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12 Disney Songs That Were So Good They Almost Made You Root For The Villain
If you're anything like me, the part you looked forward to the most in a Disney movie was the villain song, where they got to show off just how evil they were. Forget "Be Our Guest" or "Circle of Life," give me "Poor Unfortunate Souls" or "Be Prepared!"
These songs often had pretty intense imagery and creepy themes to go along with them, which of course meant they got stuck in our brains for pretty much forever. In particular, these 12 songs have been traumatizing and delighting us in equal amounts since we were kids.
The Lion King - "Be Prepared"
We gotta start this list off with a bang, and what better way than with one of the most preening, self-indulgent villains in Disney history. Not to mention that the hyenas start strutting around like the freaking Third Reich.
The Little Mermaid - "Poor Unfortunate Souls"
Ursula the Sea-Witch is one of the best villains Disney ever created, and part of what adds to that is this creepy, bombastic song about how she "helps" the people who come to her.
Lady And The Tramp - "We Are Siamese (If You Please)"
This is made all the creepier with the way that the cats slink around during the song, making them somehow look less like cats and more like demons.
101 Dalmations - "Cruella De Vil"
While this one's kind of meant to be funny, it still paints a pretty creepy picture of this heinous woman who wants to skin a bunch of dogs for a coat.
Winnie The Pooh - "Heffalumps And Woozles"
Pooh Bear has a nightmare that feels like something straight out of an H.P. Lovecraft horror story, where the heffalumps and woozles come out of the freaking woodwork to steal his honey.
The songs just get more evil from here...
Beauty and the Beast - "Gaston"
Probably the most fun villain song in any Disney movie, Gaston gets to show off just how much of a self-loving douche he is in this infectiously catchy tune.
The Great Mouse Detective - "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind (Ratigan)"
It's Vincent Price playing a maniacal, evil rat who's bent on world domination, singing about how great he is. What's not to love?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - "The Headless Horseman"
Sung by the one and only Bing Crosby, this spooky song from one of the absolute spookiest of Disney specials sets the tone nicely for the movie's otherworldly, pumpkin-headed evil knight.
Aladdin - "Prince Ali (Reprise)"
While Jafar doesn't get his own villain song, this is almost more intimidating because he takes the most upbeat, massive song from the movie and completely twists it around against Aladdin, and it ends up coming across just super evil.
The Sword In The Stone - "Mad Madam Mim"
Mim is a witch with the power to turn people into whatever she wants, and she is very, VERY proud of her powers, to a genuinely creepy level.
Muppet Treasure Island - "Shiver My Timbers"
A song meant to make pirates look like the most intimidating people in history, and with lines like "And those buccaneers drown their sins in rum / The Devil himself would have to call them scum," it succeeds.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame - "Hellfire"
A song so intense and mature we're amazed it made it into a Disney song. A devout, maniacal judge is singing about how his lust for a woman is so strong he'll either take her for himself, or condemn her to the fires of Hell. Bonus points for the absolutely intense religious imagery during the whole thing.