Not that such anxiety is evident on the highly accomplished disc, the follow-up to Ruben’s self-released 2008 debut, Aiming for Honesty. Adding full-band accompaniment to his lush, soulful pop-rock, Ruben also stretches impressively as a writer on The Ones That Matter, achieving a near-novelistic sense of character and setting on finely hewn tracks like “A Lack of Armor,” “Bleeker and Sixth,” and “Unbreakable.” His relentless attention to detail pays off handsomely.
He makes no apology for meticulously fine-tuning all aspects of his work and presentation. “Every time you create something you have an opportunity to say something new – or at least something honest,” he says. “I take that opportunity seriously.”
Ruben’s expansive and deeply compassionate point of view has resonated strongly with an ever-growing audience, whom the performer has cultivated with virtually nonstop touring and persistent online networking; as a result, he’s sold some 5,000 copies of Honesty on his own.
He often receives emotional messages from fans declaring that his songs have crystallized their feelings, commemorated milestones in their lives and even helped repair broken bonds. “One woman wrote to me and said she and her daughter didn’t get along, but when she drives the girl to school every day they listen to my music – and it’s the only time they don’t fight,” he marvels. “The songs I wrote in my basement helped her relationship with her daughter. How could I ask for more than that?” Indeed, his compositions have connected so powerfully with listeners that several cover versions have been posted on YouTube.
Such moments of connection helped inspire the title of The Ones That Matter. Ruben had compiled a list of some 80 candidates, but it was in the aftermath of the recording process that he realized what the disc should be called.
“I was on an epic road trip,” he remembers of this epiphany. “I realized that as much as this album is about music, it’s ultimately a representation of who I am – and all that amounts to is all the incredible people I’ve surrounded myself with, and the places I’ve spent time, and the stories and jokes that came out of those experiences with those people. That’s when I understood that the only logical name for the album was The Ones That Matter.”
Recorded during a record-breaking snowstorm in Charlottesville, Virginia – where producer Chris Keup (Jason Mraz, OAR, Parachute) and partner Stewart Myers (Mraz, Lifehouse, Rachel Yamagata, Mandy Moore) have their studio – the disc afforded Ruben a chance to fully appreciate the devotion of his pals. “I had some of my best friends in the world come down to help me finish the record,” he relates. Other players on the disc include drummer Brian Jones (Mraz, Yamagata, Moore); and keyboardist Daniel Clark (Ryan Adams, kd lang, Moore). Meyers handled bass on several tracks.
The profound gratitude Ruben felt upon finishing the album snowballed in the coming days. “I wanted the title of this record to express my thanks to everyone who mattered – not just my friends who worked on the record, but their friends. The people who gave me a couch to crash on, made me dinner, drove me to the train station. Everyone who came to my shows, and walked up to tell me what the songs meant to them. I’m thanking them all with this record.”
Advice
Jesse Ruben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you retire? Were you fired?
Did you skip out on your rent?
Did you go crazy? Just get lazy?
Did you meet the perfect lady?
Can you tell me where you went?
Furthermore, I'd like to ask for your advice,
In love with "Mr. Right"
He's unfaithful, its disgraceful,
And she always lets it slide
Now she don't even put up a fight.
And I was hoping you could tell me what it means,
To be alive when you survive what happened
Down in New Orleans I've seen the news, and im confused
Cause its grey where once was green
Bad news don't seem that "new" to me.
To the man who writes the music in my head
Are you tired, uninspired?
Did you lose your favorite pen?
Did you overuse your muse,
Can you steal one from a friend?
It's time we started singin again
In Jesse Ruben's song "Advice," the singer is addressing the "man who writes the music in his head," asking where he went and why his inspiration seems to have disappeared. The lyrics suggest that maybe the musician got sidetracked by love or simply chose to retire or become lazy. There is a sense of longing in the lyrics, as the singer wants his musical muse back and hopes to find some guidance and inspiration from him.
The song then shifts to a story about a girl who is in love with someone who is unfaithful to her. The singer is asking for advice on what to tell her, as he feels that she is not putting up a fight and letting the unfaithful behavior slide. The message seems to be that it's better to stand up for oneself and not tolerate bad behavior.
Lastly, the singer is asking the musician in his head about the meaning of being alive and surviving after the events that occurred in New Orleans. There is confusion in the lyrics about the bad news that doesn't seem so "new" anymore, painting a bleak picture of a world that is rapidly changing.
Line by Line Meaning
To the man who writes the music in my head,
Addressing the artist's inner conscience, suggesting an individual's creativity
Did you retire? Were you fired?
Questioning if the person lost their passion or was forced out of creativity
Did you skip out on your rent? Did you go crazy? Just get lazy?
Asking if the person's lack of motivation was due to some external factors or internal issues that made them give up
Did you meet the perfect lady? Can you tell me where you went?
Questioning if the artist's lack of inspiration was due to meeting someone special or being lost in their love for a while
Furthermore, I'd like to ask for your advice,
Asking for guidance from the artist's inner conscience
I know a girl who still believes that she's In love with 'Mr. Right'
The singer refers to someone who is trapped in a fabricated idea of finding the perfect lover or partner in life.
He's unfaithful, its disgraceful, And she always lets it slide Now she don't even put up a fight.
Indicating that the audience is sticking to the wrong person or belief, who doesn't appreciate them and, in return, they are losing their voice, relevance, and desire
And I was hoping you could tell me what it means,
The artist of the song craves the answer to the meaning of life, following the context of the earlier lyrics that mentioned the artist's inner conscience
To be alive when you survive what happened Down in New Orleans I've seen the news, and im confused Cause its grey where once was green
Reflecting on the terrible tragedy in New Orleans, with the psyche of the individual confused and lost, with everything they once held dear and pure slowly fading away
Bad news don't seem that 'new' to me.
The individual is desensitized to negative news or any happening that disrupts the balance of life or peace
To the man who writes the music in my head Are you tired, uninspired?
The artist's inner self is questioned again if they are worn out, unable to create, or in a space where inspiration has deserted them
Did you lose your favorite pen? Did you overuse your muse, Can you steal one from a friend?
This is another attempt to find out the cause of the artist's lack of creativity, questioning internal inspiration or an external factor, and trying to seek creative help
It's time we started singing again
The singer calls on in the artist's inner conscience to start creating music again
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shelby Koch
Now I don't particularly like the lyrics to this song, but the chord progression is so beautiful!!
Phoebe Kathleen
AHHHH HE'S SO PERFECT
indiesafe
Best song ever
Debo
AmandaIFogarty not being sarcastic if it sounded like it :/
Debo
AmandaIFogarty of course it is!