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.
Roads
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
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Nameless roads
Where you takin' me to
Now we're movin' into country
These boots ain't traveled through
And I'm losing all my heart
By going on
But the point of no returningIs long gone
Roads
Hungry roads
Something feels mighty wrong
First you came to own my body
Now you're out to get my soul
And I can't tell which is you
And which is me
And I only have the hope of feeling free
Everybody's calling out directions
Telling me which way I oughta go
Now I never had a mind
That took too kindly to direction
But lately I don't know
I just don't know
Roads
Lonesome roads
Are you anywhere bound
Does a man have to admit he's lost
Before he can be found
When the miles keep rolling by
And he's scared and he don't know why
Does he come right out and shout
Or does he let his roads
Just take him to the end
In the song "Roads" by B.J. Thomas, the singer finds himself on a nameless road, lost and unsure of where he's going. He's moving into the country, on roads his boots have never traveled on before. Despite his uncertainty, he's committed to keep going, but he knows he's already passed the point of no return. The roads themselves are hungry, taking more from him than he's willing to give. Thomas struggles with his identity, wondering if he's lost his sense of self in the journey down these roads. He listens to the advice of others, but feels lost and alone. His ultimate question is whether he needs to admit he's lost in order to be found, or whether he should let the roads take him wherever they lead him.
The lyrics to “Roads” are symbolic of the journey we all take through life, with its twists and turns, detours, and the unknown roads we must take. It’s a song about searching for our true selves, and the struggles we encounter along the way. It’s a conversation with oneself about the choices made, and the roads taken. Thomas’ voice is plaintive and soulful as he sings of the loneliness and confusion he feels.
Line by Line Meaning
Roads
The song's title refers to the different paths the singer can take in life.
Nameless roads
The singer is unsure of which choices he should make in his life as he is not familiar with the different paths he can take.
Where you takin' me to
The singer is questioning where each of the paths will lead him.
Now we're movin' into country
The singer is trying a different path, one that he has not been on before.
These boots ain't traveled through
The singer has not been on this path before so he feels like he does not know what he is doing.
And I'm losing all my heart
The choice to take a new path in life is affecting the singer emotionally.
By going on
The singer is continuing on the new path even though it is difficult for him.
But the point of no returning
The singer has gone too far to turn back and take a different path.
Is long gone
The point of no return was a while ago and the singer has come too far to go back now.
Hungry roads
The singer feels like the paths in life are insatiable and are never satisfied.
Something feels mighty wrong
The singer feels like he is making the wrong choices and the paths he is taking will not lead to a good outcome.
First you came to own my body
The choices the singer made in the past have led him to where he is today and he feels like he did not have control over his own life.
Now you're out to get my soul
The singer feels like his current choices in life are taking away his true self and he is losing his sense of identity.
And I can't tell which is you
The singer is unsure whether the choices he is making are truly what he wants or if he is being influenced by others.
And which is me
The singer is questioning whether the choices he is making are true to himself or if he is just following the opinions of others.
And I only have the hope of feeling free
The singer hopes that by making his own choices, he will eventually find the freedom he desires.
Everybody's calling out directions
Others are trying to persuade the singer to take different paths in life.
Telling me which way I oughta go
Others are trying to convince the singer which path is the right one for him to take.
Now I never had a mind
The singer has always made his own choices in life and does not like to be told what to do.
That took too kindly to direction
The singer does not like to follow the directions of others and has always made his own way in life.
But lately I don't know
The singer is starting to question whether he is making the right choices in life and is not sure if he should continue making his own way.
I just don't know
The singer is unsure of what direction he should take in life.
Lonesome roads
The singer feels alone in his journey to find the right path in life.
Are you anywhere bound
The singer wants to know if the paths he is taking will lead him anywhere good or if he is just wandering aimlessly.
Does a man have to admit he's lost
The singer wonders if it is necessary to admit when he is uncertain of which direction he should take in life.
Before he can be found
The singer believes that in order to find the right path in life, he must first admit when he is lost or uncertain.
When the miles keep rolling by
The singer has been on his journey for a while and is feeling tired.
And he's scared and he don't know why
The singer is feeling scared and is not sure why he is feeling this way.
Does he come right out and shout
The singer wonders whether he should ask for help and admit that he is not sure what to do.
I need a friend
The singer wishes he had someone to confide in and ask for help on his journey.
Or does he let his roads
The singer wonders whether he should keep going on his own or ask for help from someone else.
Just take him to the end
The singer is unsure whether he should keep going on his own or let his journey take him wherever it goes.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind