The song was extraordinarily popular, this was back at the time when there were a lot of pop songs that used traditional chording and simple melodies such as "Doggie in the Window" and "The Pawnshop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" . "The Thing" was a rewrite of a trad song, wasn't it? Anyway,I recall there was even some discussion in an article in either Time of Life Magazine about what the "Dum de DUM!" was although, as I recall the traditional song about the guy going into the chandler's shop and finding his wife in bed, there was no question about what the "DUM de DUM" was, "They were having a DUM de DUM!" right before me eyes."

Sour DUMdeDUM Dough