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Underrated Villain Songs!

Every so often, I'll go on a villain song binge. Which just means I listen to a ton of villain songs in the span of a day or even a week. It all depends on my mood. Well this week, I got into another binge when I rediscovered the soundtrack to a movie I watched back when I was still in single digits. And I could not believe how good the songs were, especially the villain song! And it got me thinking about other villain songs from movies and shows that aren't very well known. So I decided to share a few underrated bops in no particular order.

1. How Can I Refuse from Barbie in The Princess And The Pauper 

And we're kicking off this list with the song that started my latest villain song binge. Yes this song is from a Barbie movie, but hear me out! They got Martin Short to voice this villain (Preminger). Yes, the Martin Short. And he DELIVERS! Not only that, Preminger turns out to be a well-written villain. His plan to take over the kingdom is pretty frigging brilliant, not to mention he's the character responsible for driving the plot. Besides, everything about his song from the lyrics and vocal performance to the choreography is just...YES! Definitely the best part of the movie. Side note: there's also a reprise which will not be included in this list, because spoilers.

2. Oh No! What We Gonna Do? from Where's God When I'm S-Scared? (VeggieTales) 

If you've never heard of VeggieTales, you probably weren't brought up in a Christian household like I was. But now you know it exists! And believe me, this is just the first of MANY bangers this show has put out. Literally, this song is from the very first episode. And in this take on the story of Daniel and the lion's den, Daniel has just been promoted to King Darius' second in command after interpreting a troubling dream that the other members of the court couldn't. And the King's wise men are PISSED! So they plot ways to get rid of Daniel so they can steal his job. If you want to find out what happens next, read Daniel chapter 6 in the Bible. Or watch VeggieTales. Or both! 

3. A Story Told from The Count of Monte Cristo  

Speaking of plots to get rid of people for the sake of your own ambitions...

This song is from a musical adapted from the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I've read the book and listened to the entire soundtrack for this musical; both are absolutely fantastic (check them out)! Little bit of context on this song: Edmond Dantes is set to succeed his employer as captain of the ship he sails, and is engaged to the beautiful Mercedes. Three men-Fernand Mondego, Danglars, and Gaspard Caderousse (in the book, but here it's Gerard de Villefort)-are all envious of Dantes' success. And so the three plot to take what they most desire from Dantes by conjuring up a false, but convincing accusation of treason against the crown. And let me tell you, this song portrays the characters' motivations and even self-justifications of the sick crimes they're about to commit deliciously! The only reason this song ranks 9/10 in my books is because Hell To Your Doorstep is also part of this soundtrack (again, check it out). 

4. Haman's Song from Esther: The Girl Who Became Queen (VeggieTales) 

More VeggieTales! This song is from a movie based on the biblical story of Esther (found in the book of Esther). Context: Haman, the King's right hand man, hates the palace guard Mordecai. Why? Because Haman is a greedy, power hungry anti-semitic and Mordecai, a Hebrew, refuses to bow down to him. And the fact that Mordecai, with the help of (his cousin) Queen Esther, just saved the King from assassination makes him a potential threat to Haman's position. So he decides to convince the King that the Hebrews are a threat and need to be exterminated. It's scary how accurately the lyrics portray the way ethnic minorities are targeted discrimination, or genocide in this case. Look at history: this is exactly how Hitler convinces the German people to rally against the Jews and set the Holocaust in motion. All things considered, this song is pretty dark (with the exception of not saying "die" because it's the early 2000's and we can't do that in a kid's show). 

5. Molasses To Rum from 1776 

Before the days of Hamilton, 1776 was the resident Revolutionary War musical on Broadway. This musical details the events surrounding the signing of The Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. At this point in the show, the biggest obstacle in signing the Declaration is South Carolina delegate Edward Rutledge's opposition to a clause that outlaws slavery in the states. In this song, Rutledge argues that the North profits as much from the Triangle Trade as the South does. And he has a point. This song gives me chills every time I hear it. 

Aaaaaand......I can't think of any more songs at the moment. I know there is more out there, but none are coming to mind. If you know of any more underrated villain songs, let me know in the comments!