Fact #16905

Barry Mann (singer and co-writer) : The comedian Steve Allen, who had his own tv show, used to read out rock lyrics as if they were poetry, which always got big laughs. I remember being in a cubicle at Aldon Music, where I was working at the time, and Gerry Goffin came in with the idea for Who Put The Bomp. I don't remember how much he had written. We worked on it a little, and then he didn't want to do any more with it. I said, 'Gerry, this is a smash hit. It's just a great put on.' But he didn't want to complete it. After it became a hit, of course, Steve Allen read it out on his show, but I don't think he realised that it was meant to be funny.
(Source : not known)