Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)
| "Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Barry Mann | |
| B-side | "Love, True Love" |
| Released | 1961 |
| Genre | Doo-wop |
| Length | 2:46 |
| Label | ABC-Paramount |
| Songwriter(s) | Barry Mann Gerry Goffin |
"Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)" is a doo-wop style hit song from 1961 co-written (with Gerry Goffin) and recorded by Barry Mann. He was backed up by the Halos, who had previously backed Curtis Lee on "Pretty Little Angel Eyes". The song was originally released as a single on the ABC-Paramount label (10237).
In this song, Mann sings about the frequent use of nonsense lyrics in doo-wop music, and how his girl fell in love with him after listening to several such songs.
Examples of the type of song referred to include the Marcels' version of "Blue Moon" (in which they sing "Bomp bomp ba bomp, ba bomp ba bomp bomp" and "dip-de-dip-de-dip") and the Edsels' "Rama-Lama-Ding-Dong", both of which charted earlier the same year. The spoken part is a reference to the song "Little Darlin'" by the Diamonds. "Boogidy shoo" can be found in the lyrics to "Pony Time" by Chubby Checker, released earlier that year.
The song inspired the title of an eponymous music magazine.
The song fits into the category of "self-referential" songs. Rock songs are often about rock, reggae songs about reggae, rap songs about rap, etc. In this particular song that aspect is accentuated by the fact that Mann is a songwriter singing about songwriters.
The single debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 on August 7, 1961, and remained for twelve weeks, peaking at #7. Mann's version did not chart in the UK, though a cover version by the Viscounts reached # 21 there in September, 1961, and another version by Showaddywaddy charted at # 37 in August 1982.
The song has been covered or referenced by:
A parody, "Who'll Put a Bomb on Saddam Saddam Saddam" was introduced in the political satirists Capitol Steps' 1990 album, Sheik, Rattle and Roll. A later parody titled "Who put the Bomb in Tehran, Tehran, Tehran" was produced by Capitol Steps and included in their book Sixteen Scandals and the accompanying CD.
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