How do you figure the songs in the show work?

[jeray2000 111]

Being that this is a fantasy world that has an emphasis on the power of harmony, and that there are sometimes mentioned in the regular show, the songs could very well be a real thing that happens. Or it could be something like background music that isn't really happening but just adds to the show. And there are different types of songs too, where they are spontaneous and random, like the gala song at The Best Night Ever, and songs that seem planned and thought out, like the Super Cider Squeezy 6000 song, that under certain circumstances could even occur in real life(assuming there was a suitable product for such a thing). So what's your opinion on them?

[The Taxman 274]

A wizard named Daniel Ingram came from the heavens and cast a spell on all of the ponies that enabled them to burst into song.

Seriously, though, the logical answer is that it's just a part of their lives. They're talking candy colored ponies, what, do you think that they won't be able to sing whenever they felt like singing?

[Justin_Case001 4,907]

There's two different types of songs in the show: the first are the spontaneous musicals in which they couldn't possible know the words.  These songs are simply for the audience's benefit.  I assume that they are not actually singing "for real."  No pony actually acknowledges the songs.  For example, after Winter Wrap Up concludes, nopony says "that was a great musical number.  I just love singing."  The other kinds of songs are the ones where they are actually singing for real within the context of the show.  This would be like the Ponytones' numbers, and the song at the end of the Hearth's Warming Eve play.  These are rehearsed and acknowledged, and thus are actually happening.  Some people have complained that they couldn't buy into the premise of Filli Vanilli because Fluttershy has sung many times before and wasn't afraid.  If you subscribe to my theory, then Filli Vanilli holds up perfectly, because all of the times she sang without fear were spontaneous musicals that weren't really happening.  And it was made clear that she was terrified about the Hearth's Warming Eve play.  She pulled it together, but she was still scared, so the continuity for Filli Vanilli holds up.

[Thunderlane 550]

There's two different types of songs in the show: the first are the spontaneous musicals in which they couldn't possible know the words.  These songs are simply for the audience's benefit.  I assume that they are not actually singing "for real."  No pony actually acknowledges the songs.  For example, after Winter Wrap Up concludes, nopony says "that was a great musical number.  I just love singing."  The other kinds of songs are the ones where they are actually singing for real within the context of the show.  This would be like the Ponytones' numbers, and the song at the end of the Hearth's Warming Eve play.  These are rehearsed and acknowledged, and thus are actually happening.  Some people have complained that they couldn't buy into the premise of Filli Vanilli because Fluttershy has sung many times before and wasn't afraid.  If you subscribe to my theory, then Filli Vanilli holds up perfectly, because all of the times she sang without fear were spontaneous musicals that weren't really happening.  And it was made clear that she was terrified about the Hearth's Warming Eve play.  She pulled it together, but she was still scared, so the continuity for Filli Vanilli holds up.

Wasn't this in a YouTube video I saw?

[Justin_Case001 4,907]

Wasn't this in a YouTube video I saw?

Maybe.  I don't know.  I didn't see anything like that.  I just came up with that myself.

[Thunderlane 550]

I think that the songs happen, and it's just a thing that happens in Equestria, and it is proved that they actually sing because of 'Giggle at the Ghostly' (Twilight went "Tell me she's not..." at Pinkie Pie breaking into song) and in 'Somepony to watch over me' there was an interrupted song where Scootaloo said "No tome for songs".

 

Just my opinion

[Thespian 78]

Just like how real musicals aren't actually singing, 90% of the time they aren't actually singing either. In a Musical, a song is just what the characters involved are thinking and feeling. In MLP, they do take some liberties with this premise since sometimes they break the fourth wall and question why they are singing or are about to sing, but for the most part it still stands. Pinkie Pie isn't actually going around town bouncing on buildings (even though that is probably normal behavior for her) singing about how much she likes to make people smile. That is just how she feels about that, that she has to run around, jumping on roofs and proclaiming her love of smiling.

[Pastel 7,630]

I guess the ponies like to sing. Plus, spontaneous songs are common in TV shows. The writers don't really need to explain in the episodes why the characters suddenly sing and why they already know the lyrics, otherwise that would be boring and annoying.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Blobulle