Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Wilson brothers began singing and playing in their father's Pentecostal church, and it was also mandatory they practice their music lessons at home as well. They learned various instruments, which primarily included lots of playing the piano. As much as they despised the lessons at the time, it proved to be a value tool for all three. With Ronnie being the oldest, he established his own band when he was just a fourteen-year-old.
Charlie, a few years younger, joined a rival band a couple of years later. One particular night, the two bands were performing just across the street from one another. Ronnie stopped by to check out Charlie grooving on the organ. While there, Ronnie asked Charlie to join his band for $50 over what he was making. Though Charlie's band-mates doubled his offer, he joined his brother's band as fate would have it
At a gig not too long after the two had joined forces, the group's bass player quit; Ronnie and Charlie summoned their younger brother Robert, barely fourteen himself, to the group to play bass. For a short while, the group performed without a name. Musician Carlton Morales, co-writer of Julian Lennon's pop hit "Vallotte" played with the band shortly after leaving the outfit The Mighty Majors. Finally, the Wilson brothers began calling their outfit the "Greenwood, Archer and Pine Streets Band". As such a name proved too long for music posters, the band shortened their name to the "G.A.P. Street Band". Due to a typographical error, the group was actually advertised as "Gap Band" and "The Gap Band". That title stuck.
They performed at various venues around the Tulsa area, including country & western joints, tennis clubs, rock clubs, and wherever else called on their services. However, by the middle of the 70s, Charlie became interested in Los Angeles, California and left Tulsa to explore his possibilities; the country's big cities were in the middle of a soul music boom, and he wanted in.. A short time later, Charlie convinced his brothers to join him. The group floundered about L.A.; hitting and missing on record deals, gigs, and the like, the guys had a lot of talent but needed guidance. Still maintaining their interest in major label work, the group met entertainment businessman Lonnie Simmons through a friend, a musician D.J. Rogers, and their destiny was set. Simmons owned a nightclub called "The Total Experience" on Crenshaw Blvd and a recording studio at the time, and he signed the group to his company, which was called "Total Experience Records". Simmons would later start up a record label, also co-songwriting the Gap Band's tunes at times.
The Top Five single "Shake" followed in 1979, along with "Steppin' Out" (number ten) and "I Don't Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops, Up Side Your Head)" (number four) in 1980. The latter was inspired at a concert in Pittsburgh where some kids were chanting the groove and the Gap Band picked up on it. In December of 1980, the trio dropped its first number one single with "Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" and followed it with the Top Five ballad "Yearning for Your Love" (1981).
The group went on to score three more number one songs ("Early in the Morning" and "Outstanding" in 1982 and "All of My Love" in 1989), three more number two songs ("You Dropped a Bomb on Me" in 1982, "Beep a Freak" in 1984, and "Going in Circles" in 1986) and a horde of Top Ten hits. They also did the soundtracks for Leon Isaac Kennedy's Penitentiary III and Keena Ivory Waynans' I'm Gonna Get You Sucker. The group was given only 24 hours notice to complete the title song.
In 1984 Ronnie became a born-again Christian and started pastoring. He joined Melba Moore and David Peaston in the touring play Mama, I'm Sorry. Charlie went through rough times fighting a cocaine addiction until finally rehabilitating a few years later. Charlie has been one of most sought-after vocalists in the music industry. He has worked with Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Eurythmics, Snoop Dogg, and scores of others. The Gap Band has recorded for various labels, including Mercury and Capitol Records. The group remained together for quite song time, enduring the good with the bad, and kept on touring into the new millennium.
The death of Robert Wilson, at the age of 53, on August 15, 2010 changed everything. Mourned by fans of the group across the world, many musicians cited his role in creating the band's funky soul sound. Numerous singles such as "Outstanding" and "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" remain radio classics to this day.
