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.
Rock And Roll Lullaby
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all alone when I came to be
So we grew up together
Our mama-child and me
Now things were bad and she was scared
But whenever I would cry
She'd calm my fear and dry my tears
With a rock and roll lullaby
And she'd sing
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
It'll be all right
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Just hold on tight
Sing it to me, mama
My, my, my, my, mama
Sing it sweet and clear
Oh mama, let me hear
That old rock and roll lullaby
We made it through the lonely days
But, Lord, the nights were long
And we'd dream of better mornin's
When mama sang a song
Now I can't recall the words at all
It don't make sense to try
'Cause I just knew lotsa love came through
In that rock and roll lullaby
And she'd sing
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
It'll be all right
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
Just hold on tight
My, my, my, my mama
Nothin' moves my soul
Like the sound of the good old
Rock and roll lullaby
The song Rock and Roll Lullaby by B.J. Thomas tells the story of a mother and her son, who grew up together through difficult times. The son was born when the mother was only sixteen and the two of them faced many obstacles, but they remained strong together. The mother would calm her son's fears and dry his tears with a rock and roll lullaby. The song's repetitive refrain, "Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na, it'll be all right, just hold on tight," emphasizes the mother’s comforting and protective love for her son.
As the song progresses, we learn that the mother and son had dreams of a better future, filled with hope and happiness. The lyrics speak to the power of music to sustain us through tough times, and the connection between mother and child. The mother’s lullabies gave her son a sense of security and comfort that stayed with him throughout his life.
Line by Line Meaning
She was just sixteen
My mother was only sixteen years old when she gave birth to me
And all alone when I came to be
My mother was single and had no one to help raise me
So we grew up together
My mother and I had a very close relationship as we faced life's challenges together
Our mama-child and me
My mother and I had a unique, deep bond
Now things were bad and she was scared
We faced many difficult circumstances and my mother was afraid at times
But whenever I would cry
When I was upset or distressed, my mother was always there for me
She'd calm my fear and dry my tears
She knew just how to soothe and comfort me when I was upset
With a rock and roll lullaby
She would use music, specifically rock and roll, to help me relax and fall asleep
And she'd sing
One of my fondest memories is of my mother singing to me
Sha-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na
The specific lyrics of the song my mother sang are unclear, but it had a catchy, repetitive tune
It'll be all right
The message of the song was always one of comfort and reassurance
Just hold on tight
My mother wanted me to know that even when things were tough, I just needed to hang in there and everything would be okay
Sing it to me, mama
I loved when my mother would sing to me and would often ask her to do so
My, my, my, my, mama
I cherished my mother and valued her presence and care in my life
Sing it sweet and clear
I remember the tenderness and care with which my mother sang to me
Oh mama, let me hear
The sound of my mother's voice was comforting and precious to me
That old rock and roll lullaby
No matter what song my mother sang, it always served as a sweet lullaby to ease me to sleep
We made it through the lonely days
Even when it was just the two of us, we found ways to support and care for each other
But, Lord, the nights were long
We often struggled, especially at night when things felt the most difficult
And we'd dream of better mornin's
Despite our struggles, we held onto hope for a brighter future
When mama sang a song
I knew that my mother's love and care would lift my spirits, even when times were tough
Now I can't recall the words at all
As an adult, I don't remember the specific lyrics of the song my mother sang to me
It don't make sense to try
Trying to remember the words feels pointless, as it's the love and comfort that mattered most
'Cause I just knew lotsa love came through
Even without the lyrics, I remember feeling my mother's love and care through the music
In that rock and roll lullaby
As silly as it might sound, the combination of rock and roll and my mother's lullabies was the perfect comfort for me
I can hear ya, mama
Even though my mother has passed away, I still feel her love and presence in my life
Nothin' moves my soul
The memories of my mother and her loving songs are incredibly meaningful to me, even years later
Like the sound of the good old
There's something special about the lullabies that my mother sang to me, even though they were simple and repetitive
Rock and roll lullaby
When life gets tough, turning to the music that brought me comfort as a child can still be soothing and reassuring
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUDDY BUIE, J COBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind