# Let's get in the spirit! Who sings You're a Mean One?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 9, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845 "2004-12-09T00:25:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/1 "2004-12-09T00:25:20Z")
The three words that best describe you,
are, and I quote: “Stink. Stank. Stunk.”
If it wasn’t for the song, I’d say the guy had one of the sexiest voices ever heard in a Christmas cartoon and I wonder if he’s got anything else out there.
P.S. For a long time I thought it was Boris Karloff.
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/2 "2004-12-09T00:28:27Z")
My husband just informed me that it is the same guy who does Tony the Tiger.
Iiiiit’s GREAT!
Still don’t know his name though.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/3 "2004-12-09T00:31:15Z")
Yipes, it’s _Boris Karloff_, people.
(Don’t mean to sound snarky – but I love the man and it breaks my heart that one of his great gifts to humanity has been forgotten.) 😃
Boris Karloff did not supply the voice of Tony the Tiger, if you’re wondering.
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### Author:  [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/4 "2004-12-09T00:32:05Z")
> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> The three words that best describe you,
> are, and I quote: “Stink. Stank. Stunk.”
> If it wasn’t for the song, I’d say the guy had one of the sexiest voices ever heard in a Christmas cartoon and I wonder if he’s got anything else out there.
>
> P.S. For a long time I thought it was Boris Karloff.
[Thurl Ravenscroft](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712391/) Check out entry #2 under “Misc Crew - TV”. He is indeed also the voice of [Tony the Tiger](http://www.toonopedia.com/tonytigr.htm).
Enjoy,
Steven
---
### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/5 "2004-12-09T00:33:00Z")
:o
Then again, Boris only did the narration, and Thurl Ravenscroft sang the song.
The guy who did the voice of Tony the Tiger.
Anyone needs me, I’m under the bed.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/6 "2004-12-09T00:34:41Z")
Beaten to the retraction, and _now_ I see the postscript.
I’m waaay under the bed.
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### Author:  [@Priam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Priam)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/7 "2004-12-09T00:34:51Z")
Yup. Good ole Thurl. Boris gets the credit but Thurl sends shivers down my spine.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/8 "2004-12-09T00:39:41Z")
**Biggirl** , as for him having a sexy voice, well, how old is that Grinch tale now? Thurl is currently 91, a prime candidate for the DeathPool ☹
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### Author:  [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/9 "2004-12-09T00:42:17Z")
And what a fantastic name!
However, the Christmas Cartoon song that gets stuck in my head is the extraordinarily melancholy “I’m All Alooooooone in the Wooorrrrrrrrlllld” song from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. (Although I do love the graverobber’s song from the same cartoon –
“We’re rep-re-hensible
we’ll steal your pens
and pencibles
we’re twice as blood-thirsty as canni-bules
and nasty as ani-mules are we.”)
– Tenar (who only recently stopped crying at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas)
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### Author:  [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/10 "2004-12-09T00:44:51Z")
> [@Baker](#):
>
> **Biggirl** , as for him having a sexy voice, well, how old is that Grinch tale now? Thurl is currently 91, a prime candidate for the DeathPool ☹
I saw him on TV a few years ago in a “behind the Tiger” type thing and he looked pretty good. He seemed to be going strong. Even if he shuffles off this mortal coil fairly soon he’s left quite a legacy. I love to see a strong bass/baritone get airtime. It is just so amazing to hear a good bass sing a good bass song.
Enjoy,
Steven
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### Author:  [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/11 "2004-12-09T00:52:44Z")
What a perfect name for that voice. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/12 "2004-12-09T01:06:25Z")
> [@Tenar](#):
>
> And what a fantastic name!
>
> However, the Christmas Cartoon song that gets stuck in my head is the extraordinarily melancholy “I’m All Alooooooone in the Wooorrrrrrrrlllld” song from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. (Although I do love the graverobber’s song from the same cartoon –
>
> “We’re rep-re-hensible
> we’ll steal your pens
> and pencibles
> we’re twice as blood-thirsty as canni-bules
> and nasty as ani-mules are we.”)
>
> – Tenar (who only recently stopped crying at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas)
Damn, you just managed to include references to my three favorite Christmas shows–Charlie Brown, Mr. Magoo, and the Grinch–in one post!
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### Author:  [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/13 "2004-12-09T01:12:09Z")
Thurl’s also one of the singing tombstone heads in Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction (at least the Orlando one dunno about the other parks), so you get both the voice and the face in that one.
screech-owl (who also owns the narration soundtrack to the whole attraction [also includes Stan Freeberg, another classic voice])
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/14 "2004-12-09T01:16:59Z")
> [@Tenar](#):
>
> And what a fantastic name!
>
> However, the Christmas Cartoon song that gets stuck in my head is the extraordinarily melancholy “I’m All Alooooooone in the Wooorrrrrrrrlllld” song from Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. (Although I do love the graverobber’s song from the same cartoon –
>
> “We’re rep-re-hensible
> we’ll steal your pens
> and pencibles
> we’re twice as blood-thirsty as canni-bules
> and nasty as ani-mules are we.”)
>
> – Tenar (who only recently stopped crying at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas)
My favorite from that show is the song sung by Bob Cratchet’s family - the one where Tiny Tim obsesses over razzleberry dressing.
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### Author:  [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/15 "2004-12-09T01:32:54Z")
I have a recording of Boris Karloff narrating _Peter and the Wolf_. Wonderful, cultured voice throughout. Perfect narration…
Until the last word. Where suddenly you realize that this isn’t some nice old man telling you a story. This was the boogie-man.
> [@](#):
>
> And if one would listen very carefully, he would hear the duck quacking inside the wolf, because the wolf, in his hurry, had swallowed her alive.
The way he says the word “alive”. More like “ah-liiiiiiiiive”. Makes chills run down your spine.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/16 "2004-12-09T01:38:12Z")
Well, since we’ve completely hijacked this to a Mr. Magoo appreciation – how about “Winter Was Warm,” the song Belle sings? Just lovely!
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/17 "2004-12-09T02:40:56Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> Well, since we’ve completely hijacked this to a Mr. Magoo appreciation – how about “Winter Was Warm,” the song Belle sings? Just lovely!
I think that’s the part they always used to cut out of the broadcast version.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/18 "2004-12-09T02:51:55Z")
“All I got was his sheets!” (followed by cackling laughter.)
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/19 "2004-12-09T03:03:30Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#):
>
> I think that’s the part they always used to cut out of the broadcast version.
You don’t have your own copy of this? :eek:
La! La! La la la la la!
La! La! La la la la la!
La! La! La la la la la!
We’re just blankity-blank-blank – _no good_!
---
### Author:  [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-get-in-the-spirit-who-sings-youre-a-mean-one/278845/20 "2004-12-09T03:20:46Z")
Ha! My “big” brother (age 44), my “little” brother (age 35) and I (not telling!) still get together and sing the song – including the La Las – to my parents at Christmas!
Wockur! (Whatever the hell that means.)
Tenar (who is not quite as tenderly preserved as Tiny Tim’s crutch)
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