Thoughts & Things

Top Five Disney Villain Songs

I love Disney music. Really, who doesn't? I think most of us who grew up watching Disney films have a special place in our hearts for the songs that came along with it. That said, I think many of us can agree that villain songs are often some of the bast songs Disney has offered up to us. I am writing this blog post to share my absolute favourites. I would like to note that this list would have been up about 12 hours ago, but I could have sworn I had a sixth favourite in the middle of this list, and I couldn't think of it. It will continue to drive me bonkers.

5. Shiny
Shiny is the villain song of Tamatoa (voiced by Jemaine Clement) in Moana. It's the newest of the Disney musicals, so Shiny gets ranked at the bottom of my list. I could see it eventually moving up once it has more time to be firmly cemented on this list. What I love about this song is that rather than tell us how evil he is, Tamatoa tells us how beautiful and stylish he is. He shows us how evil he is in the song, simply by his pursuit of all things beautiful. When I saw this at the movies with my sister, we were both bobbing our heads and laughing hysterically, and I knew it would make my favourite Disney villain songs right away.

4. Hellfire
Hellfire is the villain song of Judge Frollo (voiced by Tony Jay) in Hunchback of Notre Dame. When this was new, I didn't have a full appreciation for it. I was a child, and it's a very serious song. As an adult it is one of my favourites. The somber choral music moves from angelic to satanic before the song is out. Frollo sings of how Esmeralda is a temptress, and blames the devil for his attraction for her. He eventually comes to the conclusion that he must destroy the object of his desire to save himself from sin. This is pure evil, and all the more unsettling because men like this truly exist. Musically, it's beautiful and unique. Lyrically, it is one of Disney's darkest songs.

3. Poor Unfortunate Souls
Poor Unfortunate Souls is the villain song of Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) in The Little Mermaid. Ursula is absolutely up front in this song, as she tells Ariel exactly what she wants from her, and exactly what she plans to do to her in the end. She even admits exactly what she thinks of her victims. This is one of the most honest Disney villain songs ever sung to a hero/heroine. Besides being completely honest, the song is also incredibly catchy, and wonderfully sung by Pat Carroll. Poor Unfortunate Souls also offers an excellent sense of humour. Ursula's expression are a delight to watch, and her tone of voice as she sings about "body language" is unforgettable.

2. Mother Knows Best
Mother Knows Best is the villain song of Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy) in Tangled. This song is disturbing for an unconventional reason. Mother Gothel absolutely reflects the sentiments of real life abusive parents, as she sings to Rapunzel, not about how evil she is, but about how she's trying to protect her. If you watch this one closely, you can notice that any time Mother Gothel expresses affection for Rapunzel, she is singing directly to her hair. Donny Murphy was perfect in this role, and the pure motherly drama is displayed to perfection. Despite its sinister nature, you can't help but laugh as Mother Gothel sings of cannibals or the plague.

1. Gaston
Gaston is the villain song of Gaston (voiced by Richard White) in Beauty and the Beast. Gaston takes the number one spot for me for a number of reasons. As a villain, Gaston is rather an unlikely character. Men like Gaston are often the hero rather than the villain. The song is not initiated by Gaston himself, but rather by his close friend Le Fou. It has nothing to do with evil deeds, thoughts, or plans. This is a villain song that exists to tell you exactly why the villain is so great. This song is an amazing demonstration of exactly the kind of vanity and narcissism that lurks behind Gaston's facade, and behind the facades of many people you would never suspect were capable of murder. This song is also probably the funniest villain song ever made (as I'm sure you can tell, I have a soft spot for funny villain tunes). Gaston sings of how he eats five dozen eggs a day, uses antlers in all his decorating, and is "especially good at expectorating." I am especially fond of the moment he proclaims "every last inch of me's covered with hair," opens his shirt, and winks at the audience, a moment I never really noticed as a child.

(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Two.)