Jeff Timmons, a radio personality for a defunct radio station in Chicago, Illinois, claimed to have written and performed his tribute of the 1995 movie "Gump" by changing some of the lyrics of "Lump", sung by The Presidents of the United States of America, into a parody in November 1995, four months before "Weird Al" Yankovic released his version of "Gump" on his 9th CD "Bad Hair Day."
Jeff used his Gump parody on his Chicago-based morning show "Jeff of the Jungle" for about a month.
A spokesman for Mr. Timmons said to the press that the lyrics of his song were posted by some fans on a few newsgroups and somehow Weird Al got the lyrics of Gump off the boards and incorporated them more or less into his version of Gump.
A representative of Weird Al's band replied to the reporter that it is simply untrue and that only he peruses the newsgroup alt.music.weird-al or any other USENET newsgroup to answer fan questions and to interact with them. He also states that anything resembling an idea from anyone is immediately intercepted by a staff member of the Close Personal Friends of Al and discarded in the trash without reading them any further.
A rebuttal from Mr. Timmons stated that somehow, the Gump lyrics got through to Al, recorded his song with some of the lyrics alterted, and never got back to paying him for his work, and back royalty payments for his lyrics must be settled in one of the courts of law.
In the sample lyrics by Mr. Timmons, there are a few lines that differ between that from his and the version Weird Al written.
Al's lyrics: Gump sat alone on a bench in the park "My name is Forrest," he'd casually remark Jeff's lyrics: Gump was a man sitting in a park "Hello, I'm Forrest", he'd pleasantly remark Al's lyrics: He's Gump, He's Gump What's in his head? He's Gump, He's Gump, He's Gump Is he in-bred? Jeff's Lyrics: He's Gump, He's Gump Does he have brain? He's Gump, He's Gump, He's Gump Is he in pain? Some of Al's and Jeff's lyrics that are alike: Run... run... run, run, now Forrest Run... run... run like the wind now Run... run... run, run, now Forrest Run... stop! Al's Lyrics: His girlfriend Jenny was kind of a slut Went to the White House, showed LBJ his butt Jeff's Lyrics: His girlfriend Jenny was such a fox Went to the White House, showed LBJ her rocks Al's Lyrics: And that's all I have to say about that Jeff's Lyrics: And that's all I have to say about Gump And... all... I... have... to... say... about... it... is... A P R I L F O O L S ! d.t.