"Cruella De Vil" is a song featured in the 1961 Disney-produced animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians and its live-action remake. In the original animated film, it is written by Roger Radcliffe who had just finished the melody for the song and was inspired by Cruella's name to make the song about her.
It was first performed by Bill Lee as the singing voice of Roger Radcliffe, a character from the movie. It has been re-recorded by Dr. John, Busted, Lalaine, Skye Sweetnam, Hayden Panettiere, and Selena Gomez for various releases in the Disney Mania album series. Additionally, The Mad Hatter sang the song in a game of Musical Chairs at Disneyland, but instead changed a number of the "Cruella De Vil's" to "Alice De Vil" to criticize his friend.
"Cruella De Vil" is the only song from the original film to be featured in the Animated Storybook adaptation.
The song was re-imagined for 102 Dalmatians, as a song about Cruella's supposed "change of heart."
An instrumental version of the song can also be heard in the Once Upon a Time episode "Sympathy for the De Vil". When Cruella hears the song, she exclaims how much she loves it and persuades Isaac Heller to dance to it with her.
Lyrics[]
Movie Version[]
Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
The curl of her lips, the ice in her stare
All innocent children had better beware
She's like a spider waiting for the kill
Look out for Cruella De Vil
At first you think Cruella is a devil
But after time has worn away the shock
You come to realize
You've seen her kind of eyes
Watching you from underneath a rock!
This vampire bat, this inhuman beast
She ought to be locked up and never released
The world was such a wholesome place until
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
(In some of them, the last two verses are repeated)
Camara Kambon's Version[]
Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil
Just hearing her name used to make you feel ill
Now suddenly she's drippin' with good will
Can this be Cruella De Vil?
A heartwarmin' laugh, instead of a scream
She's practically human or so it would seem
As playful as a puppy in the snow
That's not the Cruella we know
Oh, remember when she lived just to be rotten
How she loved to frighten the little tots
Who thought she could be kind,
respectful and refined
Has the lady really changed her spots?
She gave up her bark but will she still bite
What's wrong with this picture? It doesn't look right
Unfortunately only time will tell
if Cruella, I mean, Ella
is from heaven or hell
Ooh yeah
Selena Gomez's Version[]
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh
Look out for Cruella De Vil
Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
The curl of her lips, the ice in her stare
All innocent children had better beware
She's like a spider waiting for the kill
Look out for Cruella De Vil
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella De Vil
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh
This vampire bat, this inhuman beast
She 'outta be locked up and never released
This world was such a wholesome place until
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
Yeah!
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella De Vil
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh
(Oooh oh, oooh oh. oooh oh. oooh oh)
At first you think Cruella is a devil
But after time has worn away the shock
You come to realize
You've seen her kind of eyes
Watching you from underneath a rock!
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will
Cruella, Cruella De Vil
To see her is to take a sudden chill
Cruella De Vil
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh (Cruella De Vil!)
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh (Cruella De Vil!)
Oooh, ooh oh oh, oooh oh
Look out for Cruella De Vil