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{{quote|''A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.''|'''[[The Bible|Jeremiah 31:15]]'''}}
It's not [[Ominous Latin Chanting]], it's not the [[Cherubic Choir]], but somewhere in between, close to the [[Ethereal Choir]]. A solitary, usually wordless wail (possibly to simulate wind or grieving), usually done by either a woman or, for extra poignancy points, a child (usually a boy soprano). The best time to include this trope is during the aftermath of something really dramatic—a battle, natural disaster, etc. Basically, any event where Ominous Latin Chanting would just fall short in the sadness department.
Often fills out a [[Moment of Silence]]. Kin to the [[Lonely Piano Piece]]. This is also what can come to mind when you hear the word "[[Opera]]".
You get ''extra'' extra poignancy points for cutting out all sound during the epic event, go into [[Slow Motion]], and having the One Woman Wail play over it.
Beware, though, for [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|overuse of this trope]] can send you on a [[Narm]]tastic voyage...
Wordless singing that isn't the otherworldly, often anguished, and even startling wail is not this trope, it's [[Scatting]].
{{examples}}
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* The opening theme to ''[[Gate Keepers 21]]''. The second half flips the themes, and this is moved to the ending credits, while the catchy [[J Pop]] song "Ima, Egao ga Areba" in the ending credits plays to a new OP sequence.
* During {{spoiler|Misuzu}}'s final moments in ''[[AIR]]'', the acapella intro of the song "Aozora" starts playing. It evolves into a full-blown song after a while, but it serves its purpose as a One-Woman Wail at that point very well, immensely heightening the impact of an already [[Tear Jerker|very sad scene]].
* Prominently featured in Anemone's theme from ''[[Eureka Seven]]''.
* "Lilium", ''[[Elfen Lied]]'''s opening theme, is ''both'' this trope and [[Ominous Latin Chanting]] by being a one woman Latin wail. When it's used during scenes, it sounds like it's sung by a bunch of monks instead.
* The "Introjection" track from (disc III of) the ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' soundtrack.
* ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex|Ghost in the Shell: SAC]]'', where almost ALL the opening themes are sung by a Russian singer named Origa. The first theme, "[[Inner Universe]]" even takes the next step and features latin vocals from boy soprano Ben Del Maestro.
* Appears frequently in ''[[Blood
* Kira Yamato's personal battle theme in ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'', "Kira Just As He Pleases" features the One-Woman Wail, in direct contrast to Shinn Asuka's theme, which has [[Ominous Latin Chanting]].
* "Ake ni Somaru" from ''[[Hell Girl]]'' features both a woman ''and'' a child, mixed with creepy trance music. It did a damn good job of turning mundane, peaceful scenes (like a cityscape at sunset) into spooky panoramas.
* The ending credits to ''[[Gunslinger Girl]]'' has One Woman Wailing in Italian, with a second voice occasionally speaking without tone during interludes. The entire sequence shows a handgun lying on a cobblestone street as it rains and the credits scrolling up, heightening the tragic overtones of the series.
* ''[[Flag]]'''s opening puts a One-Woman Wail over photographs of war and the childhood of the protagonist. It's actually pretty good.
* ''[[Saint Seiya]]'' had ''two'' different One-Woman Wail songs. One sung by none other than famous theme song singer Horie Mitsuko, who'd later join the cast as Princess Hilda.
* The ''[[Sailor Moon]] S'' anime featured one of these every time {{spoiler|Hotaru manifested her powers as Mistress Nine}}. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4LjdiW9V4M Here it is.]
* The track "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ScJ94qITwA Cage of Fate, Circle of Destiny]"{{broken link}} from ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]''. Used in scenes such as the final confrontation with [[Big Bad|Precia]].
* The track that accompanied the opening scenes of the ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]] [[Ala Alba]]'' OAD's first episode, where Ku:Nel confirmed that Nagi was alive and could possibly be found in the Magicl World and Negi and crew proclaim their intent to search for him there.
* Spoofed in ''[[Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei]]'': the track that would normally serve as a One-Woman Wail tends to play during faux-dramatic scenes and sometimes at completely random times, such as during the sponsor message. It's also often cut short when the shot suddenly changes.
