Of Thee I Sing]]'', President Wintergreen and his wife Mary dismiss the concerns of reporters by singing "Who Cares?" They sing a Dark Reprise when those concerns have escalated to the point where his impeachment is imminent. The preceding scene has Diana singing a personal reprise of "Because, Because," which with new lyrics becomes accusatory rather than "sweet and sunny."

* In ''Show Boat'', as Ravenal abandons his family, he sings the same song to his daughter that he sang when he first met her mother: "Only make believe I love you..."

* The musical ''[[Aida]]'' is full of this. "How I Know You", "My Strongest Suit", "Elaborate Lives"...

* Used a lot in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, particularly ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''. Most notable in the songs 'All I Ask of You' (Raoul asking Christine to love him always), then the Phantom singing its tragic reprise about his love for her. Of course, [[Love Makes You Evil|love turns him evil]], as shown by the dark reprise.

** Also at the end when the Phantom is forcing Christine to choose between him or Raoul, we get three ~~[[Dark Reprise|~~Dark Reprises]] in one. Erik sings a Dark Reprise of Past the 'Point of No Return' (which was kinda dark already) while Christine is singing one of 'Angel of Music', ''and'' Raoul is singing one of 'All I Ask Of You'.

** Also at the end when the Phantom is forcing Christine to choose between him or Raoul, we get three Dark Reprises in one. Erik sings a Dark Reprise of Past the 'Point of No Return' (which was kinda dark already) while Christine is singing one of 'Angel of Music', ''and'' Raoul is singing one of 'All I Ask Of You'.

** This is seen again at the start of Act II in ''Masquerade'', where everyone is happy and joyful, until things take a turn for the sinister in 'Why so Silent' and the Phantom reappears.

** The entire lengthy finale (Down Once More/Track Down this Murderer) is a Dark Reprise of earlier songs. Listen to the music without words and you'll find it difficult to pick out a new melody.

Line 101:

** "Down At the Old Five and Dime" gets the same dark reprise treatment. Act 1: Cheerful, chipper clean cut kids taking ice cream from Mr. Poppy. Act 2: Same kids being lead down the Reefer Path by Mr. Poppy.

** And don't forget "Listen to Jesus, Jimmy!", the splashy Vegas-style production number sung to our hero by the Man, {{spoiler|only to be shut out at the song's conclusion, saying "I have a new god now!"}} and then reprised at Jimmy's execution, against Jimmy's protests, admonishing him in the same splashy style that he DIDN'T listen.

* ''[[Into the Woods]]'' repeatedly reprises the title number, one of which is a bona fide [[Dark Reprise]]. The first time the song is sung (as part of the sprawling opening number), the characters are off to make their wishes come true in the woods. The Act II reprises the tune, as the characters realize that getting their wishes had unintended consequences, and they must return to the woods to do some major damage control.

* ''[[Into the Woods]]'' repeatedly reprises the title number, one of which is a bona fide Dark Reprise. The first time the song is sung (as part of the sprawling opening number), the characters are off to make their wishes come true in the woods. The Act II reprises the tune, as the characters realize that getting their wishes had unintended consequences, and they must return to the woods to do some major damage control.

** Also happens with the duet "Agony": in Act I, two royal brothers are each singing about a woman they have fallen for, ending with "I must have her to wife." They reprise the number in Act II... talking about two different women. After justifying their infidelity, they end with "Ah well, back to my wife." Funny, but darker as well.

** ''Into the Woods'' also provides a rare inversion of this trope. In "Stay With Me", the Witch berates Rapunzel for disobeying her, singing, "What did I clearly say? Children must listen!" Later, in "Witch's Lament", she {{spoiler|mourns Rapunzel's death}}: "No matter what you say, children won't listen." Finally, the song becomes the finale "Children Will Listen"~~--which~~, although not exactly cheery, is certainly much less bitter and resentful.

** ''Into the Woods'' also provides a rare inversion of this trope. In "Stay With Me", the Witch berates Rapunzel for disobeying her, singing, "What did I clearly say? Children must listen!" Later, in "Witch's Lament", she {{spoiler|mourns Rapunzel's death}}: "No matter what you say, children won't listen." Finally, the song becomes the finale "Children Will Listen"—which, although not exactly cheery, is certainly much less bitter and resentful.

* ''[[The Wicker Man]]'' (musical version) starts with Sgt. Howie singing a musical version of the 23rd Psalm along with the rest of his church congregation. At the end, he sings it again in a more defiant/terrified tone, {{spoiler|while being burnt to death in the eponymous Wicker Man.}}

* "Wilkommen" from ''[[Cabaret]],'' which first appears as an upbeat opening number but closes the show on a sinister note as the cast sings a discordant version surrounded by Nazi regalia.

Line 114:

*** When you look at Bill's treatment of Nancy, the original becomes pretty dark on its own: "Though you sometimes do come by/The occasional black eye/You can always cover one/'Till he blacks the other one/But you don't dare cry!"

** "As Long As He Needs Me" is another example: the first time Nancy sings it to demonstrate how she won't give up Bill despite his abuse, the second is right before {{spoiler|Bill decides he doesn't need her anymore - and murders her in cold blood.}}

* In the final scene of ''[[West Side Story]]'', Tony, believing Maria to have been murdered, goes out and gets himself shot, and only then sees Maria. They start to sing a [[Dark Reprise]] of "Somewhere", but he dies in the middle.

