Although he was born in Linton, Indiana, Harris actually spent much of his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee, which accounted for both his trace of a Southern accent and, in later years, the self-deprecating Southern jokes of his radio character. Harris began his music career as a drummer in San Francisco, forming an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the latter 1920s and starting a long engagement at the St. Francis Hotel. The partnership ended by 1932, and Harris led and sang with his own band, now based in Los Angeles. On September 2, 1927, he was married to actress Marcia Ralston in Sydney, Australia. The couple adopted a son, Phil Harris, Jr. (b. 1935). They were divorced in September, 1940.
In 1936, Harris became musical director of The Jell-O Show Starring Jack Benny (later renamed The Jack Benny Program), singing and leading his band and---when his knack for snappy one-liners became apparent---joining the Benny ensemble playing Phil Harris, scripted as a hipster-talking, hard-drinking, brash Southerner whose good nature overcame his ego. His trademark was his jive-talk nicknaming of the others in the Benny orbit. Benny was "Jackson," for example; Harris's usual entry was a cheerful "Hiya, Jackson!". His signature song, ironic considering his actual Hoosier roots, was "That's What I Like About the South."
Harris married Alice Faye in 1941; it was a second marriage for both (Faye had been married briefly to singer-actor Tony Martin). The Faye-Harris marriage lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. In 1942, Harris and his entire band enlisted in the U.S. Navy and they served for the duration of World War II. By 1946 Faye had all but ended her film career. She drove off the 20th Century Fox lot after studio czar Darryl F. Zanuck reputedly edited her scenes out of Fallen Angel (1945) to pump up his protege Linda Darnell.
Harris and Faye were invited to join a radio program, The Fitch Bandwagon. Originally a vehicle for big bands, including Harris's own, the show became something else entirely when Harris and Faye became popular personalities. Coinciding with the couple's desire to settle in southern California and raise their children without touring, Bandwagon evolved into the popular situation comedy, The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. With Harris as the vain, language-challenged bandleading husband and Faye as his acid but loving wife, abetted by actresses playing their two young daughters, the series also featured Gale Gordon as their sponsor's representative, Elliott Lewis as layabout guitarist Frank Remley and Great Gildersleeve co-star Walter Tetley as obnoxious grocery boy Julius. The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show had an eight-year run on NBC until radio succumbed to television.
After the show ended, Harris revived his music career. He made numerous guest appearances on 1960s and 1970s TV shows, including the Kraft Music Hall, The Dean Martin Show, Hollywood Palace and other musical variety programs. He worked as a vocalist and voice actor for animated films, with performances in the Disney animated features The Aristocats as Thomas O'Malley, Robin Hood playing Little John and The Jungle Book as Baloo the Bear.
The Jungle Book was his greatest success in the years following his radio heyday. He voiced the character and sang one of the film's showstoppers, "The Bare Necessities," a performance that introduced Harris to a new generation of young fans who had no idea he was once a popular radio star. Harris also joins Louis Prima in "I Wanna Be Like You", delivering a memorable scat-singing performance. In 1989, Harris briefly returned to Disney to once again voice Baloo, this time for the cartoon series TaleSpin which was in production at the time. Unfortunately, he had aged enough by then that he could no longer do the voice successfully. He was replaced later by actor Ed Gilbert. His last animated film project was in the 1991 film Rock-A-Doodle directed by Don Bluth, in which he played the friendly, laid back farm dog Patou.
Song hits by Harris included the early 1950s novelty record, "The Thing." The song describes the hapless finder of a box with a mysterious secret and his efforts to rid himself of it. Harris also spent time in the 1970s and early 1980s leading a band that appeared often in Las Vegas, often on the same bill with swing era legend Harry James.
Harris was also a close friend and associate of Bing Crosby; in fact, after Crosby died, Harris sat in for his old friend doing color commentary for the telecast of the annual Bing Crosby Pro-Am Golf Tournament. An old episode of The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show began with Harris telling the story of how he once won the tournament.