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* "Autumn of Life" during the final confrontation with Kagato in ''[[Tenchi Universe]]''.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcufqjuOsYE Innovator] from the second season of Gundam 00.
* The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuofG8a7EEk main theme] of [[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]. It's the main theme because it sort of embodies the tragic insanity everyone, including most of the young girls {{spoiler|and the male lead}}, fall under. It's most often used during scenes regarding the aftermath of the [[Bad Ending|Great Hinamizawa Gas Disaster]].
* A great example is from [[Uchuu Senkan Yamato]]. Almost every movie and TV series opening starts with a voice-over narration accompanied by a magnificent One-Woman Wail ''The Infinity of Space''. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWT4vOrQJ08 Example from the Space Battleship Concert 1984]
* In ''[[Digimon Savers]]'', the [[Super Mode|Burst Mode]] evolution theme is an orchestral piece accompanied by a One-Woman Wail. Much, ''[[Crowning Music of Awesome|much]]'' [[Better Than It Sounds]].
* There are a couple of songs in the anime Soul Eater that fall under this category - usually the darker sounding negative ones played during parts dealing with evil magic users in the show. Notable are [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs6TckpsQ9g&feature=related Kindertotenlied] (translating roughly as "Song of the Dead Children") and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Df_V6lLnIc&feature=related Peace be with you].
* ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' scores Barnaby's flashbacks of his parents' murder with an ominous operatic wail.
== Films -- Animation ==
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* This happens in ''[[The Day After Tomorrow]]'', as the camera lovingly [[Scenery Gorn|pans over scenes of meteorological destruction]].
* ''[[The Matrix]]'': while they're acupuncturing Neo into being able to function as a physical person.
* The soundtracks of ''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'' and ''[[Troy]]'' indulged in a fair amount of this.
** ''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'' is [https://web.archive.org/web/20110813043738/http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/feature/2004/05/25/wails/index.html probably responsible] for lending the trope much of its considerable current momentum. This kind of wailing, not always on soundtracks, constitutes some 75% of [[Lisa Gerrard]]'s career. [[Tropes Are Not Bad|Not that I'm complaining.]]
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' had several moments like this.
** A boy soprano cutting in at dramatic moments like Gandalf's escape from Orthanc, his fall at Khazad-dum and the Ents breaking Saruman's dam, and almost any other moment when nature shows resurgence.
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*** When Gollum recovers the One Ring.
*** When the Eagles rescue Frodo and Sam at the end.
*** Used in-universe in a <s> deleted scene</s> scene of the extended version in which Eowyn sings a lament at her cousin Theodred's funeral.
* Appears in-universe and to chilling effect (though there was more than one woman performing it) while the Harif army in [[Lawrence of Arabia]] is setting out to cross the Nefud and attack Al-aquaba. The shot from the top of the cliff with the mourning women drowning out the stirring battle songs from below...
** It's called "ululation", which is different from a wail and could also be interpreted as the women giving the men an encouraging send off.
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* [[Ironic Nursery Tune|Mercedes' lullaby to Ofelia]] in ''[[Pan's Labyrinth]]''.
* In ''The Red Violin,'' a woman humming, called "Anna's Theme" on the soundtrack, introduces the titular violin. In a beautiful and subtle transition, the woman's hum becomes the sound of <s> Joshua Bell</s> the violin.
** And if you pay attention, during the credits the violin's score returns—and then fades back into Anna's humming.
* The "Jill's America" motif in [[Ennio Morricone]]'s soundtrack to ''[[Once Upon a Time in the West]]'': slow, arching very high and very low, and achingly beautiful. It first appears in the background when she arrives at her house and sees what should have been her new family, every member gunned down in cold blood.
* In ''[[The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly]]'', Ennio Morricone gives us the "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PwpOmjAu1M The Ecstasy of Gold]". Not so much a One Woman Wail as a One Woman Orgasmic Scream, though.
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* Used at the start of ''[[Harry Potter]] and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2'' as Snape {{spoiler|overlooks the soulless military camp that Hogwarts has become.}} For bonus points, it's ''Lily's Theme''.