* In the final scene of ''[[West Side Story]]'', Tony, believing Maria to have been murdered, goes out and gets himself shot, and only then sees Maria. They start to sing a Dark Reprise of "Somewhere", but he dies in the middle.

** The same is picked up instrumentally by the orchestra as Tony's body is carried off, which this writer argues are some of the most heart-wrenching final chords to come out of Broadway.

*** In addition, Tony & Maria's [["I Want" Song]] "Tonight" is twisted later when the Jets and Sharks sing a variant of this about how Bernardo and Riff's knife fight will end their rivalry.

* ''Kismet'' ends with a [[Dark Reprise]] of "Sands Of Time," as the characters vanish one by one from the stage.

* ''Kismet'' ends with a Dark Reprise of "Sands Of Time," as the characters vanish one by one from the stage.

* "If I Loved You" in ''[[Carousel]]'' is first sung early in Act I, as Julie and Billy flirt with each other by offering romantic hypotheticals, denying their attraction even as they submit to it. Near the end of Act II, {{spoiler|a now-dead}} Billy uses largely the same words to lament that he [[Never Got to Say Goodbye|could never truly admit his feelings to Julie or to himself while he had the chance]]. (This reprise was added during the show's New Haven tryout; [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] were pleased to see that it boosted sheet music sales of the song.)

* "I'll Cover You" from ''[[Rent]]''. First sung as an inspiring tenor/baritone duet by Angel and Collins as they realize they've fallen in love. Later {{spoiler|at Angel's funeral}}, Collins sings alone in a slow and pained bass-baritone to gospel-like piano chords. To add to the effect, Joanne and Maureen replace Angel in the chorus as the rest of the cast backs them up with "Seasons of Love," and a HUGE suspended harmony at the end adds to the dark nature of the reprise. Contrast [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Qq3gJhuE4 the original] with [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAaXD9PscQs&NR=1 the reprise.]

Line 132:

** There's also Javert's reprise of Valjean's "soliloquy" song. Both represent men at drastic turning points in their lives, however {{spoiler|Valjean ends the song by turning over a new leaf, while Javert ends by killing himself.}}

** "One Day More" is basically a reprise, with sinister undertones, of just about every song heard hitherto. Especially "Who Am I?"

*** Though the section that uses the tune of "I Dreamed A Dream" turns the song from a reflection on a life crushed by poverty and mistreatment to a song about two lovers wondering if they're ever going to see each other again, so not quite a [[Dark Reprise]], but close.

*** Though the section that uses the tune of "I Dreamed A Dream" turns the song from a reflection on a life crushed by poverty and mistreatment to a song about two lovers wondering if they're ever going to see each other again, so not quite a Dark Reprise, but close.

** There's also an element of this between Javert's [[Villain Song|Knight Templar Song]], "Stars" and the one he sings before his suicide. In the former, he outlines his philosophy, looking at the stars as a metaphor for a sacred order of society which must be rigidly enforced. The latter, which uses some of the same background melody, contains a [[Meaningful Echo]], where Javert, having his worldview shattered, refers to the stars as "black and cold".

*** And directly as he jumps to his death, the main instrumental motif of "Stars" plays as his falling scream dies away.

*** Javert refers to the stars in the French libretto too, where he sings "...les étoiles rient dans le noir / Elles se moquent de la victoire sur moi des forces du mal ..." ("The stars laugh in the dark / They mock me for the victory of the evil forces over me...")

** And then there's the finale's reprise of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Its first appearance is as a rousing call-to-arms as Enjolras foments a rebellion. In the finale, the song is revisited as a sort of hymn about the wretched of the earth finding solace in the end. This may be something of a "light" reprise rather than a "dark" one, but then again, it's being sung by a chorus of the characters who have ''died''.

*** It paraphrases Enjolras' [[Character Filibuster|speech]] in the book at the barricade before the first battle, when they still think they can succeed. It is at once a stirring [[~~Utopia|utopian~~]] vision and an example of [[Dramatic Irony]].

*** It paraphrases Enjolras' [[Character Filibuster|speech]] in the book at the barricade before the first battle, when they still think they can succeed. It is at once a stirring [[utopia]]n vision and an example of [[Dramatic Irony]].

** Also, "Turning", during which the women mourn about the outcome of the battle, uses the same tune as "Lovely Ladies" (the subject of which isn't exactly cheery, but which is sung in a far more uplifting way).

*** 'Lovely Ladies' is nothing but ironic and dark echoes. First it sounds like an [[Lyrical Dissonance|upbeat song celebrating the prostitutes]], then Fantine becomes a prostitute and it becomes a dark echo when we see the sort of circumstances that lead to women becoming a prostitute, and finally it becomes an ironic echo when she sings the final verse before the abusive customer appears.

Line 190:

** First, Tiana sings her [["I Want" Song]] "Almost There" a second time after she's outbid on the restaurant she wanted (or so the realtors claim).

*** Plus a related [[Ironic Echo]], when Facilier whispers this as he offers to help her in exchange for his talisman.

** For the second, the page image is from the [[Dark Reprise]] of the [[Villain Song]], "Friends On The Other Side," when {{spoiler|said "friends" drag Facilier to his hellish death, evilly chanting [[Ironic Echo|"are you ready?"]]}}.

** For the second, the page image is from the Dark Reprise of the [[Villain Song]], "Friends On The Other Side," when {{spoiler|said "friends" drag Facilier to his hellish death, evilly chanting [[Ironic Echo|"are you ready?"]]}}.