Harris was a longtime resident and benefactor of Palm Springs, California, where Crosby also made his home. Harris was also a benefactor of his birthplace of Linton, Indiana, establishing scholarships in his honor for promising high school students, performing at the high school, and hosting a celebrity golf tournament in his honour every year. In due course, Harris and Faye donated most of their show business memorabilia and papers to Linton's public library.
Phil Harris died of a heart attack in Palm Springs 1995 at age 91. Alice Faye died of stomach cancer three years later. Two years before his death, Harris was inducted into the Indiana Hall of Fame. Both Harris and Faye are interred at Forest Lawn-Cathedral City in Riverside County, California. Phyllis Harris was last reported living in St. Louis (she had been with her mother at her father's bedside when he died), while Alice Harris Regan was reported living in New Orleans.
Harris remained grateful to radio for the difference it made in his professional and personal life, however. "If it hadn't been for radio," he was quoted as saying, "I would still be a traveling orchestra leader. For 17 years I played one-night stands, sleeping on buses. I never even voted, because I didn't have any residence."
The gratitude has probably been returned sevenfold: episodes of The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show turn up frequently on compact-disc collections of old-time radio classics, both on their own sets and amid various comedy collections. Many consider the show at its best to have stood the test of time, thanks to the above-average writing and, especially, the two stars who executed it with impeccable comic taste and timing.
The Thing
Phil Harris 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
The song "The Thing" by Phil Harris is a whimsical cautionary tale about the dangers of curiosity and the consequences of one's actions. The singer describes stumbling upon a mysterious and intriguing wooden box in the ocean, which he opens only to discover a strange and unwanted object inside. The lyrics describe the singer's attempts to get rid of the object, only to face rejection and scorn from those around him, culminating in a final confrontation with St. Peter at the gates of heaven. The moral of the story is clear: beware of the unknown, and be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.
On a deeper level, the lyrics can be seen as a commentary on the human tendency towards greed and desire. The singer's initial excitement at finding the box and his eagerness to profit from it lead him down a path of misfortune and misery. The rejection he faces from others represents the consequences of his selfishness and lack of consideration for others. Ultimately, the object that he coveted represents the empty and unfulfilling nature of our material desires.
Overall, "The Thing" is a lighthearted and catchy tune with a deeper message to impart. Its humorous lyrics and upbeat melody have made it a classic and enduring song for generations.
Line by Line Meaning
While I was walking down the beach one bright and sunny day
I was walking down the beach when I saw something unusual.
I saw a great big wooden box a-floating in the bay
I came across a floating wooden box in the bay.
I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise
I pulled it out of the water and opened it to see what's inside.
Ooh, I discovered a, right before my eyes
I was shocked to find something unexpected.
I picked it up and ran to town as happy as a king
I was overjoyed and carried the box to a man in town who would buy it.
I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy most anything
I took the box to someone who would buy anything.
But this is what he hollered at me as I walked in his shop
But the buyer shouted at me when he saw the box.
"Ooh, get out of here with that, before I call a cop"
"Take the box out of here before I call the police."
I turned around and got right out, a-runnin' for my life
I got scared and ran out.
And then I took it home with me to give it to my wife
I took the box home to give it to my wife.
But this is what she hollered at me as I walked in the door
But my wife shouted at me as soon as I walked in with the box.
"Ooh, get out of here with that, and don't come back no more"
"Take the box with you and never come back."
I wandered all around the town until I chanced a meet
I wandered around town until I met someone.
A hobo who was lookin' for a handout on the street
I met a beggar on the street who was asking for food.
He said he'd take most any old thing, he was a desperate man
He told me he was desperate and would take anything.
But when I showed him the, he turned around and ran
But when I showed him the box, he ran away in fear.
I wandered on for many years, a victim of my fate
I wandered for years with the box, which brought me bad luck.
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
I tried to bring the box into heaven, but St. Peter wouldn't let me.
Get out of here with that, and take it down below
"Take the box with you to hell."
The moral of this story is, if you're out on the beach
The lesson here is, if you're on the beach.
And you should see a great big box, and it's within your reach
And you see a big box that you can open.
Don't ever stop and open it up, that's my advice to you
Don't open it, I advise you.
'Cause you'll never get rid of the, no matter what you do
Once you open it, you'll never get rid of what's inside.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, 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