Hooked on a Feeling - song and lyrics by B.J. Thomas | Spotify

About the Song

Before Blue Swede’s iconic cover took the world by storm in 1973, “Hooked on a Feeling” belonged to B.J. Thomas. Released in 1968 on his album “On My Way,” Thomas’s original version laid the groundwork for this enduring pop anthem.

The song’s charm lies in its infectious melody and relatable lyrics. Written by Mark James, the song captures the youthful innocence of infatuation. Thomas’s smooth vocals deliver lines like “I’m hooked on a feeling, I’m high on believing” with a touch of boyish wonder. The lyrics paint a picture of a young man completely consumed by his feelings for someone special.

What truly elevates the song is the unique instrumentation. Featuring the distinctive sound of the electric sitar, played by guitarist Reggie Young, “Hooked on a Feeling” injects a touch of psychedelic flair into its pop core. The result is a sound that’s both familiar and fresh, perfectly capturing the carefree spirit of the late 1960s.

B.J. Thomas’s “Hooked on a Feeling” may be overshadowed by its more famous cover, but it holds its own as a significant contribution to pop music history. The song’s infectious energy, relatable lyrics, and unique instrumentation continue to resonate with listeners today. It’s a reminder of the power of a catchy melody and the universal experience of young love.

B.J. Thomas, 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head' Singer, Dead at 78 – Rolling Stone

Video

Lyrics: Hooked on a Feeling

I can’t stop this feelin’
Deep inside of me
Girl, you just don’t realize
What you do to meWhen you hold me in your arms so tight
You let me know everything’s alrightI
I’m hooked on a feelin’
High on believin’
That you’re in love with meLips are sweet as candy
The taste stays on my mind
Girl, you keep me thirsty
For another cup of wineI got it bad for you, girl
But I don’t need a cure
I’ll just stay addicted
And hope I can endureAll the good love when we’re all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me onI
I’m hooked on a feelin’
High on believin’
That you’re in love with me

All the good love when we’re all alone
Keep it up girl, yeah you turn me on

I
I’m hooked on a feelin’
I’m high on believin’
That you’re in love with me

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HE WAS 70, STRUGGLING TO STAND, AND THE INDUSTRY HAD ALREADY WRITTEN HIM OFF — UNTIL HE COVERED A TRACK BY A ROCK STAR HALF HIS AGE AND BROKE THE WORLD’S HEART. By 2002, Johnny Cash was a man surviving on memories. He had outlived most of his peers. His record label of nearly three decades had abandoned him. His health was a wreckage of diabetes, pneumonia, and failing nerves. There were moments in the recording booth when his producer, Rick Rubin, could hear the literal sound of a voice breaking. Then Rubin presented him with a raw, industrial rock song about the depths of depression and self-harm. Cash made one simple change — replacing a profane lyric with “crown of thorns” — and transformed a young man’s angst into his own final testament. The music video was shot inside his shuttered museum in Nashville, a place crumbling under the weight of dust and silence. June Carter was there, looking at him with an expression of profound, tragic realization. She would be gone in three months. He would follow her just four months later. When the original songwriter finally saw the footage alone one morning, he broke down. He later admitted that the song no longer belonged to him. The video went on to win a Grammy and was hailed by critics as the greatest music video ever filmed. It has been streamed hundreds of millions of times since. But its true power isn’t in the numbers or the awards. It continues to haunt us two decades later because it is the sound of a man who has stopped running from the end — a man who sat down in the fading light and finally told the absolute truth.

NO ONE KNEW WHY TOBY KEITH KEPT VISITING THE OK KIDS KORRAL EVERY WEEK DURING HIS FINAL 2 YEARS — EVEN AS HIS OWN CANCER WAS TAKING OVER… UNTIL A NURSE FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH In 2006, Toby Keith launched a foundation for children battling cancer, inspired by the loss of his lead guitarist’s 2-year-old daughter to a tumor in 2003. By 2014, he turned that vision into reality, opening the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City—a sanctuary where families of pediatric patients could stay for free. Then, in 2021, the world stopped when Toby was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Yet, instead of retreating into his own pain, Toby began appearing at the Korral every week. He wasn’t there to sign autographs or put on a show. He would simply stand in the quiet hallways, watching the children go about their days. Outsiders assumed he was inspecting the building. The staff figured he was there to lift spirits. But following Toby’s passing in February 2024, a veteran nurse finally shared what really happened. She had asked him why he pushed himself to come when he was so exhausted. Toby leaned heavily against the wall and whispered: “These kids showed me how to be a warrior long before I ever had to fight for my own life. I’m just here to pay my respects—while time still allows.” The world believed Toby Keith built the Korral to rescue those children. In reality, it was those children who were quietly holding him together at the end. What remained a secret until his very last visit—just 11 days before he slipped away—was how Toby stopped in front of a single name on the memorial wall: the little girl whose story began it all two decades earlier. He stood there in total silence, longer than anyone had ever seen him stay in one place.