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Ghost Song

 Ghost Song
type
FeatureClass
 Ghost Song
label
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song
page
GhostSong
 Ghost Song
comment
Sometimes, things in musical theatre can get a little weird. Or perhaps they were unusual from the start, and this is the logical conclusion. For whatever reason, every once in a while, a ghost is bound to pop up and sing a musical number, often as a warning or encouragement to The Hero. Sometimes the ghost is of someone who died in the course of the show, or of someone dead long before the overture. In any case, it can be a powerful device if used properly. These songs (and/or sequences) tend to be played for surrealism.
Subtrope of Dead Person Conversation, which is not necessarily musical, but which is based in the same principle. Compare The Dead Can Dance. Not to be confused with the video game of the same name nor with the song of the same name by The Doors.
 Ghost Song
fetched
2023-08-29T16:59:54Z
 Ghost Song
parsed
2023-08-29T16:59:54Z
 Ghost Song
processingComment
Dropped link to EmilieAutumn: Not an Item - IGNORE
 Ghost Song
processingComment
Dropped link to GreekChorus: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Ghost Song
processingComment
Dropped link to GustavMahler: Not an Item - IGNORE
 Ghost Song
processingComment
Dropped link to WarningSong: Not an Item - FEATURE
 Ghost Song
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Ghost Song / int_14e0f4f9
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_14e0f4f9
comment
Fiddler on the Roof has a weird meta example, as the song "Tevye's Dream" is about the lead pretending to have had a dream in which a ghost song occurred, which he is now describing to his wife.
 Ghost Song / int_14e0f4f9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_14e0f4f9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Fiddler on the Roof (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_14e0f4f9
 Ghost Song / int_1913b4de
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_1913b4de
comment
Anything Gabe sings in Next to Normal. Especially the ironically-named "I'm Alive". "Aftershocks" also applies, but for an additional reason - Gabe sings it after he has been erased from Diana's head, so he has effectively died twice.
 Ghost Song / int_1913b4de
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_1913b4de
featureConfidence
1.0
 Next to Normal (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_1913b4de
 Ghost Song / int_1af3cde6
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_1af3cde6
comment
Cats has "Firefrorefiddle", a strange, specter-like entity, prancing about occasionally in the Gus the theatre cat song. It's not a literal ghost, but rather the memory of Gus's greatest role taking on a life of its own.
 Ghost Song / int_1af3cde6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_1af3cde6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Cats (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_1af3cde6
 Ghost Song / int_1f574c31
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_1f574c31
comment
In Woody Allen's film Everyone Says I Love You, the ghost of the grandfather interrupts his own funeral to sing "Enjoy Yourself", accompanied by other ghosts who dance out of the funeral home.
 Ghost Song / int_1f574c31
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_1f574c31
featureConfidence
1.0
 Everyone Says I Love You
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_1f574c31
 Ghost Song / int_28fba44c
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_28fba44c
comment
Urinetown (Arguably a flashback, but nevertheless, "Tell Her I Love Her" is a duet between Little Sally and the dead hero Bobby, who has been "sent to Urinetown", as she tells them his last words. Whether his joining in is part of a flashback or a ghost echoing Sally's words differs by production.)
 Ghost Song / int_28fba44c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_28fba44c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Urinetown (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_28fba44c
 Ghost Song / int_2bca217e
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_2bca217e
comment
Into the Woods ("No More", when the Baker is visited by his father, The Mysterious Man, who died at the end of Act One.)
Also, right before the Witch sings "Children Will Listen", the Baker's Wife consoles her husband, who is unsure of how to raise their child on his own.
Cinderella's Mother's sung parts in "Cinderella at the Grave" and the shoe fitting scene.
All of the characters who reappear at the beginning of the final sequence, reprising the "One Midnight Gone" material and delivering their final morals, are ghosts. This presumably includes the Steward, Cinderella's Father, Stepmother and family, who seemingly starved to death before they could find their "hidden kingdom" but excludes the Princes and their new Princesses.
 Ghost Song / int_2bca217e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_2bca217e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Into the Woods (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_2bca217e
 Ghost Song / int_468d7b54
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_468d7b54
comment
Passing Strange (After The Narrator interrupts the idealistic Youth's "Passing Phase" with an abrupt slide to the other end of the scale, his dead Mother returns to stop his depressingly cynical thought process with simple encouragement. "It's all right.")
