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.
Plain Jane
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
BIGGEST OCCASION
OF THE YEAR
AND NOW THE TIME WAS HERE
ALL THE GIRLS WERE GOING
THEY ALL HAD A DATE
BUT WHAT ABOUT JANE
WHAT ABOUT PLAIN JANE
SHE WASN'T PRETTY
KIDS MADE FUN OF HER
BUT SHE WAS GENTLE AS A KITTENS PURR
STILL SHE HAD TO FEEL THE PAIN
WHEN THEY CALLED HER NAME
PLAIN JANE POOR PLAIN JANE
OH HOW SHE WANTED TO GO TO THE PROM
BUT NO ONE WOULD ASK PLAIN JANE
POOR LITTLE GIRL LIVING IN A COLD COLD WORLD
AND LONELY SHE WAS LONELY AS COULD BE
BUT THEN THE PHONE RANG
SOMEONE ASKED FOR JANE
TEARS BEGAN TO FLOW LIKE RAIN
BUT THEY WERE TEAR OF JOY THE CALL WAS FROM A BOY
ASKING JANE TO THE PROM PLAIN JANE WAS GOING TO THE PROM
SHE WAS ALL EXCITED COULDN'T WAIT
GOING ON HER VERY FIRST DATE
SPENT THE WHOLE DAY GETTING DRESSED
HAD TO LOOK HER VERY BEST
BUT NOW ITS HALF PAST EIGHT
GUESS HER DATES GONNA BE LATE
MEANWHILE AT THE PROM
EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING BOUT THE TRICK THEY'D PLAYED
AND THE BOY WHO MADE THE CALL
HE WAS LAUGHING LOUDEST OF ALL
BUT THERE JOY TURNED TO TEARS INSTEAD
WHEN THE MORNING PAPER SAID A GIRL WAS DEAD
TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
JUST TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
JUST TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
The song "Plain Jane" by B.J. Thomas tells a story about a girl named Jane who was not popular or considered attractive by her classmates. She wanted to go to the junior/senior prom but did not have a date because no one wanted to go with her. However, one day she received a phone call from a boy who asked her to the prom, and she was overjoyed. She spent the whole day getting ready, but her date was late. Meanwhile, at the prom, the boy who made the call was laughing with his friends about the trick they played on Jane. Unfortunately, the next morning, the newspaper reported that Jane had died. The pain of being rejected and made fun of by her peers was too much for her to bear.
This song touches on the theme of bullying and the consequences it can have on an individual's mental health. Jane was treated poorly by her peers, and this ultimately led to her death. The song also highlights the importance of being kind to others and not judging people based on their appearance.
Line by Line Meaning
COME ALL TO THE JUNIOR/SENIOR PROM
Invitation to attend a high school prom
BIGGEST OCCASION
Most significant event of the year
OF THE YEAR
Happening annually
AND NOW THE TIME WAS HERE
The long-awaited moment has arrived
ALL THE GIRLS WERE GOING
All the girls had a prom date
THEY ALL HAD A DATE
All the girls had someone to go with
BUT WHAT ABOUT JANE
But there was one girl left without a date
WHAT ABOUT PLAIN JANE
What about the girl who's not considered attractive?
SHE WASN'T PRETTY
Jane was not conventionally beautiful
KIDS MADE FUN OF HER
She was bullied by others her age
BUT SHE WAS GENTLE AS A KITTENS PURR
Jane had a kind and gentle disposition
STILL SHE HAD TO FEEL THE PAIN
However, she still experienced hurtful comments and actions
WHEN THEY CALLED HER NAME
Jane became the target of mockery
PLAIN JANE POOR PLAIN JANE
Jane was known as unattractive
OH HOW SHE WANTED TO GO TO THE PROM
Jane had a deep desire to attend the prom
BUT NO ONE WOULD ASK PLAIN JANE
However, nobody wanted to go with her
POOR LITTLE GIRL LIVING IN A COLD COLD WORLD
Jane's life was difficult and lonely
AND LONELY SHE WAS LONELY AS COULD BE
She experienced a great deal of isolation and sadness
BUT THEN THE PHONE RANG
Unexpectedly, someone called her
SOMEONE ASKED FOR JANE
It was a boy who wanted to talk to her
TEARS BEGAN TO FLOW LIKE RAIN
Jane was overwhelmed with emotion and started crying
BUT THEY WERE TEAR OF JOY THE CALL WAS FROM A BOY
The tears were tears of happiness because the boy asked her to prom
ASKING JANE TO THE PROM PLAIN JANE WAS GOING TO THE PROM
Jane's dream finally came true and she was going to the prom
SHE WAS ALL EXCITED COULDN'T WAIT
Jane was filled with anticipation and joy
GOING ON HER VERY FIRST DATE
This was Jane's first real date
SPENT THE WHOLE DAY GETTING DRESSED
She took her time to look her best
HAD TO LOOK HER VERY BEST
Jane wanted to make a good impression
BUT NOW ITS HALF PAST EIGHT
Jane's prom date was running late
GUESS HER DATES GONNA BE LATE
Jane tried to remain optimistic despite the delay
MEANWHILE AT THE PROM
At the same time, the prom was happening
EVERYONE WAS LAUGHING BOUT THE TRICK THEY'D PLAYED
Others were making fun of Jane behind her back
AND THE BOY WHO MADE THE CALL
The boy who asked Jane to prom was also present
HE WAS LAUGHING LOUDEST OF ALL
He found the situation particularly amusing
BUT THERE JOY TURNED TO TEARS INSTEAD
However, the situation took a dark turn
WHEN THE MORNING PAPER SAID A GIRL WAS DEAD
The next day, the tragic news broke that a girl had died
TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
It was too much for Jane to bear, especially given her difficult past
JUST TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
The tragedy emphasizes the pain experienced by those excluded by others
JUST TO MUCH PAIN FOR A GIRL WITH A NAME PLAIN JANE
As the song ends, the audience is left to contemplate the harsh realities of bullying and exclusion.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SONNY ROLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carl Wilkinson
One of the most under-rated BJ Thomas songs
patrick ryan
Yes, it was.
T Deschenes
Thank you for posting. Great song, well sung, well written, life long message. The power of music is amazing.
John Slomski
You don't even have to listen very hard, the brass section is crazy good!!!
Vance Howard
I had forgotten all about this song, good song.
Jack LaBloom
Great song.
Mel Scherek
I have always loved this song.
Michael Sauro
This song reminds me of a girl I knew back in elementary school that Almost everybody made fun of I really hope she had a good life in the last 45 years And found someone special
Stella Ercolani
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
lindapriorirish8
my very favorite BJ song.... Β yes thanks much... for posting...