You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song originally done for the 1966 cartoon special How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The lyrics were written by Dr. Seuss, the music was written by Albert Hague, and the lyrics were performed by Thurl Ravenscroft.

Because Ravenscroft was not credited in the closing credits of the special, it is often mistakenly attributed to Boris Karloff, who served as narrator and speaking voice of the Grinch in the special.

Ravenscroft recorded two versions, one for the television special and another for the soundtrack. The two differ in the order of the verses, the instrumentation (the soundtrack version's accompaniment is more straightforward and features fewer instruments and "sound effect" musical events than the version heard during the special), and the transitions between verses (the soundtrack's transitions are shorter and less abrupt).

Lyrics

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel. You're as cuddly as a cactus, You're as charming as an eel. Mr. Grinch. You're a bad banana With a greasy black peel.

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch. Your heart's an empty hole. Your brain is full of spiders, You've got garlic in your soul. Mr. Grinch. I wouldn't touch you, with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole.

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch. You have termites in your smile. You have all the tender sweetness Of a seasick crocodile. Mr. Grinch. Given the choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile.

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch. You're a nasty, wasty skunk. Your heart is full of unwashed socks Your soul is full of gunk. Mr. Grinch. The three words that best describe you, are as follows, and I quote: "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch. You're the king of sinful sots. Your heart's a dead tomato splot With moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch. Your soul is an appalling dung heap overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, Mangled up in tangled up knots.

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch. With a nauseous super-naus. You're a crooked jerky jockey And you drive a crooked hoss. Mr. Grinch. You're a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich With arsenic sauce!

Remakes

Since then, it has been remade by several other artists:

• Thurl Ravenscroft, the original
• Jim Carrey, for the 2000 live action version of the film
• Slaid Cleaves, on the Holiday Samper EP
• Gary Hoey, guitar instrumental
• Sixpence None the Richer
• Rockapella, a cappella
• Marty Gold Children's Chorus
• Whirling Dervishes, titled just "Grinch", on the Grinch EP
• Mojo Nixon & Toadliquors, titled "Mr. Grinch," on the Horny Holidays album
• Deanna Kirk, on the album Where Are You Now
• Bus Stop, titled "Grinch," on the album Miracle Time!
• Blue Meanies, titled "Hey Mr. Grinch," on the A Very Punk Christmas compilation
• Brian Setzer Orchestra, from the Dig That Crazy Christmas album
• Go Fish, titled "The Grinch Song" from the More Than a Story album

(which also contains silence and then a hidden track after the song)

• Hugo Lugo, on the "Buoppie Stew: Originals And Covers" album
• Dweezil Zappa
• Fareed Haque
• Bob Malone
• The Coats, on the Album "On Christmas Time"
• Crash Test Dummies
• The Asylum Street Spankers
• RuPaul, on the album Ho, Ho, Ho
• Aimee Mann, on the album One More Drifter in the Snow
• Ron Thal, as a part of his solo live in a Guns N' Roses concert before Christmas.

• You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch Lyrics Christmas Lyrics to You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch Christmas Carol / Christmas song
• The original recordings, from "All Things Thurl," the semiofficial Thurl Ravenscroft site
• The Grinch and Mr. Who (See thumbs menu at top), Adaptation of the famous Christmas story.