10 Bizarre Songs Which Prove That The 1950s Were Crazier Than You Think

10. Phil Harris – The Thing

This is a dark tale of unknown terror. After finding a nameless ‘thing’ on a beach, the narrator "wanders round for many years, a victim of my fate”, unable to divest himself of the ‘thing’ (represented in the song by two thuds of the bass drum). The music is jolly and upbeat, which only adds to the sinister overtones. Your writer won’t spoil the ending - suffice to say that there’s a moral lesson in here somewhere, even if we’re not sure what it is.

Wonga Philip Harris (yes, that was his christened name) was a big star in radio comedy, recording with Jack Benny, among others, and starring in his own series. You might recognize his voice as that of Baloo the Bear in the classic 1967 Disney version of The Jungle Book.

Records that tell a story, of course, compel us to listen right through to the end, much like a good book, if only to find out the pay-off. This one stands up to repeat listening thanks to its peculiar theme, musical inventiveness and of course, Phil's velvety vocals.