Thomas was raised in and around Houston, Texas, graduating from Lamar Consolidated High School in Rosenberg. Before his solo career, he sang in a church choir as a teenager, then joined the musical group The Triumphs. During his senior year he made friends with Roy Head of Roy Head and The Traits. The Traits and the Triumphs held several Battle of the Bands events in the early 1960s.
In 1966, B.J. Thomas and The Triumphs released the album I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Pacemaker Records). It featured a hit cover of the Hank Williams song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". The single sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. The follow-up single, "Mama", peaked at No. 22. In the same year, Thomas released a solo album of the same name on the Scepter Records label.
Thomas came back to achieve mainstream success again in 1968, first with "The Eyes of a New York Woman", then five months later with the much bigger "Hooked on a Feeling", which featured the sound of Reggie Young's electric sitar and was first released on the album On My Way (Scepter Records). "Hooked on a Feeling" became Thomas's second million-selling record. A year later Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid featured Thomas performing the Bacharach/David song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head", which won the Academy Award for best original song that year and hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1970. Sales of it also exceeded one million copies, with Thomas being awarded his third gold record. The song was also released on an album of the same name. Other hits of the 1970s were "Everybody's Out of Town", "I Just Can't Help Believing" (No. 9 in 1970, covered by Elvis Presley), "No Love at All", "Mighty Clouds of Joy", and "Rock and Roll Lullaby".
Thomas's earlier hits were with Scepter Records, his label for six years. He left Scepter Records in 1972 and spent a short period, in 1973 and 1974, with Paramount Records, during which time he released two albums, Songs (1973) and Longhorns & Londonbridges (1974).
In 1975, Thomas released the album Reunion on ABC Records, which had absorbed the Paramount label; it contained "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (the longest titled No. 1 hit ever on the Hot 100). It was Thomas's first big hit since 1972 and secured him his fourth gold record. It won the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Country Song, awarded to its songwriters, Larry Butler and Chips Moman.
In 1976, Thomas released Home Where I Belong, produced by Chris Christian on Myrrh Records, the first of several gospel albums. It was the first Christian album to go platinum, and Thomas became the biggest contemporary Christian artist of the period.
On MCA Records, Thomas and Chris Christian recorded what would be his last Top 40 hit single, "Don't Worry Baby", on his last pop album, which also included the Adult Contemporary hit "Still the Lovin' Is Fun".
During the 1980s, his success on the pop charts began to wane, but many of his singles reached the upper regions on the country singles chart, including two 1983 chart toppers, "Whatever Happened to Old-Fashioned Love" and "New Looks from an Old Lover" (see 1984 in music), as well as "Two Car Garage", which reached No. 3. In 1981, on his 39th birthday, Thomas became the 60th member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Thomas scored another hit, recording "As Long As We Got Each Other", the theme to Growing Pains, with Jennifer Warnes. A later version, used for the show's fourth season, was recorded with British singer Dusty Springfield. Thomas first released this track on his 1985 album Throwing Rocks at the Moon (Columbia Records).
Thomas has also authored two books including the autobiography Home Where I Belong, and starred in the movies Jory and "Jake's Corner". Several commercial jingles including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Bell, have featured his singing voice and music. On December 31, 2011, Thomas was the featured halftime performer at the 2011 Hyundai Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
On April 2, 2013, Thomas released The Living Room Sessions, an album with acoustic arrangements of well known hits. It features guest appearances with established and emerging vocalists accompanying Thomas on seven of twelve tracks.
On December 3, 2013, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced that his 1969 single "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" would be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Thomas was married to singer-songwriter Gloria Richardson since December 1968. They had three daughters: Paige (born 1970), Nora (adopted from Korea in 1978), and Erin (born in 1979). Shortly after Thomas's career began, he became dependent on drugs and alcohol which led to his marriage nearly ending and himself even coming close to death. Gloria became a Christian in 1975, and less than a month later, so did B.J.; most press sources indicate that Thomas had been sober since their separation was reconciled in 1976.
Bring Back the Time
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you were mine
Children were laughing then
I could hear a bluebird sing
Bring back the time
I was finding you
And all your beauty
And the warmth of your arms
Oh the warmth of your arms
Bring back the time
When you were mine
And we were walking by the shore
Forever more
The world was ours
Sunshine, flowers, and you
Bring back the time
That summer day
You said you'd marry me
Now I cry but can't you see
These teardrops in my eyes
Aren't just for you
They're for all we planned
Our whole lives through
Things we'll never do
Things we'll never do
Bring back the time
When you were mine
I wish I could bring back the time
In B.J. Thomas's song "Bring Back the Time", Thomas expresses a longing for the past, specifically for a time when he was still with his former partner. He reminisces about a time when everything was perfect and he could hear the bluebird sing. This symbolizes the beauty and simplicity of nature that was present during the time he was with his partner. Thomas recalls the warmth of his partner's arms and how they walked by the shore together, making plans for the future. He remembers the day his partner promised to marry him, and he wishes he could go back to that time, undo the mistakes that were made, and relive those happy memories.
The lyrics of this song speak to the universal theme of nostalgia and regret. Many people can relate to the feeling of looking back on a past relationship and wishing things had turned out differently. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, yet the emotion that Thomas puts into the song is palpable. The melody is also melancholic, fitting with the tone of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Bring back the time
Expressing a desire to return to a previous time period
When you were mine
Referring to a past relationship and romantic partner, with longing and nostalgia
Children were laughing then
Remembering a time when the world seemed more innocent and carefree
I could hear a bluebird sing
evoking sensory memories of nature and simpler times
I was finding you
looking for and discovering the singer's romantic partner
And all your beauty
appreciating the physical features of the singer's romantic partner
And all your charms
appreciating the personal qualities of the singer's romantic partner
And the warmth of your arms
remembering the comfort and love shared with the singer's romantic partner
When you were mine
Referring to a past relationship and romantic partner, with longing and nostalgia
And we were walking by the shore
remembering a shared experience of being near water
Forever more
feeling that the happiness and memories shared in that moment were eternal
The world was ours
A sense of possibility and a belief that the world was full of opportunities and joy
Sunshine, flowers, and you
evoking sensory memories of happiness and joy
That summer day
remembering a specific moment in time
You said you'd marry me
remembering a previous commitment made by the singer's romantic partner
Now I cry but can't you see
Expressing the singer's emotions and desire for their romantic partner to understand their pain
These teardrops in my eyes
The physical manifestation of the singer's emotional pain
Aren't just for you
Clarifying that the pain is not exclusively caused by their romantic partner
They're for all we planned
Expressing regret for a future together that will never be realized
Our whole lives through
Expressing a wish that they could have shared a lifetime of happy memories
Things we'll never do
Reflecting on the missed opportunities for a shared life together
Bring back the time
Expressing a desire to return to a previous time period
When you were mine
Referring to a past relationship and romantic partner, with longing and nostalgia
I wish I could bring back the time
Expressing the singer's deep desire to go back in time and rectify past mistakes or relive past happy moments
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: MARK CHARRON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind