I was just watching some videos about the top 11 Disney Villains/Villainesses over at  ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com and noticed that a lot of reasons why some villains are so bad-ass is because they have bad-ass songs.  This made me think of other Disney songs that may be good but not so much about villains.  I made a list of my favorite ten Disney songs (in no order) and admittedly, most songs are sung by or about the villains.  Only one song is about love…interesting. No touchy-feely for me, I suppose.  Also, there are three Jungle Book songs because that movie just had excellent music.  Without further ado, here are my picks:

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid - Ursula was a crazy bitch, but I like how she liked to justify her evilness to Ariel by saying she did this evil stuff (which really isn’t evil, just misunderstood by others) to help people out.  Really.  If they have to be turned into those weird little things, it’s because they couldn’t pay the price.  She’s just doing business (like a mob boss).  I love how dark this song is, especially near the end when she gets all witchcrafty and singing in tongues like the crazy bitch she is.  And using Prince Eric’s image to convince Ariel, fucking brilliant!  Take advantage of that young mergirl’s love-sick heart!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi4o2cG_SsI

“I Wan’na Be Like You” from The Jungle Book - I like to groove to this song.  I can not stop bouncing and grooving when I hear this song.  I’m not sure if King Louis is supposed to be a villain.  I think perhaps a bit because he kidnapped Mowgli to teach him to be more human-like so he can reach the top.  I don’t know that that’s being a villain, that’s just trying to be more evolved.  I’m surprised more fundamentalist Creationists haven’t boycotted the shit out of this movie for trying to teach evolution to their impressionable young.  This song gets even better when Baloo joins in!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOcyYyxqN_g

“Cruella DeVil” from 101 Dalmations - This is a song about a villainess, not by a villainess.  For some reason, Roger and Perdita were the only characters that could grasp what a true villain Cruella is (I mean, come on, it’s in both her first and last names).  Anita was just a dumbass bitch.  Anita, she’s stalking around your house looking for puppies and then telling you how she lives for furs.  Idiot!  Then you don’t believe she’s behind the kidnapping?  Idiot!  You don’t deserve those dogs!  I love the stomping while playing the piano.  Gets me every time.  It’s wonderful, also, that Roger was able to make money out of all that Cruella did to them with that song in the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEc0woB3piM

“One Song” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Okay, so I’m a little prejudiced because this is the movie that started it all, for Disney and for me.  Look at my display case, I’m more than just a little obsessed with Snow White.  But “One Song” (the song the Prince sings after Snow White sings “I’m Wishing”, is absolutely beautiful.  I know the guy looks like he’d rather be singing to a dude, but how fucking romantic is that song?  I can see how Snow White is in love after seeing the guy all of a second.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moG1IcQX4Pk

“Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat” from The Aristocats - This is from a movie about cats.  I love cats.  But this song is also really swingin’.  These cats really “know where it’s at”.  I guess having Scatman Crothers singing is pretty helpful.  I like the beginning when it’s slow.  I groove to it, and then it picks up and I just want to dance to it.  Disney composers certainly knew what they were doing with movies like this, Jungle Book and 101 Dalmations.  Watch the video, though.  It gets nice and racist at points.  Especially with that Siamese cat voiced by Tigger (for more racism in the for of animals, see Lady and the Tramp).  Too bad Duchess lames up the song with the harp, but man it’s great when this song reaches its climax to the point of the cats and piano falling through floors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU9HLE0QfgQ

“Be Prepared” from The Lion King - This to me is the creepiest Disney song ever.  Not only does Jeremy Irons help that fact by that awesome voice of his, but this song  conjures up images of Adolph Hitler and his Nazi followers with that part with the hyenas mindlessly marching as Scar looks on after he tells them they’ll never go hungry again.  Chills.  They’re all brainwashed into thinking their lives will be better once they are rid of Mufasa.  And the music, oh the music.  So dark.  Easily one of the best villain songs ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ6cw_MuTDE

“Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book - I like the thought behind this song, just enjoy life as it comes to you.  Literally.  Don’t worry or work for anything.  Of course it’s proven in this movie that this is not the way to go about life, but damn if it’s not a good thought.  Also, it’s got a nice beat and I can dance to it.  Recognize the bear’s voice?  That was Thomas O’Malley’s voice (the orange cat) in The Aristocats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogQ0uge06o

“Trust in Me” from The Jungle Book - This song hits a little close to home for me.  I am scared shitless of snakes.  Especially big-ass snakes that try to strangle poor people just because they feel like it after trying to convince them that they’re nice snakes that can be trusted.  That’s some fucked up shit.  But back to the song.  It’s creepy.  It’s especially creepy because I do not like snakes.  Yikes.  Plus, the song has some nice music.  But that snake…that guy is fucked up.  Ever see the huge snake in Fantasmic! at Disneyland (and possibly Disney World)?  Fucked up.  Scary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s46SgIBpQ-Q

“Hi-Diddle Dee (An Actor’s Life for Me)” from Pinocchio - Such a catchy song.  It’s played a lot at Disneyland and I usually will sing along to it.  It came before the much like the superior “Yo Ho Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)”, so I guess Disney doesn’t always get creative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI9joVXW3DE

“Oogie Boogie’s Song” from The Nightmare Before Christmas - So technically this isn’t really a Disney song as this was actually a Touchtone release, but Touchtone is owned by Disney, Disney distributed the movie and now NBC is all the hell over Disney Parks (especially in October.  Specifically, this October), so I’m going to go ahead.  I love the piano when Oogie Boogie sings.  It’s another fun song to groove to.  I love all of the songs in this movie, but this one is just my favorite, proving that villains usually get the best songs in movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw0aoVpFCDw

Disney Song Ever:  ”Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King. Annoying much?  Die, die, die, die!