 Ghost Song / int_468d7b54
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_468d7b54
featureConfidence
1.0
 Passing Strange (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_468d7b54
 Ghost Song / int_4a95862d
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_4a95862d
comment
Since The Fix begins with his death, any song Senator Reed Chandler is in might qualify. Of course, one of those occasions is while his delinquent son Cal is on drugs, hence the might.
 Ghost Song / int_4a95862d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_4a95862d
featureConfidence
1.0
 TheFix
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_4a95862d
 Ghost Song / int_4c69bb57
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_4c69bb57
comment
The only characters in Ride the Cyclone are six teenagers who die in a tragic roller coaster accident at the beginning of the show (and one mechanical Fortune Teller who narrates the show). By virtue of their death so early in the show, all the songs they sing are Ghost Songs (possibly with the exception of "Sailing Through Space," which takes place about 10 seconds before they die, and "Uranium," which is a flashback to their senior recital). Every character's signature song ("What the World Needs is People Like Me," "Noel's Lament," "This Song is Awesome"/"Talia," "Space Aged Bachelor Man," "The Ballad of Jane Doe," and "Sugarcloud") is sung with the express knowledge that they're dead and in limbo.
 Ghost Song / int_4c69bb57
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_4c69bb57
featureConfidence
1.0
 Ride the Cyclone (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_4c69bb57
 Ghost Song / int_563f7096
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_563f7096
comment
Anastasia: Many scenes include the ghostly figures of Anya's dead and half-forgotten family who contribute background vocals, serve as symbols of Anya's memories and past, and add dramatic contrast to certain scenes. Not an outright example since they don't sing anything beyond background vocals and a dream sequence, but definitely still applicable.
 Ghost Song / int_563f7096
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_563f7096
featureConfidence
1.0
 Anastasia (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_563f7096
 Ghost Song / int_581faca3
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_581faca3
comment
During a funeral in Antonia's Line, the dead woman sits up and starts singing. However, this is implied to be simply her granddaughter's vivid imagination.
 Ghost Song / int_581faca3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_581faca3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Antonia's Line
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_581faca3
 Ghost Song / int_6046ad8e
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_6046ad8e
comment
In Beauty and the Beast (Golden 1999), the three ghost narrators sing "Live Like a King" to Beauty's father.
 Ghost Song / int_6046ad8e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_6046ad8e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Beauty and the Beast (Golden 1999)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_6046ad8e
 Ghost Song / int_7466d203
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_7466d203
comment
Spring Awakening ("Those You've Known," in which post-suicide Moritz and recently-deceased Wendla convince Melchior to move on after Melchior discovers Wendla has died from an abortion of their child.)
 Ghost Song / int_7466d203
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_7466d203
featureConfidence
1.0
 Spring Awakening (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_7466d203
 Ghost Song / int_79c00bf7
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_79c00bf7
comment
In Heathers, we have "Yo Girl," being sung by the ghosts of Heather Chandler, Ram Sweeney, and Kurt Kelly. The song starts off slowly but ominously, as the three mock Veronica for her horrible actions, proclaiming that "Now [Veronica is] truly a Heather." It then turns into a a warning when JD breaks into Veronica's room, as the tempo increases greatly.
 Ghost Song / int_79c00bf7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_79c00bf7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Heathers (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_79c00bf7
 Ghost Song / int_7db52f7e
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_7db52f7e
comment
In the reprise of "Wie Du" ("Like You") in Elisabeth, the title character asks her father's ghost for guidance. He's unable to help her, just like in the version of the song in which he was alive.
 Ghost Song / int_7db52f7e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_7db52f7e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Elisabeth (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_7db52f7e
 Ghost Song / int_8df7a981
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_8df7a981
comment
"The Letter" from the musical version of Billy Elliot fits, being sung (in part) by Billy's dead mother.
 Ghost Song / int_8df7a981
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_8df7a981
featureConfidence
1.0
 Billy Elliot
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_8df7a981
 Ghost Song / int_90f7114
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_90f7114
comment
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (The final reprise of "The Ballad" at the end of the show starts with all of the principles—most of whom are dead at this point—singing the first verse in turns, and it all ends with the dead Todd and Lovett leading the company.)
 Ghost Song / int_90f7114
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_90f7114
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_90f7114
 Ghost Song / int_9ab064e6
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_9ab064e6
comment
Les Misérables (During the "Epilogue", the ghosts of Fantine, and then Eponine, visit Valjean in his dying moments to usher him to the afterlife. The final number usually includes all the characters, living and dead.)
Inverted with "Empty Chairs At Empty Tables".
