Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds was living in Norfolk, Virginia in the 1950's when he began singing publicly in church, and with a group called The Turks. He joined record producer Frank Guida's small Legrand label and Guida changed his name to U.S. Bonds in hopes that it would be confused with a public service announcement advertising the sale of government bonds and thus get more airtime. Bonds' first hit was the song "New Orleans", which was followed by "Not Me", a flop for Bonds, but later a hit for The Orlons, and then by his only Number One hit, "Quarter To Three" in June 1961. Subsequent hits, under the name Gary (U.S.) Bonds, included "School Is Out", "Dear Lady Twist" and "Twist, Twist, Senora" in the early 1960s. In a 1963 tour of Europe, he headlined above The Beatles. Eventually, the singer came to be known as Gary U.S. Bonds.
"Quarter To Three" appears on The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
In the early 1980s, Bonds had a career resurgence, working off collaborations with Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, and the E Street Band. Later hits included "This Little Girl", "Jolé Blon" and "Out Of Work". Bonds continues to release albums sporadically, and today is a mainstay of the nostalgia concert circuit.
While Gary U.S. Bonds is mostly known for achievements within Rhythm and Blues and Rock 'n' roll, he often transcends these genres, e.g. he has been nominated for the Country Music Association's "Songwriter of the Year" distinction. He is also a honoree of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Bonds is an accomplished golfer and often plays celebrity PGA events.
He was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on Oct 15, 2006.
Love's On The Line
Gary "U.S." Bonds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have we lost everything that we had before
What do you do in the day
When I walk out the door
I can see you made up your mind
And I know our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
With each passing day
I gotta watch more and more what I say to you
I can feel your eyes looking through me
As I sit at the table at dinnertime
I can feel our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Whoa, oh oh oh yeah
Yeah, yeah
I watch our kids
Growin' up, going to school
Is there anything else for us now
Are we both just fools
Wasting our precious time (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
At night we lay in bed (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
But it's like you're not even there (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
There's something real bad
Going wrong somewhere (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
Last night I heard you cry (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
And I know our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line, our love's on the line
Love's on the line
Whoa, oh oh oh oh
Mmm, mmmm
The lyrics of Gary "U.S." Bonds's song, Love's On The Line, express the doubts and worries of a man who feels that his relationship with his partner has gone astray. He asks her whether they have lost everything they once had, and wonders what she does during the day when he is not around. He feels like he has to watch his words around her, as if she is scrutinizing him all the time. He notices that something is not right, and he hears her crying at night, which confirms his fears: their love is on the line, it's hanging in the balance, and he doesn't know whether they can save it.
This song captures the universal feeling of insecurity that comes with a troubled relationship. The lyrics are simple but powerful, and the melody has a catchy rhythm that accentuates the emotional tension of the lyrics. The use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes the urgency of the situation and reinforces the idea that their love is really hanging by a thread. The song is a classic example of early Rock & Roll and R&B, with its upbeat tempo and its soulful vocal delivery. Bonds's voice conveys the raw emotion of the lyrics, and the instrumentation provides a lively backing that complements the intensity of the vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me baby
Hey, can you give me an answer to something?
Have we lost everything that we had before
Did we get rid of everything that we had before?
What do you do in the day
What are your daily activities?
When I walk out the door
When I leave the house?
I can see you made up your mind
I can tell that you have already decided something.
And I know our love's on the line
And I'm aware that our love is in jeopardy.
With each passing day
As time goes by,
I gotta watch more and more what I say to you
I have to be more careful and choose my words wisely when talking to you.
I can feel your eyes looking through me
I can sense that you're examining me thoroughly.
As I sit at the table at dinnertime
While we have dinner together.
I can feel our love's on the line
I can perceive that our relationship is in danger.
Whoa, oh oh oh yeah
Sounds of admiration.
Yeah, yeah
Agreement or acknowledgement.
I watch our kids
I observe our children.
Growin' up, going to school
Getting older and attending classes.
Is there anything else for us now
Is there something else we can do now?
Are we both just fools
Could we both just be acting foolishly?
Wasting our precious time (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
Spending our valuable time together when our relationship is in jeopardy.
At night we lay in bed (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
When we sleep on bed at night and our love is endangered.
But it's like you're not even there (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
But it feels as if you're not even present while our love is in danger.
There's something real bad
Something is really wrong.
Going wrong somewhere (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
Something is going wrong with our love.
Last night I heard you cry (love's on the line, our love's on the line)
Last night, I heard you crying while our love is in danger.
And I know our love's on the line
And I am aware that our love is in jeopardy.
Love's on the line
Our love is in danger.
Whoa, oh oh oh oh
Sounds of admiration.
Mmm, mmmm
Indicates pondering or contentment.
Contributed by Riley E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.