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.
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And just like the guy whose feet
Are too big for his bed
Nothing seems to fit
Those raindrops
Are falling on my head
They keep falling
Talking to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way
He got things done
Sleeping on the job
Those raindrops
Are falling on my head
They keep fallin'
But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me
Won't defeat me, it won't be long
'Til happiness
Steps up to greet me
Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes
Will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me 'cause
I'm never gonna stop the rain
By complaining
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me
It won't be long
'Til happiness
Steps up to greet me
Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes
Will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me 'cause
I'm never gonna stop the rain
By complaining
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me
The song "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B.J. Thomas is a classic tune that expresses the troubles and resilience of the singer in the face of adversity. The theme of the song revolves around the idea that life can be challenging at times, and one has to overcome it with a positive mindset. The lyrics describe the singer's predicament when experiencing raindrops falling on his head like a guy whose feet are too big for his bed, and nothing seems to fit for him. This makes him feel frustrated and lost, but instead of complaining and crying, he decides to have a conversation with the sun. The lyrics show that he is a proactive person, and he quickly takes steps to resolve his issues.
The conversation with the sun can be perceived as a metaphor for meditation or introspection on one's thought process. The singer acknowledges that the sun did not do things the way he liked, and the raindrops still kept falling. However, he refused to let that bring him down and cause him to shed tears of sadness, as it is not in his nature. He is a free and happy person who has learned that the blues and difficulties that come with life will not defeat him. Instead, happiness is always waiting to embrace him, and he is willing to face anything that comes his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Raindrops are falling on my head
I am experiencing a setback or obstacle.
And just like the guy whose feet
Are too big for his bed
Nothing seems to fit
I feel out of place and uncomfortable, just like a man with feet too large for his bed.
Those raindrops
Are falling on my head
They keep falling
The problem persists and is not going away anytime soon.
So I just did me some
Talking to the sun
And I said I didn't like the way
He got things done
Sleeping on the job
Those raindrops
Are falling on my head
They keep fallin'
I tried to take control of the situation and voice my concerns but to no avail, as the sun seems to be asleep on the job.
But there's one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me
Won't defeat me, it won't be long
'Til happiness
Steps up to greet me
I am optimistic that I will overcome this challenge and happiness will soon come my way.
Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes
Will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me 'cause
I'm never gonna stop the rain
By complaining
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me
Although I am being tested, I choose not to dwell on the negative or let it get the best of me, because I value my freedom and refuse to feel burdened or anxious.
It won't be long
'Til happiness
Steps up to greet me
I remain confident that I will soon experience a positive change in my life.
Raindrops keep falling on my head
But that doesn't mean my eyes
Will soon be turning red
Crying's not for me 'cause
I'm never gonna stop the rain
By complaining
Because I'm free
Nothing's worrying me
I reiterate my stance not to succumb to sorrow or melancholy, as I am focused on maintaining my peace of mind and avoiding unnecessary stress.
Lyrics © Roba Music Verlag GMBH, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC FRANCE
Written by: Burt F. Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind