"Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" is a song originally performed by The Gap Band in 1980 and written by member Charlie Wilson and producer Lonnie Simmons. In 1981, it peaked at number eighty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was a number one hit on the R&B charts. Billboard magazine ranked it as the 12th biggest R&B single of 1981. The song's lyrics refer to abandonment by a lover. The phrase "Burn Rubber on Me" itself refers to said woman driving off while her lover is away. The narrative is continued in "Early in the Morning".