Nothing like hearing the villains sing their evil plans...
Hello
once again everyone, and welcome back to Rave Up Music! The last time I
checked, I am known as “Barius,” and today is the first of another new segment
that I like to call “Musical Media.” This segment is where I specifically look
at music outside of the rock and mainstream music industry, and focus more on
the music found in movies, television, and even video games. And, if the title
of this blog did not give it away, I am focusing on one of the best aspects of
the Walt Disney Company’s Animation Studios, their VILLAINS!
The
villain character of any media has always fascinated me. They always make me
wonder why they are considered evil, or what made them turn to the dark side of
the force. I love a villain who is complex, who motives for doing evil deeds
are deeper than what is seen on the surface. However, some villains are just having
fun being wicked, and are delightfully evil, which can be hoot to watch in a
film or read about in a novel. The villains of the Disney Animated Feature
Canon tend to cover the whole spectrum of personalities and motives. And, being a
music guy, I always enjoy them singing about their evilness.
And,
more often than not, the villain’s song is the best song any Disney movie. Some
of you may enjoy listening to “A Whole New World” or “Beauty and the Beast,”
but hearing songs like “Be Prepared” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls’ really get me
hyped up. Now, that is not to say that non-villain songs are terrible. The ones
I mentioned are great songs, especially for ballads, and it is a subject I will
discuss in the future. But for me, the villain’s song in a Disney film often
reflects the villain perfectly, and it also sets the mood for not only the
villain’s motives and temperament, but for the whole tone of the movie as it
relates to the plot and the hero’s actions throughout the film.
So,
today we are counting down the Top 10 Disney Villain Songs. Please note that the
songs selected for this countdown come from films that are a part of the Walt
Disney Animated Studios canon, and not from any other related films/divisions
(direct to video sequels, Pixar Studios, etc). And before any one says
anything, this restriction DOES mean
that “Oogie Boogie Song” from The
Nightmare Before Christmas WILL NOT
be on this list, though it is a very good song. Also, why am I only doing a Top
10 list? Well, because I do not feel like going one step beyond. So, sit back
and enjoy the Top 10 Disney Villain Songs!
Yeah, this feels appropriate to be the introduction to this list…
Number 10:
“Prince Ali (Reprise)” – Sung by Jafar (from
Aladdin)
A
very common theme in musicals is reprising a song from earlier in the
movie/show. Here, the reprisal of “Prince Ali” takes a sinister approach as Jafar
sings about exposing Aladdin as a fraud in front of his love interest Princess Jasmine.
Jafar’s singing is meant to be darker and sinister than the Genie’s version,
which is more upbeat, and Jonathon Freeman does a great job of doing so. To be
honest, this song is only at the bottom of the list due to being a really short
song, clocking in around a minute in length. Still, it is a fun, short villain
song, and a good way to start off this countdown.
Number 9: “Mine,
Mine, Mine” – Sung by Governor Radcliffe and Company (from Pocahontas)
In
this delightful ¾ waltz style, Radcliffe explains to this crew their mission to
dig for gold in their new world, making them believe that it would be shared
with all of them, but Radcliffe intends to keep it all for himself so he can
gain power in the British Parliament. This song is again a really fun one. The
layers of singing parts (the crew chanting “dig,” Radcliffe’s boasting about
how awesome gold is, John Smith singing about the new world, etc) makes for
great syncopation moments, and the musical underscore makes you enjoy
Radcliffe’s plans, even if it includes slaughtering a bunch of Native Americans
in the process. You know, for kids!
Now,
some of you might be asking, “Why did I not pick the song ‘Savages’ instead?” I
had considered it, but I felt that “Mine, Mine, Mine” was more of a song that
focuses on the villain and his evil scheme. “Savages” is more of an ensemble
song, as all of the characters sing about the conflicts they are have with
their new enemies. For me, “Mine, Mine, Mine” feels more about Radcliffe, and
has that right amount of villainy that works for this kind of countdown.
“Mine,
Mine, Mine”: Making the voice of Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast so wickedly evil…
Number 8:
“Mother Knows Best” – Sung by Mother Gothel (from Tangled)
This
is a very different kind of villain song. In this one, Mother Gothel is trying
to convince Rapunzel the dangers of leaving her tower, and telling her to
listen to her for her own safety. While it seems that Mother Gothel’s actions
are based on her love and concern for Rapunzel, in reality she kidnapped
Rapunzel as a baby because her hair has the ability to heal, and even make
people younger than they appear, which Mother Gothel uses on herself.
It
is a very odd villain song because even though Mother Gothel is keeping
Rapunzel in the tower so she can use her healing powers; there is a hint of
sincerity in her singing, meaning that she does care for Rapunzel a little bit.
However, when she reprises the song later on in the movie, the tone has
definitely shifted to being all about her goal to be forever young. Still, the
song is surprisingly upbeat, even if it mentions things about death, monsters
and the plague. Again, for kids!
