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.
You Dropped the Bomb on Me
The Gap Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were the girl for me
You lit the fuse, I stand accused
You were the first for me
But you turned me out baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
You were my thrills, you were my pills
You dropped a bomb on me
You turn me out, you turn me on
You turned me loose then you turned me wrong
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
But you turned me out baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
Just like Adam and Eve
Said you'd set me free
You took me to the sky, I'd never been so high
You were my pills, you were my thrills
You were my hope baby, you were my smoke
You dropped a bomb on me, hey baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
But you turned me out, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
But you turned me on, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
You dropped a bomb on me, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
We were in motion, felt like lotion
You were the girl for me
You were the first explosion turned out to be corrosion
You were the first for me
But you turned me out, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me (whoa, oh, oh, baby)
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
I won't forget what you done to me, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it
I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
You dropped a bomb on me
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it
I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it
You turned me out, you turned me on
And then you dropped me to the ground
You dropped a bomb on me
You turned me out, you turned me on
And then you dropped me to the ground
You dropped a bomb on me
You turned me out, then you turned me on
You dropped a bomb on me
You turned me out, then you turned me on
You dropped a bomb on me
You turned me out, then you turned me on (I, I-I)
You dropped a bomb on me (I-I-I won't forget it)
You turned me out, then you turned me on (I, I-I)
You dropped a bomb on me (I-I-I won't forget it)
You turned me out, then you turned me on (baby, you dropped a bomb on me, babe)
You dropped a bomb on me (then you turned me on)
You turned me out, then you turned me on (turned me on, babe)
You dropped a bomb on me (then you turned me on, babe)
You turned me out, then you turned me on
You dropped a bomb on me (then you turned me on, babe)
You turned me out, then you turned me on, baby
You dropped a bomb on me
“You Dropped a Bomb On Me” is a classic track released by The Gap Band in 1982. The song has a sensual and catchy beat with soulful singing and instrumentals. The lyrics primarily address a relationship that began with love and passion but eventually descended into betrayal and heartbreak. The opening lines “You were the girl that changed my world, You were the girl for me,” indicate that at the beginning of the relationship, it was the ideal match for him. He expresses his gratitude to his partner for introducing him to a new world and for being his first. But, in the chorus, he sings, “You dropped a bomb on me, Baby, you dropped a bomb on me/ But you turned me on, Baby, you dropped a bomb on me” suggests that she did something that turned his life upside down. The phrase "You dropped a bomb on me" itself is used in a figurative sense, referring to a sudden or shocking change in their relationship.
The chorus implies that the woman in the song betrayed him but still kept him tied to her because of their intense physical chemistry. The line “You were my pills, you were my thrills" indicates that he was addicted to her love and attention, and now he is unable to let go of her. He compares their relationship to Adam and Even and explains how he was elated being with her. Eventually, their love turned sour and became deadly, like a bomb. The line “We were in motion, felt like lotion” is another sexual metaphor, representing how he felt when they were together.
Line by Line Meaning
You were the girl that changed my world
You were the one who brought a significant and positive difference to my world and life.
You were the girl for me
You were the perfect girl for me, someone I had been searching for.
You lit the fuse, I stand accused
You ignited a spark within me that led to my falling deeply in love with you, and now I am guilty of that love.
You were the first for me
You were the first person I felt such a strong connection with and someone I had never experienced before.
But you turned me out baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
But you aroused my passions, seduced me, and gave me pleasures I had never known before.
Baby, you dropped a bomb on me
Your actions and presence had unforeseen and powerful effects on me, such as making me lose control or feel overwhelmed.
You were my thrills, you were my pills
You were my source of excitement and joy, my addiction and my medicine.
You turn me out, you turn me on
You stimulate and arouse me sexually, you awaken my desires and passions.
You turned me loose then you turned me wrong
You set me free to be myself but now you hurt me, made me feel betrayed or abandoned.
Just like Adam and Eve, said you'd set me free
Just like in the Bible, you promised to give me freedom from my former confinements, to give me paradise.
You took me to the sky, I'd never been so high
You elevated me to new heights of happiness and ecstasy, like I had never experienced before.
You were my hope baby, you were my smoke
You were my salvation and my ruin, my one true love, and my indulgence.
We were in motion, felt like lotion
We were in a physical and emotional flow, smooth and effortless, like applying lotion to the skin.
You were the first explosion turned out to be corrosion
Your overwhelming initial impact on me turned out to be detrimental and damaging in the long run, like corrosion on metal.
I won't forget what you done to me, baby (you dropped a bomb on me)
I won't forget the powerful and destructive effect you had on me, the lasting impact of your actions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Charles K Wilson, Lonnie Lee Simmons, Rudy Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angelawhite9879
Special tidbits left behind to be cherished…
We morn for what we loose…
They are as free as can be, in many ways, if you believe in any form of life after…
My father passed going on 9 years this December, 6 months after my daughter was born.
She will be 9 this summer.
She is getting to know him from such tidbits.
They are very special indeed.
I truly wish you peace.
It’s different for all.
That’s ok.
I think.
😅❤️
@PeterIduoba
This song is one 80's iconic songs. 'You were my thrills, you were my pills'. What a line! How wished I could turn back the hands of time . Love this song so much!
@vincentpadovano7855
We all want to go back
@1981menso
Mike's Disco in TJ, dancing till the sun came up.......
@debbiemittlestdat5865
Me too.but i dance to it all the time ❤
@Goldenspiderducck
WARNING: Listening to even 30 seconds of this song will make roller skates magically appear on your feet.
@NL-hx3sl
😆
@heavenly5467
ok it was the skate ring jam..
@mydogsioux
Oh how I wish roller rinks were more prevalent when I was growing up. I bet this would be amazing to roller skate to..
@robinjohnston7202
Lol I almost spit my coke out.
@FunFacea
So true lol