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.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you see what I see?
Do you see what I see?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky little lamb
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the Shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky Shepard boy
Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song
High above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you see what I see?
Do you see what I see?
Said the Shepard boy to the mighty King
Do you know what I know?
In your palace all mighty King
Do you know what I know?
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Silver and gold, all mighty King, all mighty King, ah ah
A child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold, silver and gold
Said the King to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace, people everywhere,
Listen to what I say
A child, a child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
Do you hear what I hear?
The lyrics of B.J. Thomas's song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" convey a message of spreading awareness and bringing peace to the world. The repetitive questioning of whether others perceive what the singer does suggests a sense of urgency and a desire for collective understanding.
The first two verses introduce a dialogue between the night wind and a little lamb. The wind asks the lamb if it sees what the wind sees, referring to a star in the sky with a tail as big as a kite. This imagery likely symbolizes something extraordinary and significant, and the repetition emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and paying attention to it.
In the third verse, the lamb, now speaking to the shepherd boy, asks if the boy hears what the lamb hears. The lamb refers to a song ringing through the sky that possesses a voice as big as the sea. This imagery suggests an uplifting and powerful melody that resonates deeply. Again, the repetition emphasizes the need for the boy to listen and grasp the significance of the song.
The fourth and final verse involves the shepherd boy speaking to a mighty king. The boy asks if the king knows what he knows, referring to a child shivering in the cold. The boy suggests bringing the child silver and gold as a compassionate response to their plight. This verse highlights the need for empathy, generosity, and care, irrespective of one's position or status.
In the final lines, the king addresses the people, urging them to listen to his words and to pray for peace. He mentions the child sleeping in the night and emphasizes that this child will bring goodness and light to the world. This ending implies a message of hope and the potential for positive change through collective effort and understanding.
Overall, "Do You Hear What I Hear?" encourages listeners to be attentive and aware of the world around them, acknowledging the significance of extraordinary events, uplifting melodies, and the plight of those in need. It conveys a call for compassion and an understanding that simple gestures can have a profound impact in bringing peace and goodness to the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you see what I see?
Are you able to observe the same sights that I am observing?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Expressed the night wind to the small lamb
Do you see what I see?
Are you able to observe the same sights that I am observing?
Way up in the sky little lamb
High up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see?
Are you able to observe the same sights that I am observing?
A star, a star
An astral body, an astral body
Dancing in the night
Moving rhythmically in the darkness
With a tail as big as a kite
Possessing a tail of significant size, similar to a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Possessing a tail of significant size, similar to a kite
Said the little lamb to the Shepard boy
Expressed the small lamb to the young shepherd
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Ringing through the sky Shepard boy
Resonating throughout the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
A song, a song
A melodic composition, a melodic composition
High above the trees
In an elevated position over the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
Possessing a voice of enormous magnitude, comparable to the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Possessing a voice of enormous magnitude, comparable to the sea
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you see what I see?
Are you able to observe the same sights that I am observing?
Do you see what I see?
Are you able to observe the same sights that I am observing?
Said the Shepard boy to the mighty King
Expressed the shepherd boy to the powerful king
Do you know what I know?
Are you aware of the information that I possess?
In your palace all mighty King
Inside your grand residence, all-powerful King
Do you know what I know?
Are you aware of the information that I possess?
A child, a child
An infant, an infant
Shivers in the cold
Trembles due to the low temperature
Let us bring him silver and gold
Allow us to present him with valuable silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Allow us to present him with valuable silver and gold
Silver and gold, all mighty King, all mighty King, ah ah
Precious metals, all-powerful King, all-powerful King, ah ah
A child shivers in the cold
An infant trembles due to the low temperature
Let us bring him silver and gold, silver and gold
Allow us to present him with valuable silver and gold, silver and gold
Said the King to the people everywhere
Expressed the King to all individuals everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pay attention to the words that I am uttering
Pray for peace, people everywhere
Offer prayers for tranquility, individuals everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pay attention to the words that I am uttering
A child, a child
An infant, an infant
Sleeping in the night
Resting during the nighttime
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us benevolence and illumination
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us benevolence and illumination
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the same sounds that I am perceiving?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@susanberner5177
His voice and this song makes the room hush. No one sounds like BJ and no one ever will. Thank you for your music, Mr. Thomas. It will be enjoyed forever.
@danconner504
This guy doesn't need a bunch of musical instruments to back him, he is the total package of the musicial industry
@zhifaraandhara4125
👍
@margowakefield3295
Now singing with the Angels. 💖
@trishhappel5095
Exactly 💯
@bellalugo2230
Yes that's right
@michaelmarsh2133
Great voice
@ehardin54
This video brought me to tears. 😓 Today BJ Thomas would have been 80 years old. For me, his voice is still the most distinctive and wonderful male vocalist in music history. I'm 68 years old and I had the privilege of seeing and listening to him for the first time when I was 18. It's saddened me so much last May when he passed away. End up until he had to start his cancer treatments, his voice remained the same without change. 💯 Thank you for all of your beautiful music BJ Thomas. 🎵🎙️🎼❤️ And Happy Heavenly Birthday.🎈🎈🎈
@larrybill9141
Hello patty how are you doing!!
@oviedoc5454
I wouldn't dare disagree with you because BJ truly was a once in a generation talent; however, I would hasten to add: Keith Whitley was right up there with him.