“You Dropped a Bomb on Me” by The Gap Band
The titular “bomb” is actually a metaphor for the singer being in some type of emotionally-devastated state. And the reason he finds himself so is apparently due to his girlfriend, i.e. the addressee, dumping him or ‘turning him wrong’ in some other way which caused the dissolution of their relationship. And he is indeed in a bad state, as he implies that this lady was in fact his first love and basically the source of all enjoyment he derived from life.
Facts about “You Dropped a Bomb on Me”
This song was released by Total Experience Records on May 17th 1982. It was a part of The Gap Band’s album entitled “Gap Band IV”.
The Gap Band were actually a family group consisting of brothers Charlie Wilson, Ronnie Wilson and the late Robert Wilson.
Charlie is also one of the co-writers of the song along with Rudy Taylor and the track’s producer, Lonnie Simmons.
This is one of The Gap Band’s signature tunes, having peaked at number 2 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart. It also hit number 31 on the Hot 100 itself.
Moreover it has retained a pop-media presence even in the decades that followed. For instance, it has been known to maintain a regular appearance at sporting events, being utilized by the likes of the following:
- The Houston Astros of Major League Baseball
- The Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League
- Florida Gators of NCAA Division I football
And it also made an appearance on one of the fictitious radio stations of the classic video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004).
With the title of the song being taken literally, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks this song was de facto blacklisted from radio by Clear Channel Communications.