* [[Villain Song|Jafar's reprise]] of "Prince Ali" in ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]''. "Prince Ali, Yes, it is he, But not as you know him."

** "One Jump Ahead" and its reprise also qualify: in the first Aladdin sings about what a great thief he is, in the second he wishes people saw that there was more to him than that.

Line 212:

'''Frollo''': I'm not to blame! ('''Choire''': Mea culpa ''through my fault'')

'''Frollo''': It is the gypsy girl, the witch who sent this flame! ('''Choire''': Mea maxima culpa ''through my most grievous fault'') }}

* ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'' uses this trope with "Big and Loud". The first time through, Darla is giving advice to Danny about how to impress an audience. Once Danny is hustled out the door, the lyrics change as she declares her true ~~intent -- to~~ destroy Danny's career and that of anyone else who gets in her way. The first time she tells Danny, "[Your act]'s gotta be big and loud!" but it shifts to, "They're gonna fall big and loud!" The song is used a third time as she puts her plan into action, with the same lyrics as the second time, as she revels in her victory.

* ''[[Cats Don't Dance]]'' uses this trope with "Big and Loud". The first time through, Darla is giving advice to Danny about how to impress an audience. Once Danny is hustled out the door, the lyrics change as she declares her true intent—to destroy Danny's career and that of anyone else who gets in her way. The first time she tells Danny, "[Your act]'s gotta be big and loud!" but it shifts to, "They're gonna fall big and loud!" The song is used a third time as she puts her plan into action, with the same lyrics as the second time, as she revels in her victory.

* The song "Let Me be Your Wings" from ''[[Thumbelina]]'' has a dark reprise halfway through the movie, called "Once There was the Sun". She sings this in lamenting {{spoiler|Cornelius' apparent death.}}

** When Thumbelina goes missing, her mother sings a sad reprise of Thumbelina's [["I Want" Song]] "Soon".

* "I Stand Alone" in ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'' is Garrett's [["I Am" Song]] in which he embraces his solitude and declares that [[I Work Alone|he works alone.]] He gives it a brief but passionate [[Dark Reprise]] towards the end of the film, bitterly repeating the chorus as he unhappily resigns himself to remaining alone.

* "I Stand Alone" in ''[[Quest for Camelot]]'' is Garrett's [["I Am" Song]] in which he embraces his solitude and declares that [[I Work Alone|he works alone.]] He gives it a brief but passionate Dark Reprise towards the end of the film, bitterly repeating the chorus as he unhappily resigns himself to remaining alone.

* "Who's Been Painting My Roses Red?" from ''[[Alice in Wonderland (Disney film)|Alice in Wonderland]]'', an accusatory reprise of the cheerful "Painting the Roses Red".

* ''[[Tangled]]'' has two examples: a cutting reprise of "Mother Knows Best" (which was ''already'' a villain song) as Gothel severely undercuts Rapunzel's hopes for her growing romance, and then the second reprise of "The Healing Incantation" as {{spoiler|Rapunzel desperately tries to revive the mortally wounded Flynn after her hair has been robbed of its healing magic.}}

* In ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]: A Christmas Carol'', it manages to have a normal song paired with a [[Dark Reprise]] at the same time with ''I Always Get Emotional At Christmas Time''. On one hand, Killer is singing about how he loves Christmas and it makes him feel repentant for his evil deeds while Belladonna's version has her singing about how much she loves doing evil things to people on Christmas.

* In ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven]]: A Christmas Carol'', it manages to have a normal song paired with a Dark Reprise at the same time with ''I Always Get Emotional At Christmas Time''. On one hand, Killer is singing about how he loves Christmas and it makes him feel repentant for his evil deeds while Belladonna's version has her singing about how much she loves doing evil things to people on Christmas.

* "Colors of the Wind (Reprise)" from ''[[Pocahontas]]''. It's a somber, instrumental version of the song "Colors of the Wind" that plays at the end of the film where {{spoiler|John Smith is actually sent back to England as a result of him being shot by accident by the villain while attempting to protect the Indian chief.}}

* "The Bare Necessities (Reprise)" from ''[[The Jungle Book (Disney film)|The Jungle Book]]''. It's sung by Baloo and Bagheera as the two both walk off into the sunset after Mowgli bids them both farewell and heads back to the Man-village.

* "Friends to the End (reprise)" from ''[[Tom and Jerry: The Movie]]'', which plays when [[Tom and Jerry]] start to chase each other again, all without any dialogue.

* In ''[[Mulan]]'' there is a song called "Reflection" that is already a mild [[Tear Jerker]] when it is first played after a lighthearted scene involving Mulan messing up in front of the matchmaker. Another version of it is played in the end credits, and while it isn't necessarily "darker" in and of itself, (just gentler and slower) the film's [[Tear Jerker|most upsetting moments]] are between the original version of the song and its [[Dark Reprise]], which gives the second version of the song a bit of a [[Harsher in Hindsight]] feel.

* In ''[[Mulan]]'' there is a song called "Reflection" that is already a mild [[Tear Jerker]] when it is first played after a lighthearted scene involving Mulan messing up in front of the matchmaker. Another version of it is played in the end credits, and while it isn't necessarily "darker" in and of itself, (just gentler and slower) the film's [[Tear Jerker|most upsetting moments]] are between the original version of the song and its Dark Reprise, which gives the second version of the song a bit of a [[Harsher in Hindsight]] feel.

Line 249:

* Jack's reprise of "Santa Fe" in ''[[Newsies]]'' is pretty damn bleak.

* [[Pink Floyd]]'s ''[[The Wall]]'' features a darker reprise of an already-dark song. "In The Flesh?" expresses Pink's disillusionment with life, or, alternately, an outsider's view as Pink starts to isolate himself. Later, "In The Flesh!" shows Pink's graduation into a full-blown fascist after a psychotic breakdown.

* In ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', the song ''Edelweiss'' comes up twice: First as a straightforward sign that Captain von Trapp is finally opening up to his family, and later as a defiant but bittersweet statement of patriotism in the face of a Nazi takeover that will do away with the country he loves. It's a subtler version in that the song is performed in the same key, performed by the same person, and does not differ until the Captain falters in his singing. (This is only a [[Dark Reprise]] in the movie version; on stage, the song is sung in the later scene only.)

* In ''[[The Sound of Music]]'', the song ''Edelweiss'' comes up twice: First as a straightforward sign that Captain von Trapp is finally opening up to his family, and later as a defiant but bittersweet statement of patriotism in the face of a Nazi takeover that will do away with the country he loves. It's a subtler version in that the song is performed in the same key, performed by the same person, and does not differ until the Captain falters in his singing. (This is only a Dark Reprise in the movie version; on stage, the song is sung in the later scene only.)

* While not exactly a reprise ''[[A Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' had a sad little echo of 'Bless Us All', sung by Tiny Tim about how he and his family have so much to be grateful for, played as it pans over his crutch after his death with his family in mourning.

** It also contains a Light Reprise of 'When Love Is Gone' sung while Scrooge is left by his fiance sung at the end as 'The Love We Found' after he changes his ways. Sadly, the first song was cut from the theatrical release (and only reinstated on some video releases), meaning that the finale is less poignant.

Line 266:

* "Gong Jin'ou", the national anthem of the Qing Dynasty, is sung formally in ''The Last Emperor'', then gets sadly reprised one last time before the Qing abdicate in a real [[Tear Jerker]].

* Parodied (or played straight, or...who the hell knows?) in ''The Brothers Solomon'', in which the power ballad "St. Elmo's Fire" (from the film of the same name) is used first as a general triumphant anthem for the titular brothers. During their (extremely brief) falling out, a more sombre, acoustic version of the song is played.

* ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]: Revenge Of The Fallen'' has a [[Dark Reprise]] of the iconic 'landing of the Autobots' scene from the first movie, with ''landing Decepticons'' causing widespread damage.

* ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]: Revenge Of The Fallen'' has a Dark Reprise of the iconic 'landing of the Autobots' scene from the first movie, with ''landing Decepticons'' causing widespread damage.

** Many of the musical themes from the first film are gone, and Optimus's theme becomes the backbone of the score. However, it's never in the same tone of the previous film, which was performed on a woodwind and with minimal percussion to make Optimus's theme sound more organic. The two main treatments are a minor-key variation with dark brass, and a more "spiritual" take (generally used for scenes involving the mythology and taking place after {{spoiler|Optimus's death}}) utilizing a [[One-Woman Wail]]. To hear the effect in full, listen to the track titled "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMnEY2eBj4A Optimus]" from the first film, then the one titled "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRLi4JIQbsk Prime]" from the second.

** In ''Dark of the Moon'', the scene in which the Autobots are exiled and forced to leave Earth is accompanied by a heartbreakingly sad reprise of the "Arrival on Earth" theme from the first movie.

** A non-musical example would be Waspinator's [[Catch Phrase]], "Waspinator has plans..." In the show ''[[Beast Wars]]'', it's said in a comical tone of voice, but in ''[[Transformers Animated]]'', it more creepy-sounding.

* Inverted at the end of ''[[Star Wars]]: [[The Phantom Menace]]'', where the celebration music is a '' childrens' choir'' doing a "light" version of the Emperor's exceptionally dark [[Leitmotif]] (far grimmer than, if not as immediately imposing as, the Imperial March), foreshadowing the coming darkness. Similarly, at the end of ''[[Attack of the Clones]]'', a more triumphant version of the Imperial March is played, underscoring that while the clones appear to be a good thing at the time, evil will come of them later.

** The prequels are just full of this. Anakin's Theme from Episode I repeatedly utilizes six notes from the Imperial March in a soft, light piece. Also, it doesn't quite count, but at the end of Episode II, the love theme that plays over Anakin and Padme's wedding morphs into something that calls to mind the Imperial March. Most of the end credits music for ''Attack of the Clones'' is the love theme, with a different ~~ending--it~~ segues into the main thrust of the March, as played slowly on a double bass.

** The prequels are just full of this. Anakin's Theme from Episode I repeatedly utilizes six notes from the Imperial March in a soft, light piece. Also, it doesn't quite count, but at the end of Episode II, the love theme that plays over Anakin and Padme's wedding morphs into something that calls to mind the Imperial March. Most of the end credits music for ''Attack of the Clones'' is the love theme, with a different ending—it segues into the main thrust of the March, as played slowly on a double bass.

** In the ''[[Shadows of the Empire]]'' soundtrack, "Leia's Nightmare" is a dark version of the "Han and the Princess" love theme mixed with the Imperial March.

** Yoda's death music in ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' is a sad reprise of his theme and the Force theme.