“Mother
Knows Best”: At least she is not your mother…
Number 7: “The
World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” – Sung by Professor Rattigan And Company (from The Great Mouse Detective)
We
have another waltz-style song here, and it is about one of the greatest criminals
of all of Disney, Professor Rattigan. As a ra-…I mean, “mouse” equivalent to
Professor Moriarty of the Sherlock Holmes
novels (this film takes place in the same universe as Sherlock Holmes),
Rattigan is a smart, somewhat sophisticated being who is proud of his crimes,
and of course, like a good Disney villain, he sings and dances as his lackeys
sing his greatness.
The
song itself starts off in a very dark minor key, making think Rattigan is going
to sing in a way that will scare you. However, it quickly shifts the mood to
one of rejoicing and rebel rousing, as Rattigan and his henchmen sing about all
that makes Rattigan awesome, including all the women and orphans he has drowned. Again, FOR KIDS!
What
I love about this song is how much fun it is to listen to Rattigan sing about
how awesome he is and about the crimes he has committed. He prances around the
room, and is just giddy about everything. Oh, and did I mention he is voiced by
the late great Vincent Price? You have a horror film icon performing and
singing an evil mouse (rat) and having a good time doing so. How can you not
help but have a smile on your face?
Okay, Vincent Price smiling is kind of creepy…
“The
World’s Greatest Criminal Mind”: Promoting passive-aggressive behavior since
1986…
Number 6:
“Cruella De Vil” Sung by Roger Radcliffe (from 101 Dalmatians)
This
is one of Disney’s oldest villain songs, and is also one of the few that has
lasted throughout the ages. The song is about Cruella De Vil, a fashion diva
that is more deadly than she appears. But then, again if you split your hair in
half between black and white, chances are you are no Glinda the Good Witch.
Heck, the Wicked Witch of the West has nothing on Cruella...
I
love the laidback swing style for “Cruella De Vil.” The character of Roger Radcliffe
sings all about how much of a devil Cruella is, but instead of making it a
dark, brooding song, it is upbeat and makes fun of Cruella. And honestly, it is
nice to have a song that contrasts the character of Cruella, especially since
her evil plot is to take a bunch of Dalmatians, kill them, and use their fur to
make a new fur coat for her to wear.
Man,
Disney Villains have some really messed up evil plots…
“Cruella
De Vil”: You will never look at fashion the same way again…
Number 5: “Friends on the Other Side” – Sung by
Doctor Facilier (from The Princess and
The Frog)
Before
I talk about this song, let me make one thing clear: yes, this song is written
by Randy Newman, and I must say, on the whole, I am not really a big fan of
Randy Newman. In my opinion, he is a very repetitive songwriter, with most of
his works sounding like the same song over and over again, and it is really
boring and a bit annoying to me. However, when he wrote the music for The Princess and The Frog, he proves
that he can write music that does not sound like the same song over and over
again. WHY DO YOU NOT DO MORE MUSIC LIKE THIS, RANDY?!?
Now
with my rant out of the way, this song is a lot of fun to listening to, and it
really fits the character of Doctor Facilier, also known as “The Shadow Man,”
really well. The song has a great New Orleans jazz, also known as Dixieland,
feel to it, which is good consider it take place IN NEW ORLEANS. In the song,
Dr. Facilier sings to Prince Naveen and his assistant Lawrence about his
abilities to read the future and how he can help them achieve their dreams;
Naveen’s dream of having independence, and Lawrence’s dream of being rich and
powerful like Naveen. But of course, the doctor’s intentions are not all good,
as he seeks to use Lawrence and Naveen to gain riches and power for himself,
and the voodoo spirits he works for.
Like
a lot of villain songs, this one is a lot of fun, full of bouncy rhythms and a
memorable melody that will stick with you long after you see the movie. Yet, it
has a lot of great dark moments, especially when the Shadow Man completes his
evil plot. I also give major praise to Keith David, the voice of Doctor
Facilier, for putting on an amazing performance singing this song.
“Friends
on the Other Side”: It makes making deals with voodoo demons seem a lot more
fun…
Number 4:
“Gaston” – Sung by Gaston, Lefou and Company (from Beauty and the Beast)
Wow,
Disney really loves to use that waltz style of music, do they not? However,
unlike the other waltz villain songs on this list, this is a full-blown drunkin’
waltz, as everyone in town drink and sing about how great Gaston really is,
because if there is one man who needs an ego boost, it is the man whose ego is
already larger than Mont Blanc. The song praises everything about our villain
here: his hunting abilities, his good looks, and basically how super-special
awesome he really is. Although, the image of Gaston’s chest hair is a little
bit much to bear.
Just…no…
There
are actually two versions of this song. The first song deals with how much
Gaston is God’s gift to everyone, and the second deals with Gaston’s plot to
commit Belle’s father Maurice into a insane asylum if she does not marry him.