Burn Rubber on Me
The Gap Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you wanna hurt me, gurl
Are you serious, I'm just curious
Why you wanna hurt me, gurl
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
Just because you're not for real
Never, ever had a lover
Who put the pedal to the mettle
And burn rubber on me, Charlie
Oh, no
You took my money, you took my time
Made me think everything was fine
Then you upped and ran away
And made me just go crazy
I nver, ever had a lover
Who put the pedal to the metal
And burn rubber on me, Charlie
Oh, no, no, no
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
I never, ever had a lover
Who put the pedal to the metal
And burn rubber on me, Charlie
Oh, no, no, no
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
You told me to go up the block
And get you a strawberry pop
When I got back to the flat
You had burned rubber out the back
I went to the closet and saw no clothes
All I saw was hangers and poles
I went to the phone and called your mother
And told me you had burned rubber on me, Charlie
OH, no, no (x13)
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
I never, ever had a lover
Who put the pedal to the metal
And burned rubber on me, Charlie
OH, no, no, no, no, oh, no, yeah, yeah
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt, me girl
Just because you're not for real
Why you wanna hurt me , girl
Just because your not for real
Why you wanna hurt me, girl
You took my money, you took my time
Made me think everything was fine
Like the clock on the wall, said ding-ding-dong
Got to find another lover that won't be gone
She won't put the pedal to the metal
And burn rubber, burn rubber, on me, Charlie
NO, no, no, no
I never, ever had a lover
Who put the pedal to the metal
And burned rubber on me, Charlie
NO, no, no, no, no, no (repeat 8x)
The lyrics to The Gap Band's song Burn Rubber on Me describe the experience of being in a relationship with someone who is not genuine and ultimately ends up hurting their partner. The opening lines "I gave you my money, I gave you my time," suggest that the singer has invested time and resources into the relationship, only to have it end with the partner leaving abruptly. The lyrics express confusion and disbelief at being hurt in this way, with the singer asking "why you wanna hurt me, girl?"
The chorus repeats the idea that the partner's lack of authenticity is the reason for the pain they have caused, with the lines "just because you're not for real, why you wanna hurt me, girl?" The second verse introduces the metaphor of burning rubber, which expresses the intense, reckless nature of the relationship. The line "Who put the pedal to the mettle and burn rubber on me, Charlie" suggests that the partner was driving the relationship like a high-speed car, ultimately leading to its destructive end.
Overall, the song is an expression of frustration and disappointment at being let down by a partner who was not genuine. The use of the metaphor of burning rubber adds a sense of urgency and explosiveness to the lyrics, heightening the emotional impact of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Woo, I gave you my money, I gave you my time
I invested both my money and time into this relationship.
Why you wanna hurt me, gurl
I don't understand why you would want to hurt me.
Are you serious, I'm just curious
I'm questioning if you are truly serious about hurting me.
Just because you're not for real
Harming me, just because you are not in this for the long term.
Never, ever had a lover
I have never been with someone who has treated me this way.
Who put the pedal to the mettle
Who acted with such speed and force.
And burn rubber on me, Charlie
And left quickly, without any explanation.
Oh, no
This is not good.
You took my money, you took my time
You wasted both my time and money.
Made me think everything was fine
Leading me to believe that everything was going well.
Then you upped and ran away
Suddenly leaving me without any explanation.
And made me just go crazy
Driving me to feel crazy and confused.
Just because you're not for real
Harming me, just because you are not genuine.
I went to the closet and saw no clothes
Looking for evidence of you inside my home.
All I saw was hangers and poles
Only finding empty hangers and rods.
I went to the phone and called your mother
Desperately reaching out for information from your family.
And told me you had burned rubber on me, Charlie
Informing me that you left suddenly, without any explanation.
Just because your not for real
Harming me, just because you are insincere.
You took my money, you took my time
You wasted both my time and money.
Made me think everything was fine
Leading me to believe that everything was going well.
Like the clock on the wall, said ding-ding-dong
Indicating that it's time to move on from this relationship.
Got to find another lover that won't be gone
I need to look for someone who will stick around.
She won't put the pedal to the metal
My next lover won't be in such a rush.
And burn rubber, burn rubber, on me, Charlie
And won't leave so suddenly and without any explanation.
NO, no, no, no
This is not going to happen again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@axtaxt8372
Who’s here because this is a classic song from your childhood!??
@LinnLinnok-fe5tq
Yep
@stacyscorsese1078
Me. Fucking tore up Gap Band back in the day.
@theoriginalsafinette
Thank you!
@SoapinTrucker
60 years old, life is long different now. I just want to cry! Thank God for the 60's, 70's, and 80's!!!!!¡!!!!!!!!!!!😢
@ronaldjohnson902
No other era like it…
@Aggie-zs1qi
Ditto— music is simply not the same anymore.
@CallSignMedusa
Word! I'd give almost anything to go back!
@ethiodude9886
life still good even it become simpler with technology
@kennethnakpodia5915
More complicated I would say @@ethiodude9886