Line 280:

== Anime ==

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' gets one. The ending theme, "Fly me to the Moon" always seemed a tad out of place, even in the beginning, but by the end in the middle of all the [[Mind Rape]], [[Heroic Sacrifice~~|Heroic Sacrifices~~]], [[Heroic BSOD|Heroic BSOD's]] and other assorted wrongness, that damn song just keeps on playing. [[Soundtrack Dissonance|And it freaks you out]]. Especially in the [[Mind Rape|Arael]], [[Heroic Sacrifice|Armisael]] and [[Heroic BSOD|Tabris/Kaworu]] episodes. WITHOUT CHANGING A DAMNED NOTE!!

* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' gets one. The ending theme, "Fly me to the Moon" always seemed a tad out of place, even in the beginning, but by the end in the middle of all the [[Mind Rape]], [[Heroic Sacrifice]]s, [[Heroic BSOD|Heroic BSOD's]] and other assorted wrongness, that damn song just keeps on playing. [[Soundtrack Dissonance|And it freaks you out]]. Especially in the [[Mind Rape|Arael]], [[Heroic Sacrifice|Armisael]] and [[Heroic BSOD|Tabris/Kaworu]] episodes. WITHOUT CHANGING A DAMNED NOTE!!

* Gainax seems to like this. In the Rebuild of Evangelion movies, most of the soundtracks have been changed to now HAVE OMINOUS CHANTING ON TOP OF THE MUSIC! It does add to the mood of the scenes, but it sure does freak you out when you know that the voices are chanting.

** And another Gainax-example: [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]] has Libera Me From Hell, a remix between the classic, Latin song "Libera Me", and the up-beat rap-song "Rap is a Man's Soul". And that's not the only time they took a classic song and used it in an anime. Just watch the [[Rebuild of Evangelion]] version of Shinji versus Zeruel. THEY'RE PLAYING A CHILDREN'S SONG WHILE SHINJI IS CAUSING THE END OF THE WORLD, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!

** Yet another Gainax example: in the penultimate episode of ''[[Mahoromatic]] [[Something more Beautiful]]'', the music track at the end of the episode gives way to a [[Lonely Piano Piece|sad piano remix]] of the generally-happy opening song, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zV22pSPyeE So Re I Yu.]

* ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'' reverses this with Return to the Sea. In its first uses, it's a dark, angry song in which Sara expresses her rage and hatred. However, when Hanon's assertion that Tarou really did love Sara gets to her, she reprises the song with a happier, more optimistic tone ("The inevitable distrust/Is only harmful weakness/Love cannot be defined, but/I want to believe in it again").

* In ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', the instrumental "Romantic" is ~~played--you~~ guessed ~~it--in~~ romantic moments in the first few instances. It is reprised numerous times later in the series, e.g. when {{spoiler|Miaka tries to kill herself to save her friends and when Mitsukake dies.}}

* In ''[[Fushigi Yuugi]]'', the instrumental "Romantic" is played—you guessed it—in romantic moments in the first few instances. It is reprised numerous times later in the series, e.g. when {{spoiler|Miaka tries to kill herself to save her friends and when Mitsukake dies.}}

* Appears in ''[[Soul Eater]]'' with the songs "soul-eater (so scandalous)" and "soul-eater (reprise)." The first is a hip-hop tune with [[Word Salad Lyrics]] used over some title cards and at other light-hearted moments. The second keeps the [[Word Salad Lyrics]], but the catchy refrain is gone, some of the lyrics are warped, it sounds a lot creepier in general, and it's generally played when people are going crazy.

** It also has "Black Star (never lose myself)" and "Black Star (lost myself)". The first is a stirring hip-hop song that serves as Black Star's leitmotiv, the second one is a complete jumbled mess with the voice turned incomprehensible and the entire musical arrangement sounding like a carnival on acid.

* [[Macross Frontier]] has the song ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHpt2qikj1I Aimo]'', a love song/lullaby taught to Ranka Lee by her mother. Later in the series, Ranka sings a version created by her manager, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URzO2BT8l-A Aimo O.C.]'', which changes the song into a battle hymmn.

** To say nothing of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKiu30uKR7s&feature=related [[bless the little queen]] version] of ''Do You Remember Love''... It's not just a dark reprise of an earlier scene in the ~~series--it~~'s a dark reprise of ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wckZcVFLU24&feature=related the most iconic song of the franchise]''.

** To say nothing of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKiu30uKR7s&feature=related [[bless the little queen]] version] of ''Do You Remember Love''... It's not just a dark reprise of an earlier scene in the series—it's a dark reprise of ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wckZcVFLU24&feature=related the most iconic song of the franchise]''.

* ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'' has a weird version where the darker version shows up first... in the ''very first scene''. It's a creepy song and fits the dark atmosphere of the scene. It turns out to be a slowed down, distorted version of the ending theme, "Magia", which the show deliberately avoided using until [[Wham! Episode|Episode 3]]. The ending version is... only slightly less creepy than the one used in the opening scene.

** Another weird variation comes up late in the series. Homura's theme, "Puella in somnio" (Girl in the Dream) tends to follow her arrival onto a scene without fail, and is a mysterious and airy. A reprise comes in the form of "Inevitabilis" (Inevitable), a heavy and melancholic piano reprise that plays {{spoiler|during Episode 11 when she breaks down in front of Madoka and explains everything before resolving to fight Walpurgis Night by herself}}. While the reprise came up much earlier in the series, it's particularly more poignant in the context of this scene and sets a much bleaker tone from thereon in (which, for ''Madoka Magica'', is saying something).

