Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman on February 9, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) … Read Full Bio ↴Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman on February 9, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American songwriter, and part of one of the most prolific songwriting partnerships in the world of rock music.

With his partner and wife, Cynthia Weil, they operate a publishing company called Dyad Music. His first hit as a writer was "She Say (Oom Dooby Doom)," which was a top twenty song for The Diamonds in 1959. Mann had co-written the song with Gerry Goffin. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil met when they were both staff songwriters, they were married in 1961. Through the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, Mann came up with songs such as "Sometimes When We Touch" and movie scores such as that for I Never Sang for My Father. Weil co-wrote "He's So Shy" with Tom Snow for The Pointer Sisters and worked on projects with Lionel Richie.

In 1961, they wrote and Mann sang a novelty song that made the Top 10 with "Who Put The Bomp", which parodied the nonsense words of the then-recently popular doo wop songs.

In 1987, he was inducted with his wife into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Who Put The Bomb
Barry Mann Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd like to thank the guy who wrote the song
That made my baby fall in love with me

Who put the bomp
In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp
Who put the ram
In the rama lama ding dong

Who put the bop
In the bop shoo bop shoo bop
Who put the dip
In the dip da dip da dip

Who was that man, I'd like to shake his hand
He made my baby fall in love with me [Yeah]

When my baby heard
Bomp bah bah bomp
Bah bomp bah bomp bah
Every word went right into her heart

And when she heard them singin'
Rama lama lama lama
Lama ding dong
She said we'd never have to part

So who put the bomp
In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp
Who put the ram
In the rama lama ding dong

Who put the bop
In the bop shoo bop shoo bop
Who put the dit
In the dit duh dit duh da

Who was that man, I'd like to shake his hand
He made my baby fall in love with me [Yeah]

Each time that we're alone
Boogity boogity boogity
Boogity boogity boogity shoo
Sets my baby's heart all aglow

And everytime we dance to
Dip da dip da dip
Dip da dip da dip
She always says she loves me so

So who put the bomp
In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp
Who put the ram
In the rama lama ding dong

Who put the bop
In the bop shoo bop shoo bop
Who put the dip
In the dip da dip da dip

Who was that man, I'd like to shake his hand
He made my baby fall in love with me [Yeah]

Darling, bomp bah bah bomp, bah bomp bah bomp bomp
And my honey, rama lama ding dong forever
And when I say, dip da dip da dip da dip
You know I mean it from the bottom of my boogity boogity boogity shoo

Ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...
Ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh...ooh

Overall Meaning

Barry Mann’s Who Put The Bomb is a song that celebrates the power of music on love. The song starts with gratitude towards the person who wrote the song that made the singer’s partner fall in love with him. These lines are then followed by the catchy chorus that ask the question “Who put the bomp?” and the subsequent lines that ask the same question about the “ram”, “bop” and “dip”. The song expresses gratitude towards the man who created these melodies that made his partner fall in love with him. The singer then goes on to sing about how every time they listen to these songs or dance to them, it strengthens their relationship.

The lyrics of Who Put The Bomb are a testament to the power of music in bringing people together. The song acknowledges the role that music can play in making people fall in love with each other. The chorus of the song is catchy and memorable, with the repetition of the question “Who put the bomp?” being especially memorable. The use of onomatopoeic words such as “Bomp”, “Rama”, “Lama” and “Ding Dong” also adds to the catchiness of the song.

One interesting fact about Who Put The Bomb is that it was written by Barry Mann and his wife Cynthia Weil. The song was released in 1961, and it reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including The Beach Boys and Dion. Another interesting fact about the song is that it was inspired by the 1959 hit song “Zig-Zag” by The Echotones. The song was also used in the soundtrack of the 1988 film Married to the Mob.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd like to thank the guy who wrote the song
The singer wants to express his gratitude to the songwriter for his work.

That made my baby fall in love with me
The singer credits the song for his romantic success with his partner.

Who put the bomp In the bomp bah bomp bah bomp Who put the ram In the rama lama ding dong
The singer is curious about who created the catchy beats that contribute to the success of his relationship.

Who put the bop In the bop shoo bop shoo bop Who put the dip In the dip da dip da dip
The artist muses on the creator of the appealing sounds that help him attract his partner.

Who was that man, I'd like to shake his hand He made my baby fall in love with me [Yeah]
The artist expresses his gratitude again and wishes to meet and thank the creator for his role in his relationship.

When my baby heard Bomp bah bah bomp Bah bomp bah bomp bah Every word went right into her heart
The singer recalls how the catchy sound and rhythm of the song impacted his partner's emotions.

And when she heard them singin' Rama lama lama lama Lama ding dong She said we'd never have to part
The singer remembers how the song's beats created a sense of intimacy and unity between him and his partner.

Each time that we're alone Boogity boogity boogity Boogity boogity boogity shoo Sets my baby's heart all aglow
The artist remarks that even in private, the song still has an effect on his partner's emotions.

And everytime we dance to Dip da dip da dip Dip da dip da dip She always says she loves me so
The artist once again notes how the song continues to play an important role in his relationship.

Darling, bomp bah bah bomp, bah bomp bah bomp bomp And my honey, rama lama ding dong forever And when I say, dip da dip da dip da dip You know I mean it from the bottom of my boogity boogity boogity shoo
The artist playfully references the song's catchy beats to express his love and affection for his partner.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barry Mann, Gerry Goffin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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