Pep-Talk Song - TV Tropes

♫ "Go on and get it, 'cause you're a real catch.
Hold your head high, you can earn a new patch!" ♫

"You can do anything that you set your mind to
No matter if it seems so hard
Friends are near, here to go through it, too
You won't have to look too far."

— The LPS Pets to Blythe Baxter, Littlest Pet Shop (2012)

A song that contains encouragement, advice, and maybe a little tough love, generally meant to lift the listener's spirits or to help them when they don't know what to do. The nonlyrical version is the "Life Is Awesome" Speech.

Related to You Are Not Alone, The Future Will Be Better, Music for Courage, Self-Empowerment Anthem, Female Empowerment Song, Mistakes Are Not the End of the World, and You Are Better Than You Think You Are. Contrast Fear Song. Compare and Contrast "Gaining Confidence" Song, which involves a character boosting their own confidence through a song. Also compare Bravado Song.

Examples:

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Doctor Rabbit sings about how to properly brush one's teeth in Doctor Rabbit's World Tour.

Anime & Manga

"We Will Be Heroes" from the second English opening of Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl and Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai is song of encouragement to be heroes and challenge, with the singer swearing to be at your side. The lyrics goes like this:
We will be heroes,
We can change the world if we try!
I go where you go,
Forever friends, you and I!

Films — Animation

"Never Say Never" from An American Tail is the upbeat song an optimistic French pigeon named Henri sings to little Fievel Mousekewitz when he washes ashore on Ellis Island in New York, and wonders if he will never find his family again. The song convinces Fievel to begin his search.
- "The Girl You Left Behind" from Fievel Goes West warns the listener that leaving their lovers behind will "cause their heart to wander".
- "Anywhere in Your Dreams" from the 3rd movie, The Treasure of Manhattan Island is a song that Cholena sings with Fievel in order to lift him out of his bad mood and encourage him to value his dreams.
- "Get the Facts" is a song about learning all of the facts about something before being afraid of it, and "Who Will" is a song about helping others, because if you don’t care, who will? Both are from the 4th movie, Mystery of the Night Monster.
"Learn to Do It" from Anastasia: "If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it."
- "A Possible Hero" from Bartok the Magnificent, sung by Zozi to encourage Bartok to never give up on himself.
Barbie films:
- Erika sings "The Cat's Meow" to her Animal Companion Wolfie to show that his doggish traits make him special and is what she loves about him in Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper.
- Barbie as the Island Princess has "Always More", sung by by Rosella to Tika to make her understand that, even though Rosella was in love with Antonio, Tika was still her best friend.
Anna's verses of "For the First Time in Forever (reprise)" from Frozen as she tries to encourage Elsa to control her ice powers and bring back summer. It gradually degrades into desperation and worry when Elsa's fear gets the better of her and she unleashes a blast of magic which freezes Anna's heart.
"One Last Hope" in Hercules (1997) has aspects of this as well as Training Montage, with lines like "It takes more than sinew, comes down to what's in you!"
"A Guy Like You" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, featuring the gargoyles trying to convince Quasi that his... unique appearance makes him irresistible and thus someone like Esmeralda can love him.
"The Bare Necessities" from Disney's The Jungle Book (1967) combines this with Hakuna Matata, stimulating Mowgli to follow Baloo's easygoing lifestyle.
My Little Pony:
- My Little Pony: The Movie (1986): Megan sings "There's Always Another Rainbow" after they lose the Rainbow of Light fighting the Smooze.
- My Little Pony: The Movie (2017):
  - "We've Got This Together", where Twilight’s friends encourage her she can make the Friendship Festival perfect and they’ve got her back.
  - "Time To Be Awesome" from the same film where Rainbow Dash encourages Captain Celaeno and her pirate crew to come out of retirement.
"Through Heaven's Eyes" from The Prince of Egypt, encouraging Moses to pull himself from his Heroic BSoD and see himself in a new light.
"Put One Foot In Front Of the Other" from Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, where Kris sings to the Winter Warlock to help him with his Heel–Face Turn.
"It's Easy Mmm'kay" from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, where Mr. Mackey sings on how the kids can express strong feelings without colorful language.
"Marry the Mole" from Thumbelina is a strange twist on this. While Miss Field Mouse thinks she's giving Thumbelina good advice and encouragement, she's also telling her to marry someone for their money and that love is over-rated.
Stan Bush's unapologetically idealistic and inspirational "The Touch" from The Transformers: The Movie, which serves as the theme song for the noble and heroic Optimus Prime ("You got the touch! You got the power!"). Relatedly, there's "Dare," which seems to serve the same role for the young and impetuous Hot Rod.
"U Know What's Up" from Turning Red encourages the listener to reach their financial goals.
Mandy from UglyDolls has "Unbreakable", to lift Moxy's spirits and to appreciate herself as who she truly is to everyone.
Moana 2: There's "Can I Get a Chee-Hoo?", sung by Maui to Moana to lift her out of her Heroic BSoD shortly before the story's climax.

Films — Live-Action

"True Potential" from Chuck E. Cheese in the Galaxy 5000, sung by Harry the cave-dwelling hermit to encourage Chuck E. to not give up on himself and believe he can do anything, as he helps him train for the final race.
The Crown of Bogg: King Mildew of Bogg is about to pass the throne to his son, Milo. When Milo expresses his doubts about being king, his father, with backup from his assembled subjects, sings him a song about how, when he feels overwhelmed by his royal duties, he should remember that his subjects adore him.
King Mildew: [singing] It may be lonely... but on top is best!

Live-Action TV

The Boys (2019) has a very unusual case in that while The Deep is hallucinating after drinking spiked tea, his gills sing "You Are So Beautiful" to convince him that he's not a freak.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend:
- "Face Your Fears" is a complete parody of this. It starts out normal and then just goes off the rails:
  If a bear runs at you in the woods,
  Don't run away.
  Look it deep in the eyes,
  Put your hand on its chest, and say
  "Bear, I'm not afraid!"
- The Pep Talk Song Parody is a speciality of this show. "Women Gotta Stick Together" is full of general statements about how women need to be there for each other, as well as nasty insults to every woman the singer runs into during the song. "Put Yourself First" is about putting yourself first, so that guys will find you sexy, which will make you feel empowered:
  Put yourself first, girl,
  Worry about yourself.
  Make yourself sexy
  Just for yourself
  So when dudes see you put yourself first,
  They'll be like, "Damn, you're hot, wanna make out?"
- Season 3 brings along "Miracle of Birth", in which Paula tries to reassure a very-pregnant Heather that giving birth will be a wonderful experience — by telling her about all of the horrific aspects of it, set to a pleasant folk melody.
  Burn, burn, burn goes your vagina,
  And you'll curse and scream until you hear a cry!
  And oops, there it went-a,
  That was your placenta,
  Which you must expel, or you will surely die.
LazyTown: "Have You Ever" from the first episode "Welcome to Lazytown", sung by Stephanie to the Lazytown kids to encourage them to get out and be active.
In The Mighty Boosh episode "The Power of the Crimp", Vince is down in the dumps about having his look copied, so Howard sings a cheesy, jazzy ditty to pep him up. Once Vince's problem spread to Howard, Naboo and Bollo come in with a reprise of the same song.
Naboo: It's what's insiiiiide that counts
Bollo: It's not the peel it's the 'nana
In New Girl, one of Jess's quirks is her tendency to give herself songs meant to boost her own confidence.
Jess: She's goin' out to find a rebound... Who's that girl? It's Jess!
Nick: Wait, did you make up a theme song for yourself?"
Two songs from the Raven's Home Musical Episode "Raven's Home: Remix":
- Legendary", as Nia convinces Spitz to let Tess audition for the lead role. Said song's popularity led it to be extended and rewritten as an anthem for women's rights.
- "Eye to Eye" as Nia and Raven encourage Tess and Booker to make the decisions they want and they're proud of them.

