Movies can associate themselves with songs in a lot of ways. They can introduce us to new music. I think a lot of peoples’ first exposure to common classical pieces is through movies. Anybody ever heard Grieg’s Morning Mood for the first time when it wasn’t a morning scene in a cartoon? I’d never heard “Mad World” before Donnie Darko and now the song only reminds me of the film’s closing scene no matter where I hear it.

But I’m specifically asking about a song that you’re familiar with whose meaning and association is completely changed – for better or worse – by later encountering it in a movie.

Thanks to my father, I was pretty familiar with ELO at a young age. I’m not a super fan by any means, but I knew most of the catalog. But since about three years ago, whenever I hear  “Living Thing”, I immediately flash to Dirk Diggler’s large, veiny penis and the words “I’m a star,” thanks to the song’s use in a smash cut to credits. It’s a great, hilarious moment in Boogie Nights, where the mystical member that set off a series of adventures across two decades is finally revealed in all its excessive plainness. It’s not exactly and image I want to associate with those opening strings. But ’tis my cross to bear.

How about you? Any previous favorites ruined by excessive use in movies? Any previously ignored songs boosted in your esteem when it recalls a favorite scene or image? What songs have been changed forever by the movie(s) that used them?