This second version starts out a bit dark, but eventually goes into that
drunken reverie that makes the first version fun. Both versions are fun to
listening to, and will get you swinging your mug back and forth.
“Gaston”:
Narcissism at its finest…
Number 3: “Be
Prepared” – Sung by Scar and the Hyenas (from The Lion King)
A
running theme I have found in a lot of these villain songs is the musical style
they choose to represent these characters. Even though the villains are evil, a
lot of their songs are in very light styles of music, such as a waltz or a jazz
piece. I feel this was a decision by the Disney Animation Studios to make the
villains less scary to their younger audience. It allows the younger audience
to be afraid of the villains, but not to a point where they will have
nightmares for weeks.
However,
with this song, as well as the Top 2 songs, they take that factor and throw
right out the window, as this song is a lot more dark and twisted than other
Disney Villain Songs. This very percussive heavy song mixes elements of rock
and African folk chants/music to give Scar a wicked bent to him as he plots to
kill his brother Mufasa and the heir to the kingdom, his nephew Simba, so he
can become King of Pride Rock. In this song, Scar rallies the hyenas to follow
his vision for the future of Pride Rock by using word and phrases to convince
them to join his mission, which some people have analyzed Scar to being similar
to that of Hitler as he raised the Third Reich, or hyenas, into power.
Gee, I wonder why
people would think the Hyenas represented the Nazi Party…
As
Scar further sings about his plans, the mood shifts even darker, and music
increases its intensity to a point that you just know that all hell is about to
break. And, in the part of the film where this song takes place, the
surrounding is all red and violent, almost like it represents Hell, as the
power hungry Scar lets out an evil laugh to end the song.
AGAIN,
A FILM FOR CHILDREN!!!!
“Be
Prepared”: You will never get the sight of goose stepping Hyenas out of your
mind…
Number 2: “Poor
Unfortunate Souls” – Sung by Ursula (from The
Little Mermaid)
In
“Poor Unfortunate Souls”, Ursula describes what she does to help those
less-fortunate mer-folks with their problems. However, as the song progresses,
it goes all kinds of levels of crazy as Ursula tricks our main character Ariel
to give up her voice so she can be human for three days and win the love of
Prince Eric. But, in reality, Ursula is using Ariel to gain power from King
Triton and become ruler of the ocean world.
The
music starts off slow and soft, as if Ursula is seducing you to hear her story,
and all that she does for the creatures of the sea. However, once she has your
attention, the music intensifies as Ursula increases her effort to get you to
sign a deal with her. Unlike a lot of other villain songs, this one runs the spectrum
of emotions, which I give a lot of credit to Pat Carroll, the voice of Ursula.
In the span of five to six minutes, her singing goes from being soft, smooth
and sincere to loud, powerful and bombastic. Now that demonstrates great vocal versatility.
Fun Fact: Pat Carroll was also the voice of Jon’s
Grandma in A Garfield
Christmas. Weird, huh?
“Poor Unfortunate Souls”: Making deals with a sea witch seem intriguing…maybe…
Number 1:
“Hellfire” – Sung by Judge Frollo (from the
Hunchback of Norte Dame)
If
you are a hardcore Disney fan, you know that this is the quintessential villain
song. In “Hellfire,” Judge Frollo sings about his infatuation with the gypsy
girl Esmeralda, and how being a righteous man of God, this lust for her could
turn him to sin. Because of the behavior he is starting to exhibit, Frollo
comes to the conclusion that if the Esmeralda does not want to be with him, then
she will be destroyed and be forever damned in the fires of Hell. Once again, FILMS
FOR CHILDREN!
The
song covers a wide range of very taboo topics for a family film, such as lust,
obsession, religion, and imageries of hell and eternal damnation. It also shows
the complex nature that a villain can have. It starts with a somber tone, as
the deacons and priests perform their evening ritual, as Frollo begins asking
guidance from the Virgin Mary (referred to as Maria), and how it burns his soul
to have “unclean” thoughts about Esmeralda. His emotions shift to angry and
obsession when he learns that Esmeralda has left the cathedral, and he vows to
find her even if he has to burn all of Paris to find her. With a darker mood in
the music, as well as the complex villain and a situation that is more mature
for your average family film, I feel that “Hellfire” is the Number One Disney
Villain Song!
So
there you go; that was the Top 10 Disney Villain Songs. As with my last
Countdown list, feel free to leave comments of what you agreed with on this
list, what you do not agree with, or if you have your own Top 10 list of songs.
Also, if you think there is a Countdown list you would like to see me tackle in
the future, leave a suggestion in the comment section.
Well,
that is it for this edition of Rave Up Music. Tune in next time as I look at a respected British actor's first full album of heavy metal music. Until then, I am
Barius, and keep on rockin’.
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