Music

"Acid Theater" by The Kovenant encourages the listener to “never believe the things they tell you”, “never be who they want you to be”, and “never do what they want you to do”.
"Almost There" by Dark City, in which the singer describes his difficult upbringing and his struggle to overcome it.
"Army of Me" by Björk, which gives the advice to get over all your complaints and get on with life.
The final verse of "As" by Stevie Wonder.
We all know sometimes life's hates and troubles
Can make you wish you were born in another time and space
But you can bet you life times that and twice its double
That God knew exactly where he wanted you to be placed
So make sure when you say you're in it but not of it
You're not helping to make this earth a place sometimes called Hell
Change your words into truths and then change that truth into love
And maybe our children's grandchildren
And their great great grandchildren will tell
I'll be loving you...
Baby's One Do by Guniw Tools.
"Shine now that thin skin has peeled away
Your uniqueness is the wind carrying you"
"Backbone" by Daughtry.
We all fall on hard times, you know
Each day is a high climb, you know
Some days your body has to carry on
So you gotta show a little backbone
Being the survivors they are (and Doug Pinnick with all of his personal troubles in particular), King's X have always had encouraging words for their listeners, perhaps best embodied on the opening track of "Manic Moonlight", Believe:
If your back is pinned against the wall and the stress is killing you
And the cross you carry on your back makes it hard for you to move
In yourself believe, it's alright
In yourself believe, you're alright
"Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, a call to arms to those who consider themselves ugly or inferior.
"Beautiful Freak" by Eels, about the fact that being different just makes you special and that the others are wrong for thinking you have a problem.
"Better Place" is about the bond between singer Rachel Platten and her sister and hoping she has a better life.
"Ben" by Michael Jackson. Which, considering the movie it was written for, is a boy cheering up the eponymous homicidal rat!
"Le Bon Dieu" by Jacques Brel
Toi, tu es beaucoup plus mieux: tu es un homme! ("You, you are far more beautiful: you are a man/human!")
"Breakdown" by Tessa Violet is about the protagonist starting out unhappy and isolated before they stand up and rage against it in lieu of having a breakdown.
"California Role" by Brian Wilson.
If there’s a roll in your heart, and a rock in your soul
If you miss your shot
It doesn’t mean you won’t reach your goal
"Change Gonna Come" by Otis Redding, where hope for a better future is on the way.
"Changes" by David Bowie revolves around finding confidence in nonconformity and reinvention, regardless of what others might think.
"Comeback Kid" by Sleigh Bells, which is one of the few cheery songs on Reign of Terror.
I know you tried so hard, but you can't even win
You gotta try a little harder, you're the comeback kid
"Crisis" by Bob Marley.
But no matter what the crisis is, no matter what the crisis is
Doin' it, doin' it, doin' your thing
Give Jah all the thanks and praises
"Danny Don't You Know" by Ninja Sex Party from Cool Patrol. In an interesting twist, the singer is giving one to himself, going back in time to tell his younger, awkward, nerdy teenage self that things will get better for him, and that he will one day be Proud to Be a Geek.
"Dear Prudence" by The Beatles from The White Album, inspired by how Prudence Farrow was sad and isolated, tries to cheer her up and make her "come out and play".
"Definition of Destiny" by Billy Talent.
Well a long time ago
We had passion, we had goals
Why is life so set in stone it doesn't have to be?
So cut to the chase, it's time to escape
Before it's too late
"Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe" by The Byrds.
Don't doubt yourself when
Daylight fades and darkness begins
It's only come to show you that you're the one
Who knows where it's at
The rest; who think they've got it pat, know nothing, aah
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult was intended as a song against fear of death. As lead singer Buck Dharma explained:
"I was actually kind of appalled when I first realized that some people were seeing it as an advertisement for suicide or something that was not my intention at all. It is, like, not to be afraid of it (as opposed to actively bring it about). It's basically a love song where the love transcends the actual physical existence of the partners."
"Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" by Stevie Wonder accentuates a positive outlook on life.
Mike Mills of R.E.M. said that the message of "Drive" was for kids to take charge of their own lives.
"Express Yourself" by Madonna from Like a Prayer encourages the listener to not settle for second-best when looking for a mate, that they don't need diamond rings, 18-karat gold, or fancy cars to feel loved or appreciated.
"Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen" by Baz Luhrmann takes an essay written as a hypothetical commencement speech and turns it into one of these.
"Fight Like A Brave" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, where following his struggles to keep himself sober, Anthony Kiedis tries to push the listener towards proactivity, because "no one can tell you you've got to be afraid".
"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten is an inspirational song about overcoming any obstacles in life, such as battling a disease or recovering from a traumatic experience.
"Find Your Own Voice" by Stratovarius encourages the listener not to follow their beliefs blindly but to discover the truth for themselves and think critically.
"Fly" by Tzuyu.
If you can dream it, then you can be it. You got to follow the beat of your heart.
"Free Bird Fly" by Omnia tells the listener to smile if they’re upset, that “if they beat you down, you get up again”, and to “take that broken world and make it right”.
"Ganbare!" by Sakura Gakuin. This phrase, when not utilizing unusual kanji, translates to "Do your best", and the song's lyrics try to invoke this. The music video is even more blunt about it because it involves members running a relay race through the streets of Tokyo.
"Get Up" by Mother Mother urges the listener to stop being overwhelmed by their desires and start the process of fulfilling them by putting themselves out there and living.
"GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE" by The Narcissist Cookbook, a mostly spoken-word piece where the narrator urges the listener to get out of bed, take a shower, face the day.
"And listen. I know, okay? I know it feels like I've just got you luggin' heavy rocks around all day, for no reason, with no reward. But please, trust me. I can see what you're not able to see yet. This is not just a pile of stones, okay? We are buildin' a castle together, and we're gonna build it, brick by heavy fuckin' brick, and I'm gonna be here with you. Every moment, talkin' you through it. All you need to do is look at the ground in front of you, put one foot in front of the other, and one day soon... I think... I hope... you are gonna look up and you are gonna see what we've been workin' on this whole time. You're gonna see how far you've come, rather than how far there is left to go. And eventually you won't need me around so much anymore. So, one foot in front of the other. Pick up the rock. We are gettin' out of bed today."
"The Good Thing" by Talking Heads.
Try to compare what I am presenting.
You will meet with much frustration.
Try to find ... similar situation.
You will always find the same solution.
"Great Day" by Sarah Vaughan.
When you’re down and out
Lift up your head and shout
There’s gonna be a great day.
"Grita" by Taxi encourages the upset listener to just shout out and shake off his problems, counting on the singer's help if he needs it.
"Happydaystoytown" by The Small Faces.
Life is just a bowl of All-Bran
You wake up every morning and it's there
So live as only you can
It's all about enjoy it 'cos ever since you saw it
There ain't no one can take it away.
"Happy New Year" by ABBA is a subversion. The anthemic chorus appears to to be suggesting that the future will be better than the present, but the verses are about how such optimism always turns to disappointment in the end.
"Hey" by Andreas Bourani is a song encouraging to never give up and just keep going because better times are soon to come.
"Hey Jude" by The Beatles, where Paul McCartney tries to cheer Julian Lennon up, rather than see him sad that his parents were divorcing.
"Hey You" by Madonna, which contains general and vague statements like "Don't you give up/It's not so bad for us."
"Hold On" by Wilson Phillips, made famous to younger audiences by its usage in Bridesmaids. It helps that Chynna Phillips, who composes one-third of the trio, wrote the song's lyrics while she was struggling with substance abuse. The main message of the song, which is holding on one day at a time, is one of the principles she learned from Alcoholics Anonymous.
"Holiday" by Madonna.
Put your troubles down
It's time to celebrate
Let love shine
And we will find a way to come together and make things better
“Hovering Sombrero” by They Might Be Giants, where the singer tells the titular hat not to feel lonely and unwanted.
"H.S."^notewhich stands for "Hot Shit" by Tom Cardy is all about not beating yourself up about what you aren't and focusing on what you are. This is done through an elaborate fable about Pluto (as in the dwarf planet) knowing that it's "hot shit" and is confident in itself even though it's not a planet, while other grander celestial bodies (Jupiter, the Sun, black holes) are too caught up in what they're not to enjoy life.
"I Know" by Bob Marley.
Many a time I sit and wonder why
This race so - so very hard to run,
Then I say to my soul: take courage,
Battle to be won,
Like a ship that's tossed and driven,
Battered by the angry sea, yea-eah!
Say the tide of time was raging
Don't let the fury fall on me, no, no!
"I Want To Break Free" by Queen, about trying to get rid of a downer relationship (the lyrics seem like a love, but the song became an anthem for the oppressed).
"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor is a Break-Up Song version of this, calling out against a former lover while the singer proclaims she is becoming stronger by the day ever since.
"Inner thoughts" by Infurnopawz is based on an inner voice of reason, and the voice of close friends, to "stop worrying."
"Instant Karma" by John Lennon.
And we all shine on, like the moon and the stars and the sun
And we all shine on, on and on, on and on and on
Jacques Brel has a few:
- "Le Bon Dieu", with those immortal lines:
Toi, tu es beaucoup plus mieux: tu es un homme! ("You, you are far more beautiful: you are a man/human!")
- "Jef", in which Brel cheers up a sad man.
- "Marieke", a love song about a Flemish girl between Bruges et Gand.
- "Jacky", the most Badass Boast Brel ever recorded about life and himself.
"Jalani Mimpi" by Noah encourages the listeners to follow their dreams in spite of their fear.
"Jump Nyabinghi" by Bob Marley.
Love to see when ya groove with the riddim,
'Cause I love to when you're dancing from within!
It gives great joy to see such sweet togetherness,
'Cause everyone's doin' and they're doing their best.
"Let It Be" by The Beatles from their album of the same name, where Paul's deceased mother inspired him to sing about how troubled times will pass.
"Let Your Mother Know" by Rob Cantor is directed at a person who smokes and does drugs to cope with their pain. The song implores them to talk to their mother about it to feel better, since "you don't need an invitation to come home".
"Life's What You Make It" by Talk Talk is about encouraging someone to forget the past and focus on the future.
“Look at Us” by Sarina Paris is about a couple who was successfully rekindled and that you can do the same with your own lover.
"Mr. Misunderstood" by Eric Church uses examples from his own real life about how his tastes in music and people left him as an outcast,
Hey there, weird kid in your high-top shoes
Sitting in the back of the class; I was just like you
Always left out, never fit in
Owning that path you're walking in
Mr. Misunderstood, Mr. Misunderstood
Frank Sinatra's "My Way" contains these uplifting lyrics:
For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!
"No Harm Done" by Nerina Pallot.
"You know you're really trying when you fall but you get up again,
You sort the man from the boys, cause the boys, they're just talking their game
Hey now, you're really living cause you know what it's like to feel pain
No harm done, come on and do it again..."
"No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley from Natty Dread, which along with the title also has a repeated claim of "Everything is gonna be alright!" to ensure things remain positive.