 Ghost Song / int_9ab064e6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_9ab064e6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Les Misérables (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_9ab064e6
 Ghost Song / int_9fa025d
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_9fa025d
comment
In Mother3, Lord Passion is a dead composer and conductor, who let's objects fly by his music. His theme, Family matters: Second movement is composed by himself.
In reality, it's made up from five popular classical songs.
 Ghost Song / int_9fa025d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_9fa025d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Mother 3 (Video Game)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_9fa025d
 Ghost Song / int_ac03a2dd
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_ac03a2dd
comment
The finale song in Little Shop of Horrors, "Don't Feed The Plants", is fittingly sung by the characters who were eaten by the plant.
 Ghost Song / int_ac03a2dd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_ac03a2dd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Little Shop of Horrors (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_ac03a2dd
 Ghost Song / int_ae1f8a83
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_ae1f8a83
comment
The title song in Jesus Christ Superstar is sung by Judas, who has already hung himself.
 Ghost Song / int_ae1f8a83
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_ae1f8a83
featureConfidence
1.0
 JesusChristSuperstar
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_ae1f8a83
 Ghost Song / int_aeb84363
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_aeb84363
comment
Any musical version of A Christmas Carol is going to have at least one of these. Even if you don't count the spirits as ghosts for purposes of this trope (and its supertrope Dead Person Conversation), Marley nearly always has a song of his own.
 Ghost Song / int_aeb84363
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_aeb84363
featureConfidence
1.0
 A Christmas Carol
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_aeb84363
 Ghost Song / int_aeedbded
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_aeedbded
comment
Almost all of Lily's material in The Secret Garden, especially "Come To My Garden", and a half-ghost duet "How Could I Ever Know".
In addition, the Greek Chorus ensemble is comprised of the ghosts of people Mary knew in India, including her parents.
 Ghost Song / int_aeedbded
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_aeedbded
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Secret Garden (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_aeedbded
 Ghost Song / int_bb834769
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_bb834769
comment
Carousel (Technically, anything Billy sings after his death.)
 Ghost Song / int_bb834769
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_bb834769
featureConfidence
1.0
 Carousel (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_bb834769
 Ghost Song / int_da90986c
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_da90986c
comment
Half of the characters in Beetlejuice are ghosts, so this pretty much comes with the territory. "The Whole Being Dead Thing" and "Fright of Their Lives" in particular are about introducing the audience/characters to death and ghost-hood.
 Ghost Song / int_da90986c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_da90986c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Beetlejuice (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_da90986c
 Ghost Song / int_f54f2fbd
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_f54f2fbd
comment
In Young Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein dreams about his long-dead ancestors visiting and pushing him to fulfill his Mad Scientist destiny in "Join the Family Business".
 Ghost Song / int_f54f2fbd
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_f54f2fbd
featureConfidence
1.0
 Young Frankenstein (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_f54f2fbd
 Ghost Song / int_f6c25e1b
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_f6c25e1b
comment
In Benjamin Britten's operatic adaptation of The Turn of the Screw, the ghosts of Peter Quinn and Miss Jessel definitely exist, though it's implied that only the children can hear their voices. Quinn's ghost seduces little Miles in a sensuous serenade, and at the beginning of Act 2, the two ghosts use a duet as an expository device.
 Ghost Song / int_f6c25e1b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_f6c25e1b
featureConfidence
1.0
 The Turn of the Screw
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_f6c25e1b
 Ghost Song / int_ff1a7522
type
Ghost Song
 Ghost Song / int_ff1a7522
comment
Sunday in the Park with George ("Move On", in which the spirit of his great-grandmother—the female lead of Act One—visits George and tells him to stop angsting over his work.)
 Ghost Song / int_ff1a7522
featureApplicability
1.0
 Ghost Song / int_ff1a7522
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sunday in the Park with George (Theatre)
hasFeature
Ghost Song / int_ff1a7522

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Ghost Song
processingCategory2
Musical Number Index
 Doctor Whooves Adventures (Audio Play) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 The Muppet Christmas Carol / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Evita (Music) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Jesus Christ Superstar (Music) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Sound Horizon (Music) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Smash / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Beetlejuice (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Captain Sabertooth (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Carousel (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Heathers (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Heathers: The Musical (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Into the Woods (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Next to Normal (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Nine (Musical) (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Our House (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Ride the Cyclone (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Ruddigore (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Spring Awakening (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 The Grinning Man (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 The Secret Garden (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 We Are the Tigers (Theatre) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song
 Paranormal HK (Video Game) / int_2dc373ff
type
Ghost Song