The Thing
Harris Phil Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw a great big wooden box a-floatin' in the bay
I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise
Ooh, I discovered a, right before my eyes
Ooh, I discovered a, right before my eyes
I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king
I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy most anything
"Ooh, get out of here with that, before I call a cop"
"Ooh, get out of here with that, before I call a cop"
I turned around and got right out, a-runnin' for my life
And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife
But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door
"Ooh, get out of here with that, and don't come back no more"
"Ooh, get out of here with that, and don't come back no more"
I wandered all around the town until I chanced a meet
A hobo who was lookin' for a handout on the street
He said he'd take most any old thing, he was a desperate man
But when I showed him the, he turned around and ran
Oh, when I showed him the, he turned around and ran
I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate
Until one day I came upon St. Peter at the gate
And when I tried to take it inside he told me where to go
Get out of here with that, and take it down below
Oh, get out of here with that, and take it down below
The moral of this story is, if you're out on the beach
And you should see a great big box, and it's within your reach
Don't ever stop and open it up, that's my advice to you
'Cause you'll never get rid of the, no matter what you do
Oh, you'll never get rid of the, no matter what you do
In "The Thing," Harris Phil tells a cautionary tale that warns against seeking out the unknown. The story starts with the singer stumbling upon a big wooden box floating in the bay while taking a walk on the beach. With curiosity getting the better of him, he opens the box and is shocked to find the mysterious "thing" inside. He is excited about his discovery and takes it to a shopkeeper in town who promptly rejects it. The singer then takes the thing home to show his wife, but she also refuses to have anything to do with it. The singer tries to give the thing away to a hobo and then later tries to bring it into Heaven, but he is ultimately turned away. The singer concludes that the moral of the story is to avoid the unknown because it can lead you to unexpected and unwanted consequences.
The song's mysterious and sinister lyrics add to its storytelling prowess. The box and the thing inside it are never explicitly described, leaving the listener to imagine what it could be. The characters in the narrative also show how humans can be fickle and quick to reject anything that is unfamiliar, no matter how potentially valuable or exciting it may seem.
Line by Line Meaning
While I was walkin' down the beach one bright and sunny day
I was strolling on the beach on a beautiful day
I saw a great big wooden box a-floatin' in the bay
I spotted a giant wooden crate floating in the sea
I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise
I brought it ashore, opened it up and to my amazement
Ooh, I discovered a, right before my eyes
I found something really exciting
I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king
I joyfully took it to town with me
I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy most anything
I went to a place where I knew someone who would buy anything
But this is what he hollered at me as I walked in his shop
He yelled at me when he saw it
Ooh, get out of here with that, before I call a cop
He asked me to leave before calling the police
I turned around and got right out, a-runnin' for my life
I ran away from there quickly
And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife
I brought it home for my wife
But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door
She yelled at me when she saw it
Ooh, get out of here with that, and don't come back no more
She told me to leave and never bring it back
I wandered all around the town until I chanced a meet
I roamed the town and met
A hobo who was lookin' for a handout on the street
A homeless man who was asking for help
He said he'd take most any old thing, he was a desperate man
He was willing to take anything because he was in dire straits
But when I showed him the, he turned around and ran
When I showed him what I had, he quickly fled
I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate
I wandered for years, feeling like a victim of my destiny
Until one day I came upon St. Peter at the gate
One day I met St. Peter at the gate of heaven
And when I tried to take it inside he told me where to go
When I attempted to bring it inside, he refused and directed me elsewhere
Oh, get out of here with that, and take it down below
He asked me to leave it there and take it down to hell
The moral of this story is, if you're out on the beach
The lesson of this tale is, if you're on the beach
And you should see a great big box, and it's within your reach
If you encounter a large box that's easily accessible
Don't ever stop and open it up, that's my advice to you
My suggestion is to not open it under any circumstance
'Cause you'll never get rid of the, no matter what you do
Because no matter what you do, you won't be able to get rid of it
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Charles Grean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Zeplin02
Im only 21, but I grew up listening to the phill harris/alice faye show every single night to help me fall asleep. My grandfather was raised in the golden age of radio, then played shows for my father in the 60's who then passed on the love for old radio programs to me. Falling in love with the voice of phil harris, the humor of the jack benny program, the dramma of dragnet. Phils music and voice will always put a smile on my face and remind me of childhood and family. I never met my grandfather, if he were alive hed be 108, but I feel closer to him through the radio ❤
@SlapthePissouttayew
I want this played at my funeral.
@Zoras88
there better be a second speaker playing the knocks from within the casket
@rudysworld182
Haha omg this gives me an idea! Thanks 😊
@kimsullivan5576
Lolol! 😄
@frankenz66
Closed casket? 😂😂😂😂
@thebammer5166
This song never gets old!!!!!
@TVFREAKMAN
Right because as the years go by this thing becomes more and more horrible!
@koryshapelow1689
Funny think is my grandpa always sang the first verse to us kids and changed the rest I never knew it was a real song 😂😂😂
@lindaloverro2464
I love it