"No te rindas" by Álex Ubago tells the listener to fly away even if others try to cut off his wings.
"Open Your Eyes" by Asia is about encouraging a woman to believe in herself and stop wishing she were someone else.
You have lived your life dreaming you were someone else
Succeeding's believing in yourself
Open your eyes
And see the world that stands before you now
Origami Angel:
- GAMI GANG: In "Kno U", the singer tells a friend that they're "cool as shit" and should be proud of who they are; anyone who says otherwise doesn't know everything they've been through.
- Somewhere City: "Find Your Throne" is about the singer supporting someone, telling them that they're fine the way they are, and that he'll never stop being their friend.
  For the millionth time
  I really wanna see you start to shine
"Paranoid 6teen" by Space was written by frontman Tommy Scott as one for his adopted daughter Sophie.
"Plea from a Cat Named Virtute" by the Weakerthans, in which a cat tries to talk her owner out of moping so much.
"Pulled Up" by Talking Heads.
''I was complaining, I was down in the dumps/
I feel so strong now 'cause you pulled me up!''
The Vocaloid song "Puzzle" by CircusP has Miku encourage the listener to trust in the creative process, not be afraid to express their feelings, and to never give up, with her promising that she'll keep cheering them on.
"Rastaman Live Up!" by Bob Marley.
Rastaman live up, rastaman don't give up!
"Revolution" from The Beatles' The White Album informs us "everything is gonna be alright".
"Riot Rhythm" by Sleigh Bells.
Dear heart, don't stop fighting, prepare, ride the lightning
It's like heart-heart-heartbeat, just like riot rhythm
You've gotta march!
"She Has Funny Cars" by Jefferson Airplane.
We live but once, but good things can be found around in spite of all the sorrow
"Sing" by Sesame Street and covered by the Carpenters
Sing a song, sing it loud, sing it strong
Sing of good things, not bad
Sing of happy, not sad
Sing a song, make it simple to last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear
Sing a song
There's also "Sing", by Travis.
Colder, crying on your shoulder
Hold her, and tell her everythings gonna be fine
Surely, you've been going to early
Hurry, 'cause no one's gonna be stopped
"Smile, Darn Ya Smile" by Charles O'Flynn, which has been performed by many since, famous for appearing in an episode of Looney Tunes and in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It encourages the listener to “make life worthwhile” and smile in the face of adversity, adding that “things are not as black as they are painted”, meaning that things aren’t as grim as they seem.
"Spread Your Wings" by Queen, which tells the story of a young man named Sammy stuck in a dead-end job, dreaming about leaving and pursuing his dreams. The chorus urges him to go for it, with the titular advice.
"Stand" by Sly and the Family Stone, from the eponymous album.
Don't you know that you are free?
Well at least in your mind if you want to be
"Stressed Out" by A Tribe Called Quest from Beats, Rhymes and Life, which encourages the listener to not lose hope or give in to the stresses of life's stresses and adversaties.
"Yo, I know the feeling—when you feeling like a villain
You be having good thoughts, but the evils be revealin'
And the stresses of life can take you off the right path (No doubt)
Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff
We gotta hold it down so we can move on past
All adversities, so we can get through fast, like that."
"Superhero" by Unknown Brain is about finding the "powers" and belief in oneself as well as someone to rely on to overcome challenges and hard times. According to vocalist Chris Linton, this song addresses bullying and the feeling of having someone rescue them, or have the "powers" to overcome times of pain.
"Supersonic" ("You need to be yourself, you can't be no one else.") by Oasis.
"Sworn In The Metal Wind" by Lost Horizon.
Hey man! What is this?
Sounds like wail of a wimp
Did you let loser side take command?
Where's the warrior in you
And the spirit he got
You say - "lost"
No! It's somewhere inside
And you know there's a force that unites all of us
Leave the wasteland we together will!
If you´re broken, remember, you got faith within us!
Take now your next deep breath and revive
Your old strength
While "This Is It" by Kenny Loggins is often taken to be a Please, Don't Leave Me song, Loggins has clarified that "it's not a love song, it's a life song", with lyrics meant to encourage his father, who was going through major health problems at the time, not to give up.
You said that maybe it's over
Not if you don't want it to be
For once in your life, here's your miracle
Stand up and fight
"Torches" by Daughtry.
We keep waiting on a day that never comes and never comes
Too late is not a thing and we just gotta be strong
Love is like a torch that's burning bright
Carry it on, carry it on and you'll see
Fire will shine a light on the darkest side
"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (and everyone who's done a cover of it since).
You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged...
"Try" by P!nk is a song about the necessity of getting up and trying even when there is risk.
"Untitled 9" by I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism In Your Year Book.
Surviving a
Broken heart is so hard
But once you do survive
You realize
That you are so much strong, stronger than
You ever knew
"Walk On" by U2. It was originally written for Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, but after 9/11 it became a Pep-Talk Song for all of America.
And if your glass heart should crack
And for one second you turn back
Oh no, be strong...
"War" by Bob Marley, which sings how war will always exist if racism, poverty and oppression exist, but he has faith that the nature of love will eventually succumb over hate.
And we know we shall win/ as we are confident/ in the victory/ of good over evil.
- Subverted by Sinéad O'Connor's cover on Saturday Night Live, which was sung as a Protest Song that was critical of the Catholic Church, and especially Pope John Paul II.^note
"We Will Rock You" by Queen from News of the World (Queen). Aside from the last verse, where the character is now an old man who now needs "Somebody better put you back into your place".
"Welcome Back" by Lost Horizon.
Now is really the time to wake up, you old jade
Such as Phoenix spreads his fire wings
I will help you remember by KICKING YOUR ASS!