** Used twice more to great effect: the tracks are called {{spoiler|''Snape's Demise''}} and ''The Resurrection Stone''. While ''Lily'' and ''Snape'' are very mournful lamentations that complement each other, the warmer, more hopeful ''Stone'' plays as Harry prepares to join his loved ones in the Forbidden Forest, bringing the Marauders' strand of the story to its close.
* During the opening scenes of ''[[The Hunger Games (film)|The Hunger Games]]'', ethereal vocalizations play as we are introduced to Katniss and her impoverished home in District 12.
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* Used to great effect when Jack Bauer raids the warehouse where the Drazens (who Jack believes to have killed his daughter Kim) are hiding out near the end of the first season of ''[[24]]''.
* "Take This Sabbath Day," ''[[The West Wing]]'''s [[Very Special Episode]] about the death penalty, has the female cantor at Toby's synagogue practicing "Hashkiveinu" as he discusses the issue with his rabbi. The song is also played over the montage at the end of the episode. "7A WF 83429", the episode in which the President's daughter was kidnapped, used Dead Can Dance's "Sanvean (I'm Your Shadow)" over a montage showing thousands of floral tributes left at the White House Fence, evoking memories of Princess Diana {{spoiler|although Zoey has not died and will eventually be found}}.
** Toby lampshades this by asking if the Rabbi placed the cantor there on purpose.
* Included in the theme music for ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]'' (otherwise an [[Instrumental Theme Tune]]).
* Promos for various cop shows, especially ''[[Law and Order|Law & Order]]'', use a wordless Arabic-style women's vocal when this week's episode is going to feature Muslims in some way.
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** Also The [[Cocteau Twins]] and Elizabeth Fraser.
*** Plus Vas and Nyiaz, both featuring Azam Ali, who also has her own soul career.
*** [[Massive Attack|Love, love, is a verb...]]
* Tiesto—A Tear in the Open (A [[Tear Jerker]], of course). The Gaelic [[Standard Snippet|stock vocal snippet]](based on a Scottish folk song) was also used in the ''[[Tomb Raider]]: Legend'' soundtrack.
* Inverted: [[Ozzy Osbourne]] does a one-man wail in the song "Black Rain".
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* Blixa Bargeld does this often. [[Nick Cave]] once described Blixa's wailing as "a sound you would expect to hear from strangled cats or dying children."
* Ayreon's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siM9NBGdWT8 "Ride the Comet"].
* A signature of [[Enya]], who [[Your Mileage May Vary|some small minority of people claim]] pushes the envelope into [[Narm]].
** And [[Bjork]], who does not.
* [[Kate Bush]] and her various devotees, most obviously [[Tori Amos]], [[Sarah Brightman]] and [[Sarah McLachlan]]... the latter of whom used a classic example of this trope in the song "Silence" with...
** Delerium, a Canadian techno duo whose music employs this trope to the point of [[Refuge in Audacity|excess]]. Featuring a series of female back-up singers (including their label-mate, a pre-superstardom Sarah McLachlan), Delerium songs rarely employ more than a handful of words; the substance of the song comes from long wordless vocal interludes over techno-rock orchestrations. Originally an [[wikipedia:Ambient techno#Ambient techno|ambient soundscape]] band, Delerium found commercial success with a more emotionally-oriented techno-pop approach - the keystone of which involves this trope.
*** Conjure One, a "side-project" of Delerium partner Rhys Fulbar, records albums that are virtually indistinguishable from those released under the name Delerium... especially in their (over)use of this trope.
* The late Ofra Haza provided one in ''Temple of Love'' by [[The Sisters of Mercy]].
* [[Orbital]]: "Belfast", "Halcyon (& On & On)", "Are We Here", "Dwr Budr", "Nothing Left" (both featuring Alison Goldfrapp), and "One Perfect Sunrise" (featuring Lisa Gerrard). The latter is [[Tear Jerker|depressing as all get]].
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* Blue Amazon: "The Javelin", "Paradise Regime", etc.
* Juno Reactor's "Pistolero", "Giant", "Mona Lisa Overdrive", and "Navras", all featuring Taz Alexander, and maybe others. The latter two also use [[Ominous Latin Chanting]].
* "First Strike" by Signum.
** "Healesville Sanctuary" also uses this.
* BT - Firewater.
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* [[Sarah McLachlan]].
* Found in [http://www.wired.com/listening_post/2008/04/a-scientific-at/ The Most Unwanted Song]
* [[Vocaloid]] KAITO's ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdIz5lHxYOw Sayang]'': The beginning and ending's wail obviously sung "Sayang", but it's officially a One Man Wail in the middle.
** Another KAITO song, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeWXZw07oR8 Pane dhiria]'', features this as one of the background vocals.
* [[Amanda Palmer]] likes this on tracks like Slide and Deliah
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* Swans' former vocalist Jarboe was prone to this. "Blood On Your Hands" comes to mind, as does the ''Swans Are Dead'' version of "I Crawled", in which {{spoiler|it eventually mutates into a truly [[Badass]] [[Metal Scream]]. [[Hell Is That Noise|Hell?]] ''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Yes.]]''}}
* [[Roza Rymbaeva]], especially in "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGll0KmTW2w Alia]". "AAAAAALIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Aru qyzy sen khaaaaalqyyyyyymnyyyyyn! AAAAAALIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Batyr qyzy sen khaaaaalqyyyyymnyyyyyn! Yerke kusy sen daaaalaaaamyyyyn! AAAAAALIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
* [[Nina Hagen]]'s [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcKhFZj0nFY Natuträne]. The song starts out as a very positive, poetic description of a German city. Then she mentions how much seeing a loved one outside makes her want to cry, and how the little bits of nature around the city touch her heart, and she starts to ''warble'' in the most [[Crazy Awesome]] way.
* [[The Tiger Lillies]] do this occasionally, despite being an all-male band—the lead singer is a perfect falsetto. Their song "Maria", a 9-minute wail about a woman who is slaughtered by a madman, is the most prominent example.
* [[Tarja Turunen]] naturally is rather fond of this. [[Nightwish]] tunes "Astral Romance," "Angels Falls First," "Swanheart," "The Siren" and especially "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb2dlQFN5-c Passion and the Opera]" use it, and most of her solo works as well.
* Much of [[Iced Earth]] 's recent Set Abominae-based material has made use of both this and [[Ominous Latin Chanting]]. Most blatant one is probably "[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to8-U75pJBE Awakening]."
* The third movement of [[Leonard Bernstein]]'s "Jeremiah" Symphony has extracts from the Lamentations of Jeremiah sung in Hebrew.
* Another rare male example occurs in [[Rush]]'s 2112, at roughly 1:45 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzpDOB2JYKc here]. Of course, if any man can do a One-Woman Wail, it's Geddy Lee.
* The deeply unsettling [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_yhrltWow Doom. A Sigh] by Istvan Marta features field recordings of two Romanian women singing laments for the dead; the first seems to be actually weeping as she sings, and the poor quality of the recordings gives it all an otherworldly feel.
* On the [[ABBA]] song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HnOFwqpLRQ "The Day Before You Came"], Agnetha Falskog sings the verses with lyrics about a romantic affair and then Frida Lyngstad(who is a trained opera singer) sings a long mournful wail.
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* "Ashes" from the ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' OST.
* ''[[No More Heroes]]'' with Bad Girl's theme, ''Pleather for Breakfast.''
* Notably in ''[[Star Ocean]]: Till the End of Time'', the background music on the aptly named planet Styx. [http://lamda.bluelaguna.net/so3music/33%20-%20Interval%20of%20Freezed%20Time.mp3\]{{Dead link}}
* This is a favorite technique of ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'' series composer Yoshitaka Hirota.
* While the soundtrack of the original ''[[Deus Ex]]'' is [[Cyberpunk Is Techno|almost entirely techno]] - the second game, ''[[Deus Ex: Invisible War|Invisible War]]'' features a One-Woman Wail remix of the original game's theme. The soundtrack of [[Deus Ex: Human Revolution|Human Revolution]], on the other hand, has a wail in almost every track.
* The main theme and related [[leitmotif]]s for ''[[Ninety-Nine Nights]]'' features this technique.
* ''[[
* The themes for the battles against Fienne, Thuris and {{spoiler|Drazil}} in ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]''.
* ''[[Dragon Age]]'' loves this trope, with wailing at the title credits and during the Battle of Ostagar. Leliana will sing in camp if you have high enough approval rating with her.
* The opening animation sequence of ''[[Suikoden II]]''.
* The opening animation sequence of ''[[Suikoden III]]''.
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** Also from 5, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkO6J8ABXhM "Grabacr,"] starting at about 3:20.
** ''[[Ace Combat Joint Assault]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbqSeihre6w pulls one of these as well].
** As does ''[[Ace Combat: Assault Horizon]]'' with "Mrs. Krista Yoslav" (which plays during the [[Final Battle]]). A bit confusing, [[Culture Chop Suey|the lyrics are in Russian but the tune is distinctly Middle-Eastern]].
* From ''[[Lost Odyssey]]'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFGrxKDrluI "Parting Forever"], which plays when {{spoiler|Lirum dies.}}
* From the ''[[Myst]]'' series, ''Uru: Ages Beyond Myst'' and ''Uru Live'' (AKA ''Myst Online'') has a One-Woman Wail in Kadish's Gallery. Another such wail plays in Kadish's Vault.
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* The ''[[Super Smash Bros Melee]]'' remix of the ''[[Pokémon]]'' theme.
* The ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' remix of the "Road to Bowser" music from ''[[Super Mario 64]]''.
* [[
* [[DEFCON]] has this in the main background music. Extra points for not being a woman singing in a sad voice, but actually crying. Which is very fitting, considering that the point of the game is to bomb as many of your enemies' cities with nukes as possible.
* There is an incredibly haunting track on the second volume of the [[Portal 2]] soundtrack called "Potatos' Lament".
* [[Gears of War]] 2 has this in With Sympathy, except that the wail slowly becomes more powerful towards the end.
* From [[Hellsinker]] we get the theme of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9cEPUOV-GQ Apostles of the Seed].
** And soon thereafter we get [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf0FxvSlHu0 Segment 7], the theme of Rex Cavalier althouth it's more of a One Man Wail.
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* Some tracks of the game [[Malicious]] use it, such as the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spr5f_DfuqQ eponimous music] (very soothing by the way).
* A Middle Eastern type wail is heard in ''[[P.N.03]]'''s intro cutscene, as well as the final stage.
* In ''.hack//G.U.'' we have the [http://youtu.be/9QwQfak6lyU Keel Mountain Range of Briona Gwydion], which is just one of several pieces like this.
* In [[Turgor]] found in the tracks called "The Adit" and " {{spoiler|Sister's Death}}"
* In [[Dead Island]], the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbZAUcpAhHg background music] for the church safehouse has a theme based on this trope.
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* A rare male example: Red sings one in ''[[There Will Be Brawl]]'' while, across town, Peach is kidnapped. Later, {{spoiler|a recording of him does it again over Yoshi's murder and his own funeral.}}
{{quote|[[Tear Jerker|So, uh...was I any good?]]}}
* [[That Guy With The Glasses|Doug Walker]] is ''[[Pet Peeve Trope|not]]'' [https://web.archive.org/web/20140217020910/http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/specials/30502-dougs-top-10-worst-cliches a fan].<ref>It's number 5 on the list, for those who don't want to watch the whole thing.</ref>
{{quote|''Ear poison! It is EAR POISON!!''}}
* [http://snd.sc/yfqNKb "Lockdown"] from ''[[Splinter Cell Extinction]]''.
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== Western Animation ==
* ''[[Courage the Cowardly Dog]]'' uses this trope during a boat chase scene where Doctor Gerbil pursues Courage. '''{{
** Also in the episode "Shadow of Courage", played whenever Muriel rushes over to whack Eustace with a rolling pin (because he's scaring/harming Courage).
* In ''[[Code Lyoko]]'', you hear an One-Woman Wail whenever Aelita uses her Creativity power. (Some viewers mistake it for Aelita actually doing the singing, but she sometimes speaks at the same time, showing it isn't the case.)
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