DreamWorks went NightmareWorks with these songs. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most intense, somber tunes in DreamWorks films.
00:07 Welcome to MsMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most intense, somber tunes in DreamWorks films.
00:14 To keep things simple, we won't be including instrumentals that provide ambience.
00:19 [Music]
00:25 Number 10 - Clint Eastwood, aka Ain't Happy
00:29 Trolls. The way a song is sung can have a major impact on its tone.
00:33 While The Sound of Silence is technically a darker song overall, with themes of miscommunication and difficult emotional connection at its helm,
00:41 Anna Kendrick's ukulele cover as Poppy really amps it up.
00:45 [Music]
00:57 For this entry, we're looking at the Bergens' downcast anthem, which is none other than the Gorillaz' Clint Eastwood.
01:04 [Music]
01:11 The way it's delivered, with gravelly voices and dreary visuals, does a lot to give this number a more somber feel.
01:18 It didn't make the soundtrack, so if you're searching for this one, you'll have to actually watch the movie to hear it.
01:25 [Music]
01:36 Number 9 - Hallelujah, Shrek
01:39 This song is sometimes played at weddings, and Shrek keeps in time with the tradition, as it plays when we see Fiona in her wedding dress.
01:47 [Music]
01:57 More than being a religious song, however, Hallelujah speaks on heartbreak and regret, among other heavy themes.
02:04 The filmmakers must have understood this because it comes at the moment that Shrek and Fiona have given up on each other, and Fiona is betrothed to another.
02:12 [Music]
02:19 Hallelujah is a gorgeous, mournful ballad, and though it feels a bit out of place in the otherwise sarcastic, wry piece that is Shrek, it does help create a bit of levity for this high-stakes moment.
02:31 [Music]
02:36 Number 8 - This Is The End, Puss In Boots, The Last Wish
02:41 Outside of the silly visuals, this is a song full of despair.
02:45 [Music]
02:52 In contrast with Puss's big happy hero number at the beginning of the movie, This Is The End stretches to the other end of the emotional spectrum.
03:00 It comes after the death of his old identity, and during a sequence where he's desperately trying to make the best of a living situation he's clearly not very enthused about.
03:09 [Music]
03:12 Eventually, our protagonist is worn down into apathy, which is incredibly sad considering how full of life Puss always was.
03:20 It doesn't last for too long, luckily, but for a while there, it felt like Puss really had accepted the end of his old life and self.
03:28 [Music]
03:41 Number 7 - Playing With The Big Boys Now, The Prince Of Egypt
03:45 The Prince Of Egypt might just be the Dreamworks movie with the most intense soundtrack.
03:50 The story is quite serious in comparison to other hits from the studio, so it's fitting that the film's songs would take on more of a grave tone too.
03:59 "You're playing with the big boys now."
04:03 "Playing with the big boys now."
04:07 "Oh that's pretty."
04:09 Playing With The Big Boys Now is as imposing as it is sinister.
04:13 We get hissed lyrics, shadowy visuals, ominous chanting, and some rather thinly veiled threats.
04:20 "By the might of Horus, you will kneel before us, kneel to our splendorous power."
04:27 Plus, lyrics like "It's your own grave you'll dig" make this one a shoe-in for baleful theatrical numbers.
04:34 "But first boy, it's time to bow, for it's your own grave you'll dig."
04:40 Number 6 - Born To Die - Trolls World Tour
04:44 The Trolls franchise, while appreciated for its music, is not exactly known for any hard-hitting sequences.
04:50 In fact, even the slower songs in the series are at least somewhat motivational, or moving in nature.
04:56 "Oh they must not know that music's supposed to make you happy. That's awful."
05:01 Born To Die, however, is the big exception. It is grim.
05:06 Country music is often about hardship, sure, but this is another level entirely.
05:11 The country trolls have the kind of working conditions that have hardened them to the point of feeling like they're simply born to die, with no real life in between.
05:20 "Every day's a rainy day." "Happy birthday, honey. Time to get to work." "Okay, daddy."
