“United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru; Republic Dominican, Cuba, Caribbean, Greenland, El Salvador too.” By now, the classic Animaniacs’ song, Yakko’s World, is probably firmly stuck in your head. But did you know that Rob Paulsen, the voice of Yakko Warner, recorded that incredibly complex earworm in just a single take?
CNN’s Great Big Story recently chatted with Paulsen about his long career voicing cartoon characters, which also included bringing Pinky from Pinky and the Brain to life and Arthur from the ‘90s animated version of The Tick.
But Paulsen’s most memorable performance is undoubtedly, Yakko’s World, where the character sings the names of every single country on Earth—or at least those that existed back in the ‘90s. Paulsen recorded the entire song in just a single take, which is mind-boggling since I can barely get through the first two verses without tripping over Republic Dominican. But I guess that’s why this guy keeps getting hired to voice more cartoons, and I get politely asked to quietly leave the Disney store.
[YouTube]