Wilson played live shows with a backing band entitled the Blind Dates. One of their gimmicks was to cover themselves in flour. Wilson would not show his face, preferring to wrap his head in gauze and wear sunglasses, a tradition that he continues now at his live shows. Wilson played with the Blind Dates until 1981, at which point Wilson went into self-imposed exile.
20 years later, in 2002, Motel Records re-released "You Think You Really Know Me" after gaining permission from Wilson, who was 50 and working in an adult bookstore while playing in a lounge act at Rancho Bernadino Lounge in California. Everyone perked up this time around and Gary Wilson sold out shows in New York and Los Angeles along with receiving raves from the New York Times. In 2003, following the groundswell, an album of unheard material and 7 inches from 1973 to 1982 entitled "Forgotten Lovers" was released, which features a lot of the work that Wilson did with the Blind Dates.
In 2004, Wilson released his proper second album "Mary Had Brown Hair" on the highly influential underground hip-hop label Stones' Throw, run by Chris Manak aka Peanut Butter Wolf, a huge Gary Wilson fan.
In 2008, Wilson followed up his Stones' Throw release with his third full-length album Lisa Wants To Talk To You. The album was released on L.A.-based Human Ear Music and is a more straightforward affair than previous albums. This was followed with 2011's Electric Endicott, which was released on Western Vinyl.
In recent years, Wilson has started to play and appear in public again, playing shows on both US coasts. Outside of concerts, Wilson has sat in with The Roots on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, which is fitting as ?uestlove is a massive fan of his music.
Trivia: In Where It's At by Beck, Beck calls out Gary Wilson by name: "Let The Man Gary Wilson rock the most".
Debbie Debbie
Gary Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel your smile
I wanna be free just set me free
and in the pale moonlight i can hear your voice when the shadows roam you had no choice
its gotta be me
its gotta be me
Debbie Debbie tell me what to do
Debbie I wanna talk to you
you took a boy from the crowd and you made him a man
you stuck a gun to my head but I just cant understand what it feels to be in love
all alone in the darkness
I can feel your smile
I wanna be free
just set me free
I can feel your smile
I wanna be free
just set me free
and in the pale moonlight I can hear your voice when the shadows roam you had no choice
its gotta be me
its gotta be me
Debbie Debbie tell me what to do my heart feels lonely when I think of you
Debbie I love you. you know I do
you took a boy from the crowd and you made him a man
you put a gun to my head but I just cant understand what it feels to be in love
when I looked over in the corner I saw Linda walking towards me
she wanted to ask me a question
but I turned and I ran and I saw Debbie
and then Cindy started coming over
they started to talk about me
they wanted to touch my head
Debbie and Cindy and Linda
they just kept on touching me
all alone in the darkness
I can feel your smile
I wanna be free just set me free
and in the pale moonlight I can hear your voice when the shadows roam you had no choice
its gotta be me
its gotta be me
Debbie Debbie tell me what to do my heart feels lonely when I think of you
Debbie I need you
you know I do
you took a boy from the crowd and you made him a man
you stuck a gun to my head but I just cant understand what it feels to be in love
Debbie Debbie tell me what to do my heart feels lonely when i think of you
I wanna walk with debbie down Vermont Avenue
you took a boy from the crowd and you made him a man
you stuck a gun to my head but I just cant understand what it feels to be in love
when I walked through the woods
I can see debbie standing by the trees
she wants to be free
free from me
I walked down the avenue and I held your hand
and then i walked through the park and I'm on my land
I'm free
set me free
The lyrics of Gary Wilson's song Debbie Debbie are full of yearning and desperation, as the singer confesses his love for a woman named Debbie. He sings of being alone in the darkness, but feeling her smile, wanting to be set free and needing her. He is haunted by her voice and is driven to seek her out. The mention of Linda and Cindy seems to suggest that he is being pursued by other women, but his heart is set only on Debbie. The mention of a gun to his head adds a layer of tension and danger, and suggests that there may be some kind of threat or obstacle to his relationship with Debbie.
The repeated refrain of "Debbie Debbie tell me what to do" speaks to a sense of powerlessness and uncertainty, as the singer is lost and searching for direction. He is willing to do whatever it takes to be with Debbie, even if it means facing danger or risking his life. The final lines, "I'm free, set me free" suggest that he may have found some sense of release or liberation through his pursuit of Debbie, but it is also possible that this freedom is only illusory, and that he remains trapped in his own obsession.
Overall, the song is a powerful portrait of a man consumed by desire and driven to the brink of madness by his love for a woman named Debbie.
Line by Line Meaning
all alone in the darkness
Feeling lonely and isolated in a dark place
I can feel your smile
Thinking about the happiness and positivity of Debbie
I wanna be free just set me free
Desire to break free from some emotional burden or constraint
and in the pale moonlight i can hear your voice when the shadows roam you had no choice
Imagining the voice of Debbie in mind as a source of comfort in difficult times
its gotta be me
Taking responsibility for the situation and believing in oneself
Debbie Debbie tell me what to do my heart feels lonely when i think of you
Seeking advice and guidance from Debbie as a remedy for loneliness
Debbie I wanna talk to you
Expressing the desire to communicate with Debbie
you took a boy from the crowd and you made him a man
Appreciating the transformative impact of Debbie on life
you stuck a gun to my head but I just cant understand what it feels to be in love
Having difficulty comprehending the depth of emotions and actions in love
when I looked over in the corner I saw Linda walking towards me
Recalling a moment of interaction with Linda
she wanted to ask me a question but I turned and I ran and I saw Debbie
Preferring Debbie's company over Linda's even when approached by her
and then Cindy started coming over they started to talk about me they wanted to touch my head Debbie and Cindy and Linda they just kept on touching me
Feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable with unwanted attention from multiple people
Debbie I love you. you know I do
Expressing love and emotions towards Debbie
Debbie I need you you know I do
Stating dependence on Debbie for emotional support and stability
when I walked through the woods I can see debbie standing by the trees she wants to be free free from me
Imagining a scenario where Debbie desires to be free from the burdens associated with the singer
I wanna walk with debbie down Vermont Avenue
Longing to spend time with Debbie in a specific location
and then i walked through the park and I'm on my land I'm free set me free
Feeling liberated and free from emotional burdens after spending time with Debbie
Writer(s): Gary Wilson
Contributed by Christopher R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.