Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (February 6, 1914 – May 22, 2005) was an American … Read Full Bio ↴Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (February 6, 1914 – May 22, 2005) was an American voice actor and singer with a deep, booming voice. For 53 years, he was best-known as the voice of Tony the Tiger in more than 500 television commercials for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.

Ravenscroft was also the vocalist of the song "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in the Christmas television special based on the Dr. Seuss classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, although his name was accidentally left off of the credits, leading many to believe (erroneously) that the cartoon's narrator, Boris Karloff, sang the song. He also sang "No Dogs Allowed" in the Peanuts animated motion picture Snoopy Come Home.

His voice is also heard in many Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions. He also provided narration on the original Pirates of the Caribbean vinyl recording, as well as singing several pirate-themed songs.

That's What Friends Are For
Thurl Ravenscroft Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We're your friends
We're your friends
We're your friends to the bitter end

When you're alone
Who comes around
To pluck you up
When you are down

And when you're outside, looking in
Who's there to open the door?
That's what friends are for!

Who's always eager to extend
A friendly claw?
That's what friends are for!

And when you're lost in dire need
Who's at your side at lightning speed?
We're friends of every creature
Comin' down the pike
In fact we never met an animal
We didn't like, didn't like

So you can see
We're friends in need
And friends in need
Are friends indeed

We'll keep you safe
In the jungle forevermore

Overall Meaning

The song "That's What Friends Are For" is a catchy tune that talks about the importance of true friendship, particularly during difficult times. The opening lines emphasize the commitment of friends by repeating "We're your friends" three times, along with the declaration that they will be loyal until the end. The following lines describe what a true friend does - they come and support you when you are feeling low, pick you up, and open doors for you. The second verse discusses the uniqueness of the friends and how they are eager to show support through actions like extending a friendly claw or being at your side at lightning speed.

The third verse talks about the friends' affinity for all creatures and their tagline of "We never met an animal we didn't like." This reinforces the idea that true friendships should know no bounds and that they should be ready to support each other no matter what. The chorus repeats the phrase of "friends in need are friends indeed," emphasizing that real friendships are built around support and being there for each other through thick and thin.

Line by Line Meaning

We're your friends
We are here to be your friends

We're your friends to the bitter end
We will be your friends no matter what

When you're alone
When you are by yourself

Who comes around
Who comes to visit

To pluck you up
To cheer you up

When you are down
When you are feeling sad

And when you're outside, looking in
When you feel excluded from something

Who's there to open the door?
We are here to welcome you with open arms

That's what friends are for!
That is the reason we are your friends

Who's always eager to extend
Who is always willing to offer

A friendly claw?
A helping hand?