Bruce was born in Keiser, Arkansas and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1957, at the age of 17, he went to see Jack Clement, a recording engineer for Sun Records. Bruce caught the attention of Sun owner Sam Phillips, for whom he wrote and recorded "Rock Boppin' Baby" (as "Edwin Bruce"). In 1962, he wrote "Save Your Kisses" for pop star Tommy Roe and in 1963 he reached No. 109 on the Billboard "Bubbling Under" chart with his own recording of "See the Big Man Cry" (Wand 140). Charlie Louvin recorded "See the Big Man Cry" (Capitol 5369) in 1965; Louvin's version reached No. 7 on the Billboard "Country Singles" chart.
In the early 1960s, Bruce recorded for RCA and some smaller labels like Wand/Scepter, singing rockabilly music, as well as more pop-oriented material such as "See the Big Man Cry." However, he didn't achieve significant success as a vocalist during this period.
In 1966, he returned to RCA and recorded "Puzzles", "The Price I Pay to Stay" and "Lonesome Is Me". He still did not achieve great charting action. He made money doing voice-overs for television and radio commercials.[1] He scored his first charted single with "Walker's Woods" in 1967, and also charted with his version of The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville." Both of these singles were minor hits. In 1969, Bruce signed with Monument Records, where he continued to have minor successes with "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven" and "Song For Jenny". Meanwhile, he continued to write songs like "The Man That Turned My Mama On," which was a major hit for Tanya Tucker in 1974 and "Restless" for Crystal Gayle the same year. He signed with United Artists Records in 1973 and released several singles, but only one single in 1974 became a minor hit. He finally made the upper regions of the charts when he made the Top 20 on the country charts with his version of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" in 1976.
In 1978, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys" was recorded by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. It became a major hit, and put Bruce on an upward swing. Two more Top 40 hits followed for Bruce in 1976, and in 1977, he signed with Epic Records where he would score minor hits. In 1979, Tanya Tucker took Bruce's song "Texas (When I Die)" into the country Top 5.
In 1980, Bruce signed with MCA Records, where he would score his biggest successes. His early hits with MCA included "Diane", "The Last Cowboy Song", "When You Fall In Love (Everything's A Waltz)", "Evil Angel", and "Love's Found You And Me". His biggest hit, "You're the Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had" went to number one on the country chart in 1982. This also was Bruce's first Top 10 as a singer after 15 years. He had other hit songs that made the Top 10 like "Ever, Never Lovin' You", "My First Taste of Texas", and "After All".
In 1984, he returned to RCA Records and scored a No. 3 hit with "You Turn Me On Like A Radio" in 1985. His last Top 10 single was "Nights" in 1986 and his last Top 40 single (and last chart single to date) was "Quietly Crazy" in 1987.
During this time, Bruce began to act and do commercials. One of his biggest acting roles was as the second lead on the television revival of 1957's Maverick, called Bret Maverick. Starring James Garner as a legendary western gambler, the series ran on NBC-TV during the 1981-82 season but was unexpectedly cancelled despite respectable ratings. Bruce played the irascibly surly town lawman who found himself reluctantly co-owning a saloon with Maverick, with whom he seemed to maintain a surreally adversarial relationship more or less throughout the entire season. Bruce also sang and wrote the theme song to the show, while Garner himself sang the same song over the end titles at the show's close, albeit while being relentlessly interrupted by network announcements about upcoming programming.
After the 1986 album entitled Night Things and a 1988 self-titled follow-up, Bruce made a conscious decision to cut back on his music to focus on his acting career, appearing in several made-for-TV films. He hosted two shows in the late 1980s, Truckin' USA and American Sports Calvacade Bruce has also appeared in several theatrical releases, including Fire Down Below with Steven Seagal.
Bruce's son, Trey Bruce, is a songwriter and record producer.
