The Book of Love (The Monotones song)

For the Magnetic Fields song, see 69 Love Songs.

"The Book of Love"
Song

"The Book of Love" (also titled "(Who Wrote) The Book of Love") was a rock and roll song, originally by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick, and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line "wonder where the yellow went". From there he got the idea for the line, "I wonder, wonder, wonder who, who wrote the book of love", working it up into a song with Davis and Malone. In September 1957, the Monotones recorded "The Book Of Love", which was released on the Mascot label in December that year. The small record company could not cope with its popularity, and it was reissued on Chess Records' subsidiary Argo label in February 1958.

It attained a Billboard ranking of #5 for pop songs and #3 for R&B in 1958. It also reached #5 in Australia. In the UK, the hit version was a cover by The Mudlarks.

In 1988, this tune became the new theme song for The Newlywed Game, when Paul Rodriguez hosted from 1988-89.

In 1990, Ben E. King and Bo Diddley featuring Doug Lazy recorded a revamped rap version of "Book of Love" for the soundtrack of the film, Book of Love.

In popular culture

• The song was performed by rock and roll revival group Sha Na Na at Woodstock in 1969.
• The song is referenced in the lyrics to Don McLean's "American Pie".
• The song features in the film American Graffiti (1973).
• The song is referenced in the lyrics of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll".