Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s “Lydia.”
Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became Unsung. “Over the years,” Cleaves explains, “as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety.” These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely.
"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." -- Entertainment Weekly
"...one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas." -- Neil Strauss, The New York Times
You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!
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!
In Slaid Cleaves's interpretation of the popular holiday song "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," the lyrics depict the character of Mr. Grinch as an incredibly unpleasant and despicable individual. The song serves as a mirror for the innermost qualities of Mr. Grinch, emphasizing his mean-spirited nature and the extent of his unpleasantness.
The lyrics compare Mr. Grinch to various unconventional objects, emphasizing his lack of charm and appeal. Describing him as "cuddly as a cactus" and as "charming as an eel," the song highlights his repulsive nature. Mr. Grinch is depicted as someone with a heart that is empty, signified by an "empty hole." His thoughts are likened to spiders, portraying the darkness and malice within him. The lyrics also suggest his lack of genuine emotion, as his soul is said to be filled with garlic, an ingredient commonly associated with repulsion.
The song continues to brutalize Mr. Grinch by comparing him to foul-smelling and repugnant objects. His smile is described as harboring termites, emphasizing the decay and unpleasantness within him. The contrast between him and a "seasick crocodile" emphasizes his lack of any redeeming qualities. The final verses of the song further emphasize his vileness, with his heart being compared to a "dead tomato" with moldy spots and his soul being described as an overwhelming dump-heap filled with disgraceful rubbish.
Overall, Slaid Cleaves's interpretation of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" amplifies the negative characteristics of the iconic character, portraying him as an absolutely detestable and loathsome individual.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a mean one, Mr Grinch
You are a cruel and heartless person, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel
You are truly despicable
You're as cuddly as a cactus
You are not affectionate or friendly at all
You're as charming as an eel
You have a deceitful and untrustworthy nature
Mr. Grinch!
Calling out to address Mr. Grinch directly
You're a bad banana
You are a rotten and undesirable individual
With a greasy black peel!
You have a dirty and repulsive exterior
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch!
You are a terrifying and monstrous person, Mr. Grinch
Your heart's an empty hole
You have no compassion or kindness within you
Your brain is full of spiders
Your thoughts and intentions are twisted and creepy
You've got garlic in your soul
You possess a malicious and spiteful spirit
Mr. Grinch!
Continuing to directly address Mr. Grinch
I wouldn't touch you
I would not come near you
With a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
Even with a long pole, I would keep my distance from you
You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch!
You are a repugnant and abhorrent person, Mr. Grinch
You have termites in your smile
Even your smile is infested with negativity and decay
You have all the tender sweetness
You lack any form of gentleness or kindness
Of a seasick crocodile
You are as unpleasant and unsettling as a sick crocodile
Mr. Grinch!
Continuing to directly address Mr. Grinch
Given the choice between the two of you
If I had to choose between you and something else
I'd take the seasick crocodile!
I would prefer the sick crocodile over you
You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch!
You are a repulsive and disgusting person, Mr. Grinch
You're a nasty, wasty skunk!
You are a filthy and offensive creature
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your heart is filled with unpleasant and dirty things
Your soul is full of gunk
Your inner self is contaminated with filth and corruption
Mr. Grinch!
Continuing to directly address Mr. Grinch
The three words that best describe you
The most fitting words to describe you accurately
Are as follows, and I quote
These are the words that I choose to describe you
"Stink, stank, stunk!"
"You have a terrible odor, you have a putrid smell, and you reek!"
You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch!
You are a scoundrel and a villain, Mr. Grinch
You're the king of sinful sots!
You are the leader of immoral and wicked individuals
Your heart's a dead tomato
Your heart is lifeless and decayed like a rotten tomato
Splotched with moldy, purple spots
Your heart is covered in discolored marks and blemishes
Mr. Grinch!
Continuing to directly address Mr. Grinch
Your soul is an appalling dump-heap
Your soul is a horrifying and repulsive collection of waste
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
Filled to the brim with the most shameful
Assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable
Variety of offensive and contemptible garbage one can conceive
Mangled-up in tangled-up knots!
Twisted and knotted together beyond repair!
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch!
You make me feel sick and disgusted, Mr. Grinch!
With a nauseous super naus!
With an extremely nauseating disgust!
You're a crooked jerky jockey
You are a dishonest and deceitful person
And you drive a crooked hoss
And you ride a dishonest and crooked horse
Mr. Grinch!
Continuing to directly address Mr. Grinch
You're a three-decker sauerkraut
You are a repulsive and undesirable sandwich
And toadstool sandwich
And you are also an unappetizing and poisonous sandwich
With arsenic sauce!
Served with a deadly poison as a sauce!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Albert Hague, Theodor S. Geisel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind