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.
Young Hearts
B.J. Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause the way she done moving her body
Fine girl Come, locate to my way
Need you like clothes Dey for my body
When I first met you, saw your beauty
Just knew lay you I go marry
Ask myself “dat which kind of beauty?”
I was told that is African beauty
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like dis
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like so
Took my baby to the boutique
Getting everything that’s she wanting
Jealousy all say that I’m spoiling
They have try and try, they can’t stop me
Still moving on the path god made for me
Still hoping to god I be something
Jelly Jelly why you dey make a boy cry (Ohh)
Dying ohh dying ohh without you
I feel empty
Baby say yes to me
Ima buy you a Bentley
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like dis
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like so
Mwambie kwako me sichomowi betri mama
Atumesha helewana kama kipa na beki
Ninacho pata kwako me nahona sio fake mama
Wacha wangate singa kama tv na deki
Nasima
Zidisha Maraha unavyo peti peti sana
Hakuna karaha kama pochi ndongoti
Ahh
Bidonda unipunguzie ee mahaba tele nihongezee
Ma ba da lay, baby yungazi
Kuponda usiniringie ee mahuno feni unipuliziee
Anisima
Unavyo nipaga mahaba maraha nahona rahaaaa
Kwako vile akunaga karaha ni raha sindo balaaa
Bidonda unipunguzie ee mahaba tele nihongezee
Ma ba da lay, baby yungazi
Kuponda usiniringie ee mahuno feni unipuliziee
That baby she got me crazy
Cause the way she done moving her body
Fine girl Come, locate to my way
Need you like clothes Dey for my body
When I first met you, saw your beauty
Just knew lay you I go marry
Ask myself “dat which kind of beauty?”
I was told that is African beauty
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like dis
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like so
Baby that the way you lay do so?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
You lay do me like dis
The lyrics of B.J. Thomas's song "Young Hearts" describe the overwhelming feeling of falling in love with someone who has completely taken over your mind and body. The singer is captivated by a woman who moves her body in a way that drives him wild, and he is convinced that he will marry her because of her captivating African beauty. He takes her on lavish shopping sprees, determined to spoil her despite the jealousy of others. The lyrics are a mix of English and an African language, which serves to signify the cultural exchange that occurs through the singer's love for this woman.
The song is a celebration of young love, but it also highlights the difficulties that come with it. The singer is constantly questioning why this woman is toying with his heart, leaving him feeling empty without her. He expresses his longing for her and pleads with her to say yes to his love, promising to give her everything she wants, including a Bentley. Despite the confusion and heartbreak that come with love, the singer acknowledges that it is all worth it to be with this woman who has captured his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
That baby she got me crazy
I am infatuated with this woman
Cause the way she done moving her body
The way she moves her body is captivating
Fine girl Come, locate to my way
I want this attractive woman to come to me
Need you like clothes Dey for my body
I want this woman in my life as much as I need clothes on my body
When I first met you, saw your beauty
I was immediately struck by your physical appearance
Just knew lay you I go marry
I knew I wanted to marry you
Ask myself “dat which kind of beauty?”
I wondered what kind of beauty you had
I was told that is African beauty
I was told that your beauty is the beauty of Africa
Baby that the way you lay do so?
Is that how you acted when I first met you?
When I first caught you, then you lay go?
Did you move like that when I first saw you?
Why you dey do man like dis so?
Why are you treating me this way?
You lay do me like dis
You are treating me poorly
Took my baby to the boutique
I took my girlfriend shopping
Getting everything that’s she wanting
I bought her everything she wanted
Jealousy all say that I’m spoiling
People are jealous that I am spoiling my girlfriend
They have try and try, they can’t stop me
People have tried to stop me from spoiling my girlfriend, but they can't
Still moving on the path god made for me
I am still following the path that God has set for me
Still hoping to god I be something
I am still hoping that God will guide me to become something great
Jelly Jelly why you dey make a boy cry (Ohh)
Why are you making me cry?
Dying ohh dying ohh without you
I feel like I am dying without you
I feel empty
I feel like something is missing without you
Baby say yes to me
Please say yes to me
Ima buy you a Bentley
I will buy you a Bentley car
Mwambie kwako me sichomowi betri mama
Tell you that I don't play games, my love
Atumesha helewana kama kipa na beki
I have sent you messages like a radio transmitter
Ninacho pata kwako me nahona sio fake mama
All I have for you is real, my love
Wacha wangate singa kama tv na deki
Let them watch us like they watch TV
Nasima
I am smiling
Zidisha Maraha unavyo peti peti sana
Increase the happiness you bring me, my love
Hakuna karaha kama pochi ndongoti
No worries like an empty bag
Ah
Ah
Bidonda unipunguzie ee mahaba tele nihongezee
Reduce my pain and increase my love, my darling
Ma ba da lay, baby yungazi
I don't know why you act the way you do, my love
Kuponda usiniringie ee mahuno feni unipuliziee
Massage me with your soft hands, my love
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jonathan Senkpeni Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind