As a somewhat heavy-set character actress, she has appeared in many TV programs beginning in the 1950s (playing Cindy Williams' mother on Laverne and Shirley, for example) and stage productions, but is best known for her roles as the voice of Ursula in The Little Mermaid and the voice of Morgana, Ursula's sister in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.
In 1956 Carroll won an Emmy Award for her work on Caesar's Hour and was a regular on the sitcom Make Room for Daddy. She appeared on many variety shows of the 1950s and 1960s, such as The Red Buttons Show, The Danny Kaye Show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. In 1965, she co-starred as Prunella, one of the stepsisters in the Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella television special starring Lesley Ann Warren.
Carroll scored a personal and artistic success in the late 1970's with her one woman show on Gertrude Stein titled Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein winning several major theater awards and even a Grammy in 1981 for her recorded version of the performance.
Since the late 1980's she has done much voice over work on animated programs such as A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Galaxy High, You Don't Say and a A Goofy Movie. On Pound Puppies she play the series villain, Katrina Stoneheart on the Hanna Barbera version of their TV show.
She has portrayed the sea witch Ursula in many forms of media, such as the Kingdom Hearts series of video games, the Fantasmic! show at two Disney theme parks, the spin-off TV series and will soon voice the Ursula puppet in the forthcoming Broadway production of the movie. She provided the voice of Ursula once again for the puppet in Disneyland's Parade of Dreams.
Taking a break from various villains she's played, her most recent voice over role was the kind and compassionate character of Granny in the re-release of Hayao Miyazaki's warm hearted story My Neighbor Totoro.
She has also had a successful career in the theater, particularly in numerous off-Broadway productions. In 1990 she stunned the theater world with an acclaimed performance in The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Shakespeare Theater at the Folger playing a male role, Sir John Falstaff, playing a balding knight with whiskers.
Drama critic Frank Rich of The New York Times wrote: "Her performance is a triumph from start to finish, and, I think, a particularly brave and moving one, with implications that go beyond this one production. Ms. Carroll and Mr. Kahn help revivify the argument that the right actresses can perform some of the great classic roles traditionally denied to women and make them their own. It's not a new argument, to be sure; female Hamlets stretch back into history. But what separates Ms. Carroll's Falstaff from some other similar casting experiments of late is that her performance exists to investigate a character rather than merely as ideological window dressing for a gimmicky production."
As a member of The Actors Studio Pat Carroll is currently working in stage productions. Her past work includes not only off-Broadway productions but the Kennedy Center and national tours.
In 2005 she played a homeless woman in three episodes of the television series ER.
As a devout Catholic, her religious views inform her choice of what roles to accept, and in which productions to appear.
According to a Current Biography article, she is a supporter of the US Republican Party.
She is the mother of 2 daughters, Kerry and Tara Karsian.
Poor Unfortunate Souls
Pat Carroll Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you do that?
My dear, sweet child, that's what I do
It's what I live for
To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself
Poor souls with no one else to turn to
They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch
But you'll find that nowadays
I've mended all my ways
Repented, seen the light, and made a switch
True? Yes
And I fortunately know a little magic
It's a talent that I always have possessed
And dear lady, please don't laugh
I use it on behalf
Of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed, pathetic
Poor unfortunate souls
In pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them?
Yes, indeed
Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true
They come flocking to my cauldron
Crying, "Spells, Ursula, please!"
And I help them
Yes, I do
Now it's happened once or twice
Someone couldn't pay the price
And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals
Yes I've had the odd complaint
But on the whole I've been a saint
To those poor unfortunate souls
Have we got a deal?
If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again
But, you'll have your man
Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?
Oh, and there is one more thing
We haven't discussed the subject of payment
But I don't have
I'm not asking much, just a token really, a trifle
What I want from you is your voice
But without my voice, how can I
You'll have your looks, your pretty face
And don't underestimate the importance of body language, ha
The men up there don't like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore
Yet on land it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word
And after all dear, what is idle prattle for?
Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation
True gentlemen avoid it when they can
But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who's withdrawn
It's she who holds her tongue who gets a man
Come on you poor unfortunate soul
Go ahead
Make your choice
I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day
It won't cost much
Just your voice
You poor unfortunate soul
It's sad but true
If you want to cross the bridge, my sweet
You've got the pay the toll
Take a gulp and take a breath
And go ahead and sign the scroll
Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her, boys
The boss is on a roll
This poor unfortunate soul
Beluga sevruga
Come winds of the Caspian Sea
Larengix glaucitis
Et max laryngitis
La voce to me
Now, sing
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah (keep singing)
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah
In "Poor Unfortunate Souls," Ursula offers to help a mermaid named Ariel become human and win the heart of a human prince, but at a cost. Ursula is characterized as a villain, known for being a "witch" with a dark past. However, she informs Ariel that she has changed her ways and now helps "unfortunate" beings like her. Ursula claims to possess magic and uses it to help those who are "miserable, lonely, and depressed." The song highlights the negative aspects of society as Ursula sings about the human world's emphasis on appearance and the importance of being silent. At the end of the song, Ursula takes Ariel's voice in exchange for legs, reminding her that she must pay the price to achieve her desires.
Line by Line Meaning
The only way to get what you want, is to become a human yourself
It's impossible to get what you want as a mermaid, you need to become a human
My dear, sweet child, that's what I do
I help unfortunate merfolk become human
It's what I live for
Helping merfolk become human is my life's purpose
To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself
I help merfolk who are in need and have no one else to turn to
Poor souls with no one else to turn to
Merfolk who have no one to help them come to me for assistance
I admit that in the past I've been a nasty
I used to be wicked and unpleasant
They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch
People used to call me a witch, and it was not an exaggeration
But you'll find that nowadays
But I have changed recently
I've mended all my ways
I have made amends and changed my behavior
Repented, seen the light, and made a switch
I realized my mistakes and reformed my ways
True? Yes
It's the truth
And I fortunately know a little magic
I have a talent for using magic
It's a talent that I always have possessed
Using magic is something that comes naturally to me
And dear lady, please don't laugh
Please don't find this amusing
I use it on behalf
I use my magic to help others
Of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed, pathetic
I help those who are miserable, lonely, and depressed
Poor unfortunate souls
Merfolk in need
In pain, in need
They are experiencing suffering and need assistance
This one longing to be thinner
Someone who wants to be thinner came to me for help
That one wants to get the girl
Another person wants to win the affection of someone else
And do I help them?
And I help them, of course
Yes, indeed
Absolutely
So sad, so true
It's unfortunate but accurate
They come flocking to my cauldron
People come to me seeking my help
"Spells, Ursula, please!"
"Please use your magic to help me, Ursula!"
Now it's happened once or twice
It's only happened a few times
Someone couldn't pay the price
Someone was unable to fulfill their end of the deal
And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals
Unfortunately, I had to punish them severely
Yes I've had the odd complaint
I have received some negative feedback
But on the whole I've been a saint
But generally, I have been very good to those who seek my help
Have we got a deal?
Is our agreement acceptable to you?
If I become human, I'll never be with my father or sisters again
Becoming human means losing connection with family
But, you'll have your man
But you will be with the man you love
Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?
Life requires making difficult decisions
Oh, and there is one more thing
There is one other condition
We haven't discussed the subject of payment
We have not yet talked about the cost
But I don't have
But I don't possess
I'm not asking much, just a token really, a trifle
I'm only asking for a small favor
What I want from you is your voice
I want you to give up your voice
But without my voice, how can I
But how will I be able to
You'll have your looks, your pretty face
You will still be beautiful
And don't underestimate the importance of body language, ha
Remember that nonverbal communication is important too
The men up there don't like a lot of blabber
Men on land prefer women who don't talk excessively
They think a girl who gossips is a bore
Talking about others is uninteresting to them
Yet on land it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word
Women on land are expected to be silent
And after all dear, what is idle prattle for?
Do not waste your breath on meaningless talk
Come on you poor unfortunate soul
Come on, let's make a deal
Go ahead
Do it, take the deal
Make your choice
Decide what you want to do
I'm a very busy woman and I haven't got all day
I am very busy and don't have time to waste
It won't cost much
The price is low
Just your voice
All I ask is for you to give up your voice
It's sad but true
It's a fact, no matter how unfortunate
If you want to cross the bridge, my sweet
If you want to get what you want
You've got the pay the toll
You have to make a sacrifice
Take a gulp and take a breath
Be brave and make the deal
And go ahead and sign the scroll
Sign the contract and finalize the deal
Flotsam, Jetsam, now I've got her, boys
I've successfully made a deal with her, boys
The boss is on a roll
I am having a successful streak
Beluga sevruga
Nonsense phrases
Come winds of the Caspian Sea
More nonsense phrases
Larengix glaucitis
More nonsense phrases
Et max laryngitis
More nonsense phrases
La voce to me
Translation: 'give me your voice'
Now, sing
Now, follow my instruction
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah (keep singing)
Sing this tune
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah
Keep singing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Alan Menken, Howard Elliott Ashman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind