[Lady Tremaine]
Ever since I was a girl, my own mother vowed
I must find the way to power through a noble brow
I married once for love, then my senses came
I must marry for the stature of my husband's name
Onto marriage number two, I knew what I had to do
And my poor husband fell ill in a year or two
Solved problem number one, now to problem number two
His doe-eyed little girl with gentle point of view
Would I ship her off to school? No! I told her if she stayed
That she'd have to earn her keep and so she became the maid

[Drizella]
She was lazy

[Anastasia]
She was crazy

[Drizella]
She was talking to the mice!

[Lady Tremaine]
She was hopelessly naive, so she had to pay the price
I moved her to the attic out of sight and out of mind
I could have thrown her out, but I'm benevolent and kind
[Anastasia and Drizella]
Mother, your heart's too big for you!

[Lady Tremaine]
I knew what I had to do

(spoken)
After all, difficult children will take advantage of your good nature

(sung)
So you lock them up; throw away the key
There's one on every family tree

[Drizella]
Ungrateful

[Anastasia]
Hateful

[Anastasia and Drizella]
Vile too!
The things she put you through!

[Lady Tremaine]
Break their spirit so they obey
Now they'll do anything you say
Maybe you'd call it cruel but
Others would call it love
Tough love!
(spoken)
I ask you, is it a crime to strive for perfection in all things?

[Mother Gothel, spoken]
Oh no, they're so cute when they're little but then they grow up and just ruin everything...

(sung)
I never wanted children, life was better on my own
All the screaming, nagging chilled me to the bone
But then one day, I came across a flower growing free
Its magic kept me young, so I kept it all for me
But someone dug it up, now a baby held the power
So I "borrowed" her, locked her up and hid her in a tower
Years went by, oh, the sacrifice!
And against my better judgment, I fed her once or twice
Teenagers now I know are wild, eat their young
But that's messy; manipulation's easily more fun
A little guilt, a lot of force, of course you have to lie
Remind them that without you, they'd shrivel up and die

They only have themselves to blame
If you'd been there, you'd do the same!

So work them hard 'til they fall in line
There's one way and it's only mine
[Evil Queen]
Children are lazy

[Lady Tremaine]
Spoiled too

[All three]
But we know what to do

[Evil Queen]
Govern them with a heart of stone!

[Lady Tremaine]
Lock them up, so they're all alone

[Mother Gothel]
Maybe you'd call it cruel but

[All three]
Others would call it love, tough love

[Mother Gothel, spoken]
Ugh, her own tower with a water view and she runs away, the first change she gets

[Evil Queen, spoken]
These wretched brats think the world owes them something, but it doesn't

(sung)
Far and wide I rule the kingdom with a heavy hand
But there was more, I had in mind a greater plan
I never cared to share, so the king would have to fall
But his child blocked the way to me and "Fairest of them all"
She was chubby, she was dumb and grotesquely optimistic
She need structure in her life; she wasn't realistic
I gave her chores and took away the things that she'd enjoy
But then I caught her singing songs with birds and then a boy
Love? Was I just sit by and wait?
For her to take my crown? No! She had sealed her fate
She had to go, and so she did and you know what they say:
"An apple once a day keeps your enemies away"

Don't be fooled by their tender smile

[Lady Tremaine]
Give an inch

[All]
And they'll run a mile!

Our idea for a happy home
Is one where we live all alone

[Mother Gothel]
Dark

[Lady Tremaine]
Depressing

[Evil Queen]
Desolate

[All]
Now let's all drink to that!

[Anastasia and Drizella]
Call us wicked and call us mean

[Lady Tremaine]
Cruel and everything in between

[Mother Gothel]
You could say it's unjust

[Evil Queen]
Turning their dreams to dust

[All]
This is what we call love, tough love!