05:28 Led by Kelly Clarkson, this ballad goes beyond dark to downright dystopian.
05:33 "This misery makes it hard to deny. That's the way it goes when you're just born to die."
05:48 Number 5 - The Whistle Of Death - Puss In Boots - The Last Wish
05:59 Talk about hair-raising. We're treating the term "song" a little loosely with this entry, but we think it's well worth the mention.
06:06 The premise of The Last Wish is about Puss finally facing the prospect of death.
06:11 With nine lives, this was not something to worry about for a long time, but now that it's so near, he begins to panic.
06:27 Then again, how could he ever remain cool and collected when death looks like that?
06:32 And death has the fighting skill to back up his whole menacing appearance, too.
06:37 It's not just the creepy melody of the whistle that makes this one so terrifying, it's what it signifies for our protagonist.
06:44 "What's the matter? Lives flashing before your eyes?"
06:48 Number 4 - Little Drop Of Poison - Shrek 2
06:51 This track is heard for less than a minute, and for about half that time, it serves as background ambience.
06:57 But during that short period, it perfectly reflects the dingy atmosphere of the pub.
07:03 The full tune, sung by Tom Waits, can be heard on Shrek 2's motion picture soundtrack, and it definitely merits at least one listen all the way through.
07:20 If you're a fan of theatre or just the macabre, you'll get a kick out of it for sure.
07:26 It's a shame we didn't get to hear more of this one in the movie.
07:49 Number 3 - You Can't Take Me - Spirit - Stallion Of The Simmeron
07:54 Performed by Bryan Adams, this number is an absolute treat.
08:03 His voice has a slightly grittier quality than we're used to, and works perfectly for the emotion that needs to be conveyed in this scene.
08:17 Spirit was born to be free, and he doesn't go without a fight when the Wranglers attempt to drag him to captivity.
08:24 Eventually, he stops training only long enough to be brought into his new enclosure.
08:29 It was hard to watch when we were kids, and honestly, it still is today.
08:33 When all is said and done, "You Can't Take Me" reminds the audience of Spirit's persevering nature, a quality we'll see brought forward throughout much of his story.
08:43 You can't come uninvited, never gonna give it up, no.
08:50 You can't take me, I'm free.
08:57 Number 2 - The Plagues - The Prince Of Egypt
09:01 And even now, I wish that God had chose another.
09:05 Serving as your foe on his behalf, is the last thing that I wanted.
09:11 Moses and God unleash the Ten Plagues on the people of Egypt, and it's horrific for all involved, including Moses, who clearly feels a great deal of grief.
09:21 This number also gives focus to the fact that Moses and Ramesses were once raised as brothers.
09:26 Once I called you brother, once I thought the chance to make you laugh was all I ever wanted.
09:33 Each feels they've been betrayed by the other, and the powerful melody certainly reflects that sentiment.
09:39 It's like a tug of war, a heavy back and forth for who will wave the white flag in the end.
09:45 Even without the dark scenes playing out in front of us, the devastation is obvious in the lyrics and construction of the piece.
09:52 All this pain and devastation, how it tortures me inside.
09:57 All the innocent who suffer from your stubbornness and pride.
10:03 We need a breather after this one.
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10:21 Number 1. Deliver Us - The Prince of Egypt
10:25 From the very beginning of this song, we are painted a grisly picture of life for the enslaved Hebrew people dwelling in ancient Egypt.
10:33 They work tirelessly, are physically brutalised and are certainly not being fed enough for the manual labour they're forced to do.
10:40 Faster!
10:42 Still, their plea to God for deliverance feels inspirational in some measure.
11:02 The second half of the song is where things become truly spine-chilling,
11:06 as Yochaved is forced to send off her newborn across the Nile River in order to give him a chance of survival.
11:13 It's all kinds of heart-wrenching, and we get choked up watching it every time.
11:31 What DreamWorks song gave you the shivers? Let us know in the comments below.
11:36 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo.
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