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.”
Aiming for Honesty
Jesse Ruben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Okay, that was a lie
And sometimes, I talk too much when I know I shouldn't speak
Sometimes I'm tongue-tied when I feel weak
It's not that I'm a lonely son
But I'm not foolin anyone
So I'll hide behind a smile when I'm not up to the task
I'm aiming for honesty
But a bulls-eye is rare
I don't know who I am, or who I'm not
But this time, I'm satisfied with taking a shot
Whether I hit it or not
It's not that I have lost my faith
It's all my fault I'm always late
I'm selfish, I wish that life would fall into my lap
I'm sheltered, I've never admitted that
I'm aiming for honesty
But a bulls-eye is rare
I don't know who I am, or who I'm not
But this time, I'm satisfied with taking a shot
Whether I hit it or not
Cause sometimes we miss, sometimes we all miss
I know I'm not perfect, but I promise I won't try
Sometimes it hurts, the truth is a curse, it can't get any worse
So you don't have to lie
I'm aiming for honesty
But a bulls-eye is rare
I don't know who I am, or who I'm not
But this time, I'm satisfied with taking a shot
Whether I hit it or not
The song Aiming for Honesty by Jesse Ruben explores the theme of self-reflection and the struggle to be truthful with oneself and others. The opening lines of "It's not that I'm a jealous guy, okay, that was a lie" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer acknowledges his flaws and insecurities, but at the same time, he struggles to be honest about them. He admits to sometimes talking too much or being tongue-tied when he feels weak. The singer is also aware of his tendency to hide behind a smile when he is not up to the task of answering questions he does not want people to ask.
In the chorus, Ruben sings, "I'm aiming for honesty, but a bulls-eye is rare. I don't know who I am, or who I'm not, but this time, I'm satisfied with taking a shot." Through this verse, Ruben expresses the fear of failure that often comes with being honest. He recognizes that it can be challenging to hit the mark with complete honesty but feels it is necessary to try anyway. He accepts that he might not know who he is or who he is not, but he is happy to take the chance anyway. In the final verse, Ruben admits to being late and selfish, wishing life were more comfortable. However, he aims to be honest, even though it can be challenging.
Overall, the song Aiming for Honesty is about acknowledging our flaws and being honest with ourselves and others. It's about recognizing that we might not always hit the bulls-eye with our truthfulness, but it's worth trying anyway. It's a message about self-improvement and striving to be a better person, even if it's not easy.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not that I'm a jealous guy
I want to clarify that I'm not always envious.
Okay, that was a lie
Actually, I am jealous sometimes but it's not always the case.
And sometimes, I talk too much when I know I shouldn't speak
On occasions, I tend to speak more than I should, even if I know it's not appropriate.
Sometimes I'm tongue-tied when I feel weak
Other times, I go completely silent when I'm feeling vulnerable or powerless.
It's not that I'm a lonely son
To be clear, I'm not necessarily alone, but this is not what I show to others.
But I'm not foolin anyone
Though I try to conceal it, people can still tell that something is not quite right.
So I'll hide behind a smile when I'm not up to the task
When I feel incapable of handling something, I put on a fake smile in order to mislead others.
Of answering the questions that I don't want you to ask
I avoid answering questions that might expose my true feelings or thoughts.
I'm aiming for honesty
I have a desire to be candid and truthful.
But a bulls-eye is rare
It's not always easy to achieve complete honesty, it's a difficult target.
I don't know who I am, or who I'm not
Sometimes I'm unsure of my self-identity and what characteristics define me.
But this time, I'm satisfied with taking a shot
Despite my lack of certainty, I'm content with attempting to be honest.
Whether I hit it or not
The outcome is uncertain but I'm willing to take the risk.
Cause sometimes we miss, sometimes we all miss
It's common to fail, we all make mistakes sometimes.
I know I'm not perfect, but I promise I won't try
I'm not flawless, but I commit to not pretending to be.
Sometimes it hurts, the truth is a curse, it can't get any worse
Truth can be painful, and accepting it can be difficult, but the alternative is worse.
So you don't have to lie
I encourage you to be truthful with me as well so we can both be genuine and transparent.
Contributed by Colton M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.