"Stranded in the Jungle" is a song originally recorded by the American doo-wop group the Jay Hawks. It was written by Ernestine Smith and the band's first tenor, James Johnson. The Jay Hawks' version of the song peaked at #18 on the Billboard Magazine Best Selling Popular Retail Records Chart.

Recording cover versions of contemporary songs was standard industry practice during the 1940s and 1950s. A hit song could generate many different versions: pop and instrumental, polka, blues, hillbilly and others by a variety of artists. The American doo wop group, The Cadets, were the first to cover the Jay Hawks' hit, with the Gadabouts not far behind. All three groups proved to be one-hit wonders, with "Stranded in the Jungle" being the only top-40 hit for any of them. The Rhythm Rockets and the Johnston Brothers (B-side to "In the Middle of the House" by the Johnston Brothers and the Keynotes) also covered it in 1956.

The Cadets' "Stranded in the Jungle" is likely the best known version. It sat at #16 on the Best Selling Popular Retail Records Chart the same week the Jay Hawks' version reached #18 (July 18, 1956). A week later, it peaked at #15 on the sales chart and at #3 on the U.S. Rhythm and Blues chart (the Gadabouts peaked at #39 on the pop chart one week later). The Cadets version features spoken verses by Will "Dub" Jones (who would go on to sing bass on most of The Coasters' hits) with a duet refrain by Willie Davis and Aaron Collins. It was during the final refrain of the song that Prentice Moreland delivers the line, "Great Googa Mooga! Lemme outta here!"

The next version of "Stranded in the Jungle" came in 1965 as the B-side of the Fearsome Foursome's "Fly in the Buttermilk" single. Shorty Long followed in 1968, and Jett Powers followed in 1970.

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