And the will shall return
And again hearts shall burn
All the horns now will sing
Leading you back to the metal wind!
"We'll Meet Again" by The Byrds.
Keep smiling true, just like you always do
Till the blue skies make the dark clouds fade away
Some sunny day, hey hey hey
"What Are You Waiting For?" by Nickelback encourages its listeners to stop dawdling and take the chance to chase their dreams.
"Where the Spirit Left Us" by Okkervil River, with the twist that the 37-year-old Sheff is addressing his 13-year-old self.
And when you get hard and your eyes get mean
'Cause you're on the march
Well, I could almost kiss you
Don't let them twist you
Here, have this song
You can take it with you
"Winner" by Onew revolves around the message that no matter how difficult the past was, you can get through anything and be the "winner" of your life.
"You Can Make It If You Try", recorded by The Rolling Stones on The Rolling Stones, later too by Sly and the Family Stone.
You can make it if you try
You can make it if you try
Push a little harder
Think a little deeper
Don't let the plastic bring you down
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones from Let It Bleed appears to be the opposite, but it does tell the listener: "You can't always get what you want/ but sometimes you'll find/ you'll get what you need."
"You're the Best" by Joe Esposito.
History repeats itself
Try and you'll succeed
Never doubt that you're the one
And you can have your dreams
"You Get What You Give" by the New Radicals encourages youths to pursue their dreams despite all the crap that's happening in the world. The title itself also speaks in favor of leaving your own mark on the world.
"You're So Good to Me" by The Beach Boys explains to the girl why she is so great.
"You Won't Have to Cry" by The Byrds.
There's no reason to feel blue because of what he says to you
And I wouldn't want to see you hurt no more
I could never do you wrong 'cause my love for you's too strong
And you won't have to cry anymore

Theatre

"You're the Top" from Anything Goes is Reno encouraging Billy to go after Hope (despite the fact that she'd rather have him herself).
Another twisted example: "Everybody's Got The Right" from Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. It's encouraging, but what it's encouraging someone to do is, well... see the title.
The last big production number of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "A Little Me", is this directed at Charlie Bucket, who doesn't think he has what it takes to be Willy Wonka's successor, since he has no experience in being a chocolatier (much less a business owner). It's Wonka himself who explains that the boy's inexperience means he can not only learn but become a unique, open-minded talent in the process. He goes on to explain that Charlie is better than he thinks he is, being a bright, kind, unspoiled, creative child — an opinion backed up by the Oompa-Loompas and Charlie's own family, who join in on the song.
"The Devil Violinist" from Cross Road: The devil Amduscias encourages his contracted human Niccolo Paganini to leave his small town and show the world his talents.
In Frankenstein (2014), the song that Henry sings to Victor in the bar, thanking him for being his only friend, is a twisted example, in that the pep talk he gives is "Let's just get drunk, and worry about it later". The two of them end up in a fatal encounter that night that might have gone differently had they been sober.
"Welcome to the 60's" from Hairspray: Tracy encourages her mother to step out into the world.
"I Believe in You", first sung by J. Pierrepont Finch to himself, and then by Rosemary about him, in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.
"No One Is Alone" from Into the Woods is a complicated example. Is it encouragement, that friends will be by your side, or is it a warning to be more aware of the effect your actions have on others (both to be a good person, for their sake, and to protect yourself from their friends' revenge, for your sake)?
The Little Mermaid has Scuttle and his seagull friends sing "Positoovity" as Ariel struggles to stand and walk on her newly acquired human legs.
The Lightning Thief, the musical adaptation of the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, has "Strong", sung by Percy's mom to cheer Percy up from getting expelled again. The first part of "Their Sign" could count, too, as it's Chiron telling Percy to have faith in the gods that things will be all right after his mom has vanished/died.
ABBA’s Chiquitita is this in Mamma Mia!. Donna's old bandmates encourage her to cheer up when they see her seeming sad.
Mata Hari has two —
- Towards the end of act 1, love interest Armand, a WWI fighter pilot, sings one to a subordinate in his squadron who's afraid to fly into battle, "If You Fall". It sounds a lot like "Into the Fire" from The Scarlet Pimpernel, a much earlier work by the same composer, Frank Wildhorn.
- When Mata Hari finds out that Armand had been spying on her the whole time and returns to Paris too depressed to perform, her costume designer Anna gives her a pep talk with "Through You", about how how her dancing inspires people. It works, and Mata gets up to go on stage... only for a pair of soldiers to come in and arrest her as a spy.
In the tryouts of My Fair Lady, Professor Higgins had "Come to the Ball," where he attempts to psych Eliza up before she tries to pass herself off as a high-society lady at the Embassy Ball. The song was cut due to the show being over-long, though a portion of it is quoted in another number in what was originally supposed to be a dark reprise.
"Ya Got Me" from On the Town, sung by Claire, Hily, Chip and Ozzie to cheer the still-dateless Gabey up.
The Outsiders musical has two unconventional, tearjerking ones back to back: first "Death's At My Door", where Johnny gives a pep talk to a depressed Ponyboy that he will stay with him no matter what, followed by "Throwin' In the Towel", which has Sodapop reassuring a heartbroken Darry on the verge of giving up that the whole gang would be lost without him, he and Pony both need Darry, and he is doing a much better job keeping them together than he knows.
"On The Right Track" from Pippin, which the Leading Player steps in to sing when Pippin is starting to sense that he can't win at anything he tries. The finale (well, the first part) also counts as this, in a cruelly twisted way, with the Players encouraging Pippin to find total fulfillment in Self-Immolation.
In Seussical, as the Whos are falling, the action pauses for the Cat to reassure the audience with "How Lucky You Are." This is not to say it reassures the Whos at all, especially when the Cat sneezes on them in the middle of the song.
The SpongeBob Musical: "Chop to the Top" is sung by Sandy and Spongebob as they scale Mt. Humongous to deploy the Eruptor Interrupter, and mostly involves Sandy talking Spongebob through facing his fears.
You've gotta chop to the top if you want it
Just go ahead and give it a try
I know you're scared, just be brave, you can do it
You've gotta give it all you got inside
"I'm the Bravest Individual" from Sweet Charity. Charity sings this to Oscar when they get stuck in an elevator to help him manage his acute claustrophobia.

Video Games

The Excuse Plot of the music games Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents is that you're using The Power of Rock to help encourage people, thereby making every song in the games one of these.
Tales of Zestiria has Rising Up which plays when you finally get to defeat a dragon.