You Turn Me On
Ed Bruce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know how to make the music flow deep in my soul
Baby you know just how to keep the signal strong you got me tuned in all night long
Whenever you want oh you turn me on like a radio
Baby when the room in dark
And you touch me and I feel a spark
I hear that old song start to play
And each time that I hear that tune
I know it? s gonna take me away
You turn me on like a radio then baby then you play me soft and low
You know how to make the music flow deep in my soul
Baby you know just how to keep the signal strong you got me tuned in all night long
Whenever you want oh you turn me on like a radio
You turn me on like a radio then baby then you play me soft and low
You know how to make the music flow down deep in my soul
Baby you know just how to keep the signal strong you got me tuned in all night long
Whenever you want oh you turn me on like a radio
In Ed Bruce's song "You Turn Me On," the singer describes how his lover is able to evoke strong emotions within him, comparing it to a radio. The lover is able to "turn [him] on" like a radio, and then play him "soft and low," bringing out deep emotions from his soul. The singer acknowledges that his lover understands how to keep the signal strong, and as a result, he is tuned into her all night long.
The second verse of the song continues the metaphor, as the singer describes how being touched by his lover is like hearing an old song start to play. The song fills the room and takes him away, illustrating how deeply he is affected by his lover. This verse, like the first, emphasizes the power that the lover has to evoke strong feelings in the singer.
Overall, the song speaks to the immense emotional power that a strong connection with a lover can have. The metaphor of a radio emphasizes the idea that the right person can tune into someone's emotions and evoke strong feelings, much like music can do.
Line by Line Meaning
You turn me on like a radio then baby then you play me soft and low
You ignite a fire within me just like a radio does when it comes to life, and then you play me gentle music so I can be calm and relaxed.
You know how to make the music flow deep in my soul
You have a special talent for making the music reverberate deep within me, bringing immense pleasure.
Baby you know just how to keep the signal strong you got me tuned in all night long
You know exactly how to keep our connection strong and vibrant, and I'm totally engrossed by you throughout the night.
Whenever you want oh you turn me on like a radio
I crave your attention always, and just like a radio that can be turned on any time, you have that power to do so to me as well.
Baby when the room in dark
When the room is devoid of light, devoid of anything else, just you and me standing close.
And you touch me and I feel a spark
Your touch sets me on fire, electrifying my body and soul with pure passion.
I hear that old song start to play
And I find myself transported to a beautiful moment in the past as an old, familiar song starts playing in the background.
And softly it fills the room
The song envelopes the space around us and creates a magical atmosphere that's almost ethereal.
And each time that I hear that tune
Every time I hear that familiar tune, I'm overcome with emotion, and it makes the moment even more beautiful.
I know it's gonna take me away
I know for sure that this moment, this beautiful music and your touch, is going to transport me to another place - one that's filled with pure love and romance.
You turn me on like a radio then baby then you play me soft and low
You're my inspiration, and just turning me on with your presence is enough to create a beautiful harmony between us.
You know how to make the music flow down deep in my soul
You know how to touch me so deeply, intimately, and with such passion that I can feel every note in my soul.
Whenever you want oh you turn me on like a radio
I'm completely in your control, and you can turn me on any time you want, just like a radio that's controlled by its user.
Writer(s): Bob Mcdill Copyright: Polygram Int. Publishing Inc., Ranger Bob Music
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@julietimmons9610
Kids now days will NEVER know great country music that you can understand the lyrics & dance to these songs, this artist was SO underrated.. Just SAD ALL the way around. We're losing A LOT of the GREAT ones.. Earl Thomas Conley was another TERRIFIC artist that was one of the MANY soundtracks of my life, missed but NOT forgotten😭 Thank you Mr. Ed Bruce..💌
@xxghost_girlxx
HEYYYY im a kid😡
@ratbastard1811
eddie rabbit.......you can't run from luv
@nascage
@@xxghost_girlxx You're here, so that tells me you may know true country music.
It's for all ages! 🤘🏼
@xxghost_girlxx
@@nascage Yup. My dad and I listen to a bunch of old songs together, one of my favorite memories I'll ever have with him.
@nascage
@@xxghost_girlxx ❤❤🎶👨👦
@MachineGunMikeWalls
Have always loved this song. Ed Bruce will always be one of the most underappreciated artists in all of country music.
@twDXLElite
Absolutely 💯 say his name to people they look at ya funny like who's that
@billlevins7460
this is classic 80's country. The best thing about 80's country is the smooth sound it had.
@hankwoodruff1201
This is back when music was good. Takes me back to when I was a kid. Todays country is just gone. All the country greats from the past will always live in me