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That Reminds Me of a Song: Difference between revisions
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At its most basic, this is a song sung [[Engaging Chevrons|just to kill time]], with a fairly thin excuse. The song doesn't tell us anything about the characters or the setting, it doesn't advance the plot, it doesn't serve any obvious purpose at all besides filling out the running time. If the song ''does'' have [[Subtext]], [[Mr. Exposition|exposition]], or plot-related action, and thus plot significance, it's [[Suspiciously Apropos Music]].
In Indian film, an upbeat song that has no relation to the plot is called an [[The Item Number|Item Number]].
Frequent [[Justified Trope|justifications]] include having some or all of the characters be actors or actresses, or setting one of the scenes at a nightclub or similar. A small-scale variation on the [[Show Within a Show]].
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** In ''[[Spamalot]]'', the musical based on the movie, King Brian is substantially less successful. In fact, several songs in ''Spamalot'' fit in this trope: the Finland song and "Diva's Lament (What Ever Happened to My Part?)" most notably.
* Used to great effect in the film ''Cabaret,'' where the only off-stage song is a young boy who just begins to sing a capella in a cafe's garden, "Tomorrow Belongs To Me."
* This one would be a borderline [[
* Even [[Alfred Hitchcock]] succumbed to this: the 1956 remake of ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'', which showcases Doris Day singing "Que Sera, Sera" ''multiple times'', ultimately using it {{spoiler|in a game of Marco Polo so our protagonists can locate their kidnapped offspring}}.
* In several ''[[Marx Brothers]]'' movies, Harpo and/or Chico would get one of these as an excuse to play their characteristic instrument—the harp for Harpo, or the piano for Chico.
* ''[[Singin' in the
* Parodied in ''[[Cannibal! The Musical]]'': Swan's infamous "Snowman" song, which he sings at the worst times. The second time, though, one of the group loses it and just shoots him halfway through it.
* The Floor Show in ''[[Rocky Horror Picture Show]]''.
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