Western Animation

In the episode "Powerless!" from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, we have "Aquaman's Rousing Song of Heroism", wherein Aquaman tries to inspire the de-powered Captain Atom.
"Wonderful Ways to Say No" from the anti-drug PSA Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue educates the listener on how to say no when offered marijuana.
In Central Park:
- Season 1, "Rival Busker", Paige and Molly sing "Show Up" to cheer up and encourage Runaway Bride Anya to go through with her wedding.
- Season 1, "Hot Oven", the Tillermans sing "Imperfectly Perfect" to help Molly see that her relationship with Brendan doesn't have to be perfect to be good (using pizza metaphors).
- Season 2 song "When The Bottom Falls Out" has Owen and Paige singing about picking yourself back up and keeping on to Cole after a humiliating moment during a school play has him thinking of changing his name and miss school.
Doc McStuffins has some songs like these.
- In "Getting to the Heart of Things", Doc, Lambie, Hallie and Stuffy encourage Coach Kay to stay brave before going into surgery by singing "Be Brave".
- In "Winded Winnie", Doc, Lambie, Hallie and Stuffy sing "Breathe Easy" to help Winnie stay calm from panicking.
Hazbin Hotel has "Loser, Baby" which is a rather unconventional example since it features Husk pointing out all the ways Angel Dust is messed up and at rock bottom - but so is Husk, so at least they're not alone down there.
Hercules: The Animated Series, "Hercules and the Yearbook": When her husband tells her he didn't want her to see his less-than-stellar past for fear that it would eclipse everything he's accomplished, Meg sings "The Man That I Love", which tells Herc she still respects him and says that he should look at his high school years as a growing period.
"Power of the Roar" from The Lion Guard episode "Triumph of the Roar" as Askari encourages Kion to embrace his Roar.
In Littlest Pet Shop (2012)'s season 2 finale, after Blythe and the pets get to the International Pet Fashion Expo, the pets break out into song, encouraging Blythe to take chances, have fun, and remember that they are always there for her. See page quote.
The Loud House: "We Got This" from the Season 5 opener "Schooled!", sung by Lincoln as his gang has nerves about their first day of middle school and he reassures them that they'll make it through just fine.
My Little Pony:
- My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle has "Dancing on Air," in which Firefly insists (over Megan's protests) that the other little ponies will be overjoyed that Megan is coming to help them against Tirac.
- My Little Pony Tales subverts this in "Roll Around the Clock" with the song “Play Cool”, which has Bright Eyes and Lancer simultaneously being given advice on how to attract each other. They both end up being given bad advice, which nearly ruins their chances with each other.
- My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
  - "Elements of Harmony": Pinkie Pie's "Giggle At the Ghostly", sung to convince the others not to be intimidated by the menacing surroundings of the Everfree Forest.
  - "Dragonshy": Pinkie Pie sings to Fluttershy to encourage her to make a jump ("You can make it if you try/with a hop, skip, and jump!")
  - "Over a Barrel": "You Gotta Share", also by Pinkie Pie, where she tries to convince the Appleoosa folk and buffalo tribe to live in peace with each other; it is ultimately subverted when it ends up making things worse. Twice.
  - "Magical Mystery Cure": "A True, True Friend" is an interesting variant. Since Twilight figures out that the only way for her friends to regain their original cutie marks is by encouraging each pony to help the friend who got their talent, the song has Twilight and Fluttershy encourage Rainbow Dash, who encourages Rarity, who encourages Applejack, who encourages Pinkie, who cheers up the town.
  - "Twilight's Kingdom, Part 1": "You'll Play Your Part", sung by Celestia, Luna and Cadance, encouraging Twilight after she laments that she doesn't seem to have a real purpose as a princess and are sure her time will come.
Phineas and Ferb has a few.
- The page image is "Jump Right To It" from "Night of the Living Pharmacists" as the Fireside Girls encourage Isabella to finally confess her feelings to Phineas.
- "I Believe We Can" from "Summer Belongs To You!", as Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan express determination at traveling the world.
"There's Always Tomorrow" from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) is sung by Clarice to cheer Rudolph up after he is kicked out of the reindeer games.
In the Wartime Cartoon "Scrap Happy Daffy", the ghosts of Daffy Duck's ancestors sing him a song of patriotic encouragement after he gets beaten up by a Nazi goat.
In South Park, Mr. Hankey sings "The Circle of Poo", a parody of "The Circle Of Life" about... well... poo's cycle in the enviornment, to his son, who feels depressed about how he feels useless because he's poo. He later admits his son is actually right and only sang the song to get him to stop bitching.
Sofia the First has a handful of these:
- "A Recipe for Adventure" and "It's Up To You" are both sung by Aunt Tilly to Sofia, teaching her to not give up on the smallest of things and she has whatever she can to get the job done.
- In "Gizmo Gwen", Sofia sings "Believe in Your Dream" to encourage Gwen not to give up on her dream to be an inventor.
- The Disney Princesses' songs also count. "True Sisters" is sung by Cinderella, teaching Sofia be… true sisters with Amber; "Make it Right" is sung by Belle to show there's a lot more than just making apologies; “The Love We Share” is sung by Ariel to show Sofia that not all hope is lost when she failed to save Oona herself; "Dare to Risk it All" is by Rapunzel, teaching Amber to do whatever she can to provide an Act of True Love for her sister; "From the Heart" is by Tiana, showing that the best gift comes from within; and especially "Stronger Than You Know", which is by Mulan to show Sofia's crew they're much better than they thought and must not give up on themselves, which Sofia truly takes to heart.
Some of the Thomas & Friends music videos are these.
- From the model era, we have the fifth season song "Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining", which is about not losing hope and based on Bill and Ben's theme. There's also "Never, Never, Never Give Up" from the sixth season which is about, as told, not giving up and trying again, and "Determination" from the eighth season, which is about being strong and not giving up, like the latter example.
- Some of the full-length specials have these as well, all of which are sung to Thomas:
  - "Never Overlook a Little Engine" from "Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure", sung by Rex, Mike, and Bert to reassure Thomas that even little engines can do their part.
  - "You Can Only Be You" from "The Great Race", sung by Ashima as she encourages Thomas to just be himself toward his hopes at joining the Great Railway Show.
  - "Wake Up" from "Big World! Big Adventures!", sung by Nia to encourage Thomas to stop being such a bossy boiler on his world tour and enjoy the astounding landscapes around him.
Steven's section of "Strong in the Real Way" in the episode "Coach Steven" from Steven Universe is sung to motivate his dad, Sadie, and Lars while they workout.
Some of the Winx Club transformation songs talk about "Believing In Yourself". Examples include the Charmix, Believix and Dreamix themes.

Pep-Talk Song
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Cheer Up Coach Z

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Pep-Talk Song 3 Following

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Cheer Up Coach Z

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Cheer Up Coach Z

Pep-Talk Song
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