Line 318:

* ''[[NCIS]]'' does this in several episodes with their theme song, both with 'darker' versions as well as several sad versions. Interestingly, they often only change the speed of the song.

* [[The Mickey Mouse Club|Now it's time to say goodbye to all our company.../M-I-C (...you real soon!)/K-E-Y (Why? because we like you!)/M-O-U-S-E...]]

* "Under Your Spell," from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. {{spoiler|In the first version, an upbeat love song, Tara uses the title phrase metaphorically; later Tara discovers she is literally under a spell to prevent her breaking up with Willow, and the [[Dark Reprise]] uses the phrase literally.}} The second version is actually a double version of this, seeing as it's a duet with an (even) Darker Reprise of Giles' earlier "Standing In The Way".

* "Under Your Spell," from ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. {{spoiler|In the first version, an upbeat love song, Tara uses the title phrase metaphorically; later Tara discovers she is literally under a spell to prevent her breaking up with Willow, and the Dark Reprise uses the phrase literally.}} The second version is actually a double version of this, seeing as it's a duet with an (even) Darker Reprise of Giles' earlier "Standing In The Way".

* In the first minute or so of episode 44 of ''[[Kamen Rider OOO]]'', Doctor Maki gets a less booming version of Kougami's music.

* The episode preceding ''[[Lost]]'''s fourth season finale introduces the show's [http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Home_theme home theme] as a happy, sentimental motif. The episode's final moment's transform it into a [http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Of_Mice_and_Ben song of doom].

Line 342:

* [[Skinny Puppy]]'s ''Remission'' has "Glass Houses", and its more sinister reprise, "Glass Out".

* Cord Lund's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1V3JW4HeBs I Wanna Be in the Cavalry] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVRbEGlB4sc its reprise:] The [[War Is Glorious|first song]] is an upbeat country song about a young recruit, full of eagerness and enthusiasm who [[Captain Obvious|wants to join the cavalry.]] [[War Is Hell|The reprise]]? [[Darker and Edgier|A song about the hardships of being of a cavalryman in the 19th century,]] [[Reality Ensues|disease, starvation, and the elements and all]]. [[It Got Worse|To add to the bleakness, the narrator is a soldier]] [[Hopeless War|in an army fighting]] [[Despair Event Horizon|a losing war]].

* In [[Joanna Newsom]]'s album Have One On Me, the final song, [http://youtu.be/-LgQhfusf_E Does Not Suffice], is a [[Dark Reprise]] of the central [http://youtu.be/ZOFbj3Fk4fw In California]. Whilst In California is about the evaluation of a relationship, which is threatened by distance, homesickness and a fear of commitment, Does Not Suffice is a definite break-up, as the voice describes packing her belongings and leaving her lover, stating that "everywhere I tried to love you is yours again and only yours". The "chorus" of In California, which focused entirely on a sense of indecision, is echoed in Does Not Suffice by a series of resigned, defeated lalala's, which fade away as they are overwhelmed by strings and a burgeoning, crashing electronic drone (a stark mechanical presence in an album full of pastoral imagery). Definitely darker.

* In [[Joanna Newsom]]'s album Have One On Me, the final song, [http://youtu.be/-LgQhfusf_E Does Not Suffice], is a Dark Reprise of the central [http://youtu.be/ZOFbj3Fk4fw In California]. Whilst In California is about the evaluation of a relationship, which is threatened by distance, homesickness and a fear of commitment, Does Not Suffice is a definite break-up, as the voice describes packing her belongings and leaving her lover, stating that "everywhere I tried to love you is yours again and only yours". The "chorus" of In California, which focused entirely on a sense of indecision, is echoed in Does Not Suffice by a series of resigned, defeated lalala's, which fade away as they are overwhelmed by strings and a burgeoning, crashing electronic drone (a stark mechanical presence in an album full of pastoral imagery). Definitely darker.

* In "Leave The Bourbon On The Shelf" by [[The Killers]], it's the line, "And I love you endlessly, darling, don't you see, I'm not satisfied." The line isn't as noticeable at first, because it goes by quickly and the music is still playing, but when the music fades out and the song puts special emphasis on it by making it the last line in the entire song, it seems like they are trying to tell you something. {{spoiler|And they are: The next song in the trilogy, "Midnight Show", has the narrator killing his ex-girlfriend, whom the first song was also for.}}

* In "Daughter of Evil", sung by [[Vocaloid|Rin Kagamine]] (and featuring her brother Len), in the beginning we get the line, "There was, once upon a time, an evil kingdom that no one dared to face, and the ruler was a girl so mean, a little princess of only age fourteen". This line is repeated at the end, right before {{spoiler|the princess is to be killed.}} Oh, and by the way, {{spoiler|[[Wham! Line|that's not her.]]}} Guess who took her place.

Line 348:

* Ne-Yo's album ''Libra Scale'' opens with "Champagne Life", which is an easygoing, upbeat party tune, full of vitality and celebratory swagger. The album closes with "What Have I Done", a regretful look back at past mistakes and broken love whose backing track echoes the carefree tune of "Champagne Life" with piercing guilt.

* Lit's "Miserable" has this happen all within the chorus: "You make me cum/You make me complete/You make me completely miserable."

* [[Green Day]]'s "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)" from their [[Rock Opera]] [[Twenty First Century Breakdown]] is a [[Dark Reprise]] of one of the earlier songs, "¡Viva La Gloria!" While the latter is that of one of the main characters, Christian, praising and encouraging Gloria to "start a war", the former is that of Christian accusing her of being a useless "dirty liar".

