You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch
Grinch Lyrics


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You're a mean one Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
And 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,
Splotched with moldy, purple spots,
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an apalling dump-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!

Overall Meaning

The famous holiday tune "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a song written by Dr. Seuss in 1966 for the television show How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which aired on December 18 of that year. Boris Karloff did the singing on the show, and Thurl Ravenscroft provided the voice-over for song's lyrics. The song characterizes the titular Grinch as vile, evil, and notorious. Each verse descriptively compares the Grinch to various unpleasant objects and animals, like "cuddly as a cactus" and "charming as an eel." The lyrics then proceed to insult his person's heart and brain, and even his smile has "termites." The entire song is essentially an assault on the character's senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch.


The song is so widely recognized and enjoyed that several cover versions and remixes have been made by numerous artists over the years. It is truly one of the most iconic and memorable songs in the history of animated holiday specials. Some of the possible reasons why the song is so beloved is its oddness, the bright contrast between its music and monstrous lyrics, the memorable voice-over in Ravenscroft's baritone voice, and the fact that it hails from one of the most celebrated Christmas programming specials ever.


Line by Line Meaning

You're a mean one Mr. Grinch
You are a cruel and unpleasant person, Mr. Grinch


You really are a heel.
You are extremely disagreeable, Mr. Grinch


You're as cuddly as a cactus,
You are not at all friendly or approachable, Mr. Grinch


And as charming as an eel,
You are not at all attractive or pleasant, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


You're a bad banana,
You are a despicable person, Mr. Grinch


With a greasy black peel!
Your appearance is unpleasant and unappealing, Mr. Grinch


You're a monster, Mr. Grinch!
You are a frightening and horrible person, Mr. Grinch


Your heart's an empty hole.
You are lacking in compassion, Mr. Grinch


Your brain is full of spiders.
You are consumed by negative thoughts, Mr. Grinch


You've got garlic in your soul,
You possess a malicious spirit, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


I wouldn't touch you
You are repulsive and not worthy of my attention, Mr. Grinch


With a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
I want to keep a safe distance from you, Mr. Grinch


You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch!
You are a thoroughly unpleasant and disgusting person, Mr. Grinch


You have termites in your smile.
Your outward appearance is fake and rotten, Mr. Grinch


You have all the tender sweetness
You lack the gentle nature that is expected of a decent human being, Mr. Grinch


Of a seasick crocodile,
Your character is unpleasant and unappealing, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


Given the choice between the two of you,
Choosing between you and a similarly unpleasant creature, Mr. Grinch


I'd take the seasick crocodile!
I would choose the other creature over you, Mr. Grinch


You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch!
You are an extremely unpleasant and disgusting person, Mr. Grinch


You're a nasty, wasty skunk!
You are a repugnant and unappealing person, Mr. Grinch


Your heart is full of unwashed socks.
Your innermost being is unclean and unattractive, Mr. Grinch


Your soul is full of gunk,
You possess an unsavory and unappealing spirit, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


The three words that best describe you
Three words that perfectly describe you, Mr. Grinch


Are as follows, and I quote,
In these exact words, Mr. Grinch


"Stink, stank, stunk!"
"Smell bad, smell worse, and even more terrible!"


You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch!
You are a low-life and despicable person, Mr. Grinch


You're the king of sinful sots!
You are the most morally depraved person, Mr. Grinch


Your heart's a dead tomato,
Your sense of compassion and empathy is nonexistent, Mr. Grinch


Splotched with moldy, purple spots,
Your character is corrupted by negative thoughts and emotions, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


Your soul is an apalling dump-heap,
Your spirit is completely repulsive and unattractive, Mr. Grinch


Overflowing with the most disgraceful
Filled with a collection of shameless and deplorable, Mr. Grinch


assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable,
A mixture of unthinkable and disgusting things, Mr. Grinch


Mangled-up in tangled-up knots!
Completely twisted and broken beyond repair, Mr. Grinch


You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch!
You make me feel sick and disgusted, Mr. Grinch


With a nauseous super naus!
Your actions are extremely disgusting and unpleasant, Mr. Grinch


You're a crooked jerky jockey,
You are a deceitful and dishonest person, Mr. Grinch


And you drive a crooked hoss,
You are able to deceive and manipulate others for your own gain, Mr. Grinch


Mr. Grinch!
Addressing Mr. Grinch


You're a three-decker sauerkraut
You are an unpleasant and ugly triple-layered sandwich, Mr. Grinch


and toadstool sandwich,
A disgusting sandwich that no one would want to eat, Mr. Grinch


With arsenic sauce!
A poisonous and deadly sauce that adds to the repulsiveness of the sandwich, Mr. Grinch




Contributed by Samuel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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