10 Bizarre Songs Which Prove That The 1950s Were Crazier Than You Think
8. The Louvin Brothers – Satan Is Real
Let’s start with the cover of this LP, which bears the same name as the single: two men dressed in sharp white suites, pink shirts and black ties, reach out, preacher-like, superimposed over a hellish background of lava and basalt. In the left-hand corner, Beelzebub himself looks down scornfully.
Like many artists of the time, the Louvin brothers were brought up on church music, and turned to showbusiness as a means to escape from the harsh poverty of Depression-era America. What marks this duo out is that, when the Louvin Brothers sang "Satan is Real," they meant it.
There is no metaphor here. The brothers were capable of incredible close-harmony singing and musicianship. Ira Louvin, tormented by the very real demons of alcohol and rage, died in a car accident in 1965. Charlie Louvin lived to the ripe old age of 83. Together, they created some truly memorable music.