You Dropped A Bomb On Me – The Gap Band | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#31) & R&B (#2); 1982
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In the beginning, the three Wilson brothers of Tulsa, OK named their band after three main streets that ran through their neighborhood’s business district: Greenwood, Archer, and Pine.
Too long for easy placement on a concert poster, they shortened it to the G.A.P. Band, then a printing error eliminated the punctuation. Thus, Ronnie, Robert, and Charlie were now The GAP Band.
Along the way Leon Russell hired them as his backing unit, using the GAP Band first on his Stop All That Jazz album, then letting them loose of their own long player. A second album in 1977 spun off two minor singles, and a third yielded the GAP’s first major hit, Shake (#4 R&B; 1979).
Albums four and five generated a fistful of hits including the R&B toppers Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) and its lyric sequel Early In The Morning.
Then came the GAP Band’s signature track, the irresistible You Dropped A Bomb On Me, which held at #2 R&B for four weeks.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Lonnie Simmons
Lyrics Written by:
- Lonnie Simmons
- Rudy Taylor
- Charlie Wilson
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).