* [[Green Day]]'s "¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl)" from their [[Rock Opera]] [[Twenty First Century Breakdown]] is a Dark Reprise of one of the earlier songs, "¡Viva La Gloria!" While the latter is that of one of the main characters, Christian, praising and encouraging Gloria to "start a war", the former is that of Christian accusing her of being a useless "dirty liar".

* In the ''Domain'' concept album The Last Days of Utopia, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7CoAw_ZBsg&feature=related this song] is played when the main character is washed up on the shores of the titular city, and is breathtaken at its majesty. Later on, after the destruction of the island and with the main character floating alone lost at sea, we get [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70RplPqHwzs this].

* Happens within a single song for [[The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets]]' concept album ''The Shadow Out of Tim''. The song is called "Operation: Get the Hell Out of Here," and the chorus goes "Take your time, take your toll, everything's under control/Execute Operation: Get the Hell Out of Here" until after the last verse of the song, where the protagonists accidentally unleash an [[Eldritch Abomination]], it's changed to "Take your life, take your soul, everything's out of control/Execute Operation: Get the Hell Out of Here".

Line 395:

*** And many more...

** An inverse example: in the first game Hollow Bastion's theme is eerie and mysterious, but in the second game where said location serves as the [[Hub Level]], the music is a more happy upbeat version of the same song.

* Although non-lyrical, in ''[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire]]'' versions, the Victory Road theme is essentially a [[Dark Reprise]] of the main ''Pokemon'' theme.

* Although non-lyrical, in ''[[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire]]'' versions, the Victory Road theme is essentially a Dark Reprise of the main ''Pokemon'' theme.

** In ''[[Pokémon Colosseum]]'', {{spoiler|1=after Es Cade is revealed to be Evice, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuu1fmAdZcs his theme] switches to a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ueGTaZhy54 sinister version].}}

** Incidentally, the stage show ''[[Pokémon Live]]'' had Giovanni sing dark reprises of both "You and Me and Pokemon" and "Everything Changes" during his [[Evil Gloating]] (and that's in addition to his own [[Villain Song]]).

Line 441:

** And in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' they give Mine Cart Madness a dark''er'' reprise in the form of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqYlMjO2B70&feature=related Roasting Rails].

** ''Returns'' also has the fiendish and fast paced [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=718pU5J7AUg Muncher Marathon] theme, which is one of these for the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONR1eyPOPJc default Forest level music].

* In ''[[Banjo-Kazooie]]'', the music for your house and Spiral Mountain are both upbeat and bouncy. In the sequel, however, Spiral Mountain's theme has a more mournful melody, and the music for Banjo's house sounds sort of empty, considering it's just been demolished. Within the same game, the sequel has King Jingaling's Palace, which has a melody that tells how you're in the presence of royalty. Once Grunty and her sisters zap his life energy and zombifies him, though, that same song seems to have less life in it. Put simply, this series has a lot of ~~[[Dark Reprise|~~dark reprises]].

* In ''[[Banjo-Kazooie]]'', the music for your house and Spiral Mountain are both upbeat and bouncy. In the sequel, however, Spiral Mountain's theme has a more mournful melody, and the music for Banjo's house sounds sort of empty, considering it's just been demolished. Within the same game, the sequel has King Jingaling's Palace, which has a melody that tells how you're in the presence of royalty. Once Grunty and her sisters zap his life energy and zombifies him, though, that same song seems to have less life in it. Put simply, this series has a lot of dark reprises.

* Inverted in ''[[Tales of Monkey Island]]'' with a major version of Lechuck's theme.

* ''[[Axelay]]'' has this for the boss themes, basically much darker versions of their respective stage themes.

Line 457:

* Homeworld starts -after a much needed tutorial- with the epic scene of launching the Mothership. Meanwhile, the vocal version of Adagio for Strings, Agnus Dei, plays during the launch sequence. Cue two missions later after a small trip to the edge of the solar system: your fleet returns home only to find your homeworld ''burning''. The same bloody song, which filled you with triumph, ''will'' reduce you to tears.

** And then there is the twist at the end, you arrive at your long lost homeworld and here the same song is again, but this time it once again fills you with triump and a glorious feeling.

* ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'''s final boss theme, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PjEN-zFlDQ "The Battle For Freedom"] contains both a [[Dark Reprise]] of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3vT3hp0U5w "Theme of the Empire"] as well as a [[Triumphant Reprise]] of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ7YS6MQl2M "Theme of Final Fantasy XII"] (the theme of [[La Résistance|the Resistance]]), battling against each other for dominance.

* ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'''s final boss theme, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PjEN-zFlDQ "The Battle For Freedom"] contains both a Dark Reprise of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3vT3hp0U5w "Theme of the Empire"] as well as a [[Triumphant Reprise]] of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ7YS6MQl2M "Theme of Final Fantasy XII"] (the theme of [[La Résistance|the Resistance]]), battling against each other for dominance.

* In ''[[Sonic Colors]]'' for the Wii, the final boss uses a dark, vocal-less remix of the games theme song Reach for the Stars.

* In ''[[The Nightmare Before Christmas]]'': Oogie's Revenge (the video game sequel to the movie), "[http://www.youtube.com/watch#playnext=1&playnext_from=TL&videos=w_1C6nZc-rE&v=jL0HwgNKeC8 Oh No!]" is a minor-key reprise of Jack Skellington's cheerfully macabre "What's This?", after he finds Christmas Town in ruins. Most of Oogie's Revenge is composed of reprises of the original songs, but this is the biggest [[Mood Whiplash]] from the original.

