 In response to one of these incidents , a friend of Lead <unk> 's , variously identified as either <unk> or Mary Elizabeth <unk> joked that Washington was a " <unk> town . " Though Lead <unk> did not know what the word " <unk> " meant , he was fascinated by the sound of it , and after its meaning was explained to him he decided to incorporate it into a song about the trip . The song came together quickly ; one account claims that it only took a few hours for Lead <unk> to write it . <unk> liked it because it was partly based on what happened in his apartment . 
