[2] Co-songwriter Burt Bacharach revealed in his 2014 autobiography that this song had among the most difficult lyrics Hal David ever wrote, despite being deceptively simple as a pop hit.

He explained that they had the main melody and chorus written back in 1962, centering on a waltz tempo, but it took another two years for David to finally come up with the lyric, "Lord, we don't need another mountain."

[3] The song's success caught the two songwriters completely by surprise, since they were very aware of the controversy and disagreements among Americans about the Vietnam War, which was the subtext for David's lyrics.

The song was originally offered to singer Dionne Warwick, who turned it down at the time, saying she felt it was "too country" for her tastes and "too preachy"[4] though she later recorded it for her album Here Where There Is Love.

[citation needed] An instrumental version of the song was featured regularly on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon for many years, most frequently heard when pledge amounts were announced on the broadcast.

[10] In addition to the DeShannon hit recording and the numerous cover versions, "What the World Needs Now is Love" served as the basis for a distinctive 1971 remix.

The song (and a cameo from Burt Bacharach himself) also appears in the 1997 comedy hit, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery", starring Mike Myers and Elizabeth Hurley.

In a 2024 Amazon ad titled "Midnight Opus," a former singer turned movie theater janitor sings the song at a surprise concert coordinated by his colleagues.