Line 469:

== Web Comic ==

* ''[[Homestuck]]'' uses this multiple times over the course of the soundtracks; for example, the lighthearted song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6LcnuowRc0 "Harlequin"] from early in the story gets a pretty effective [[Dark Reprise]] called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APWIMf9cIro "The Carnival"] to represent {{spoiler|[[Monster Clown|Gamzee's]] descent into insanity.}}

* ''[[Homestuck]]'' uses this multiple times over the course of the soundtracks; for example, the lighthearted song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6LcnuowRc0 "Harlequin"] from early in the story gets a pretty effective Dark Reprise called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APWIMf9cIro "The Carnival"] to represent {{spoiler|[[Monster Clown|Gamzee's]] descent into insanity.}}

** Another song, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So0ptdMJj0Y "Chorale for Jaspers"], is used in Volume 1 as a sort of silly, self-parodying epitaph for Rose's childhood cat. The same melody appears [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUbUFb5stQI hundreds of pages] later in a dramatic scene where {{spoiler|Rose faces [[Big Bad|Jack]] to avenge the mother and friend he murdered.}}

Line 496:

* "The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring" from ''The Mikado''.

** Another [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] example is "Happily Coupled are We" from ''Ruddigore'', though Rose's verse was cut in several of the D'Oyly Carte revivals, thus adding the [[Second Verse Curse]] to the curse upon the Murgatroyds.

** The second act of ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' is full of this kind of song (as well as the other kind of [[Dark Reprise]], for which see below).

** The second act of ''The Yeomen of the Guard'' is full of this kind of song (as well as the other kind of Dark Reprise, for which see below).

* "America" from ''[[West Side Story]]''.

* "Master of the House" from ''[[Les Misérables (theatre)|Les Misérables]]''. Two verses of a character glorifying his own wicked ways, and in the last verse his wife comes in and insists that he's just a petty crook.

Line 504:

* "You Must Meet My Wife" from ''[[A Little Night Music]]''.

* "Baby, Dream Your Dream" from ''[[Sweet Charity]]''. Starts out with Nikki and Helene mocking Charity's optimism, but then they reveal that they would love to have someon to love them.

* The Act II version "Not a Day Goes By" from Sondheim's ''[[Merrily We Roll Along]]'', in which Frank and Beth sing of their love for each other while their words are echoed by Mary, who is secretly in love with Frank. Of course, the Act I version of the song - which Beth sings bitterly to Frank after their divorce - is also a [[Dark Reprise]] despite coming ''first'', since the action of the play moves ''backwards''.

* The Act II version "Not a Day Goes By" from Sondheim's ''[[Merrily We Roll Along]]'', in which Frank and Beth sing of their love for each other while their words are echoed by Mary, who is secretly in love with Frank. Of course, the Act I version of the song - which Beth sings bitterly to Frank after their divorce - is also a Dark Reprise despite coming ''first'', since the action of the play moves ''backwards''.

* ''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' has this in the first major duet after the opening number. "There's No Place Like London" opens with Anthony singing the praises of the city in tones of romantic idealism. His fellow passenger, Sweeney Todd, who lived in London all his life before being sent overseas on a false charge fifteen years ago, has nothing but contempt for the city, and his darkly cynical lyrics contrast Anthony's opening in a big way.

* "O Happy We" from ''Candide'', may be an unintentional invocation of this trope, as Candide and Cunegonde talk past each other obliviously as they discuss their radically different images of married life. (Some versions of this show gave this song an actual [[Dark Reprise]].)

* "O Happy We" from ''Candide'', may be an unintentional invocation of this trope, as Candide and Cunegonde talk past each other obliviously as they discuss their radically different images of married life. (Some versions of this show gave this song an actual Dark Reprise.)

* In ''[[Chicago]]'', Roxie's song "Funny Honey" suddenly turns spiteful when her husband Amos fails to maintain an alibi for the murder she committed.

* "All for the Best" in ''[[Godspell]]'' has Jesus sing the first verse to say that the suffering one goes through in life is "all for the best" in heaven. Judas then says that anything of any value is "all for the best" people.

Line 553:

== [[Web Original]] ==

* "On The Rise" from ''[[Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog]]'' ~~-- inverted~~, as it starts with Dr. Horrible's negative verse and follows up with Penny's optimistic variation. The overall effect, however, is the same.

* "On The Rise" from ''[[Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog]]''—inverted, as it starts with Dr. Horrible's negative verse and follows up with Penny's optimistic variation. The overall effect, however, is the same.

Line 562:

** Only made worse in that the song is about a soldier coming home. {{spoiler|Iroh's son}} was a soldier who died in battle.

*** Not to mention that the whole mini-episode doubles as a {{spoiler|memorial for the actor voicing Iroh up to that point}}

** Even more interesting since the first time the song sends the message that [[War Is Glorious]]. The [[Dark Reprise]] instead sends the opposite message that [[War Is Hell]].

** Even more interesting since the first time the song sends the message that [[War Is Glorious]]. The Dark Reprise instead sends the opposite message that [[War Is Hell]].

** Done to comic effect in another episode, where the leitmotif of the imitation Avatars is the normally awe-inspiring Avatar music [[Crowning Moment of Funny|played on an off-key tuba]].

* The song Apu sings in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode after losing his job; "Who needs the Quickie Mart?... I dooooooooo!"