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.
Not Me
Gary "U.S." Bonds Lyrics
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Ya-Da-da-da-da-dat-dat-dat-dat-dat
Well its down in California where the orange trees grow
Oh California
And there's a pretty little girl that he used to know
Oh California
Oh California
She said Come on over daddy lets have some fun
Oh California
He said, I heard about your husband is he back from the gym?
She said,Come on over daddy don't you worry bout him
Not me, no not me -- I ain't no boxer
A not me, a no not me
Now I'm down in Alabama where they say you were
Oh Alabama
Where they dance all around until they have a ball
Oh Alabama
Where we saw down in the village they were gathered around
Oh Alabama
And then they looked at him, they called him Cat the Clown
Oh Alabama
He said Now wait a minute Buster, you didn't call me right
They said What you're tryin' to do, boy is start a little fight?
Not me Not me, no not me
I ain't no boxer
Not me, no not me, not me, no not me,
Well now I'm back in Virginia back in his home town
Oh Virginia
A where I'm got a reputation from a miles around
Oh Virginia
Yeah, and never no more will he ever roam
Oh Virginia
You know I'm stickin' right there a to his happy home
Oh Virginia
Oh well a fella walked up to him he said lets make a trip
He said You better shut-up before I bust you in your lip
Not me, not me, no not me
He ain't got to go nowhere!
Uh-huh, not my baby!
You know you been hurt out there on that road!
Yep, keep it comin'!
The song "Not Me" by Gary "U.S." Bonds tells a story of a man who travels across America, starting from California where he meets a woman whom he used to know. She invites him over, and he asks if her husband, who he had heard about, is home. But she reassures him not to worry about her husband and tells him to come over. He then sings, "Not me, no not me - I ain't no boxer," suggesting that he is not one to get into fights with other men.
The man then travels to Alabama, where he attends a village dance and gets called out by locals who refer to him as "Cat the Clown." They also accuse him of trying to start a fight. Once again, he reassures everyone that he is not a fighter and poses no threat to anyone.
Lastly, the man makes it back to his home state of Virginia, where he has a good reputation for miles around, and he decides to stay with his woman in his happy home. When a man comes up to suggest they take a trip somewhere, the man tells him to quiet down or he would bust his lip. The refrain "not me, no not me" is repeated throughout the song to emphasize that the man is not a violent person.
Overall, "Not Me" is a song that tells a story of a man who travels across America and is constantly mistaken for someone who is violent or has a bad reputation. Through the lyrics, Bonds emphasizes that not everyone who looks tough or has traveled extensively is violent or aggressive.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya-Da-da-da-da-dat, dat-dat-dat-dat,
Ya-Da-da-da-da-dat-dat-dat-dat-dat
Starting vocals of the song.
Well its down in California where the orange trees grow
Oh California
And there's a pretty little girl that he used to know
Oh California
Narrating a story when the singer lived in California and knew a girl.
Well he called me everyday about a quarter to one
Oh California
She said Come on over daddy lets have some fun
Oh California
The girl invites the man over, and he comes over every day.
He said, I heard about your husband is he back from the gym?
She said,Come on over daddy don't you worry bout him
Not me, no not me -- I ain't no boxer
A not me, a no not me
They talk about the girl's husband, but she tells the man not to worry about him because he is no boxer.
Now I'm down in Alabama where they say you were
Oh Alabama
Where they dance all around until they have a ball
Oh Alabama
Where we saw down in the village they were gathered around
Oh Alabama
And then they looked at him, they called him Cat the Clown
Oh Alabama
The singer has moved to Alabama where people are dancing and having fun, and they call the man a clown.
He said Now wait a minute Buster, you didn't call me right
They said What you're tryin' to do, boy is start a little fight?
Not me Not me, no not me
I ain't no boxer
The man gets into an argument with someone who didn't call him by his name. He clarifies that he is not a boxer.
Not me, no not me, not me, no not me,
Reiteration of the fact that the man is not a boxer.
Well now I'm back in Virginia back in his home town
Oh Virginia
A where I'm got a reputation from a miles around
Oh Virginia
Yeah, and never no more will he ever roam
Oh Virginia
You know I'm stickin' right there a to his happy home
Oh Virginia
The singer is now in his hometown in Virginia, where he has a reputation and plans to stick around.
Oh well a fella walked up to him he said lets make a trip
He said You better shut-up before I bust you in your lip
Not me, not me, no not me
A man threatens the singer, but he does not back down.
He ain't got to go nowhere!
Uh-huh, not my baby!
You know you been hurt out there on that road!
Yep, keep it comin'!
Assurance that the man does not need to go anywhere and that the girl understands he has been hurt before.
Contributed by Dylan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.