Foundation and early years (1980-83)
Rubber Rodeo was founded in Rhode Island in 1980, and initially consisted of Bob Holmes (vocals, guitars), Trish Milliken (vocals, keyboards), Gary Leib (synthesisers), Eddie Stern (pedal steel), Doug Allen (bass) and Bob's brother Barc Holmes (drums). Almost all were students at the Rhode Island School of Design, and lead singers Holmes and Milliken were also romantically involved. Bob Holmes later described the band as "a cross between Gene Autry and Devo". Others noted that when Milliken was singing, Rubber Rodeo sounded something like a countrified Blondie.
Most of the band's material consisted of original songs composed by Bob Holmes, or by the team of Holmes and Milliken. However, the group also recorded takes on country and western classics such as Ennio Morricone's "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and the Patsy Cline standard "Walkin' After Midnight". As well, their first independently released single was a cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" in 1981. Shortly after this single was released, pedal steel guitarist Stern left the band, to be replaced by "Easy" Mark Tomeo.
Scenic Views (1984)
After two independent EP releases, on Eat Records, in 1982 and 1983, the band recorded their full-length debut Scenic Views (1984) for Mercury Records. The sessions were not without tension: producer Hugh Jones used a Linn drum machine rather than letting Barc Holmes play, and bassist Allen played only on a portion of the track "Walkin' After Midnight" before being let go by the band. Former Rubber Rodeo producer John Doelp took over on bass for the remainder of the sessions, and was credited with "bass and musical direction" on the final release, although he was not an official member of the group.
Despite the difficulties in making the record, Scenic Views was a moderately successful release. The LP's first single "The Hardest Thing" failed to chart, but the video received significant MTV airplay. The album's second video "Anywhere With You" also received MTV play, and the "Anywhere With You" single was a minor hit in the US, reaching #84 on the US Billboard charts.
Later in 1984, the band picked up a Grammy nomination for a long-form video they made for Scenic Views. The video was produced by Second Story Television and written and directed by David Greenberg. The video release also included the music video for their early Eat Records single, "How The West Was Won".
Heartbreak Highway (1986)
Before recording their follow-up album, the band's line-up was reshuffled again. Tomeo departed, to be replaced by Ray Gantek on pedal steel and dobro, and Hal Cragin joined the band, taking over for Doelp on bass.
The band's second album, 1986's Heartbreak Highway, was produced by Ken Scott, who had previously produced albums by David Bowie and Devo. However, the album was not a commercial success and the band was subsequently dropped by their label. Nevertheless, the group soldiered on for a while, with Reeves Gabrels taking over from Gantek as Rubber Rodeo's steel guitarist.
Break-up and aftermath
The band split up by the end of the 1980s, with their final recording appearing on a 1991 tribute album honouring Duplex Planet poetry naif Ernest Noyes Brookings. Holmes and Milliken's marriage also came to an end in the 1990s.
Bob Holmes (not to be confused with the similarly named guitarist from the Boston band Til Tuesday) went on to a successful production career for artists ranging from David Bowie to Nils Lofgren and now produces multi-media in New York City. Both Doug Allen and Gary Leib, meanwhile, drew upon their art school backgrounds and became noted cartoonists. Elsewhere, Reeves Gabrels moved to London and joined David Bowie's band Tin Machine; and Tomeo, Cragin, and Gantek all carved out careers as notable session musicians. Rubber Rodeo did get back together to record a third album sometime in the 1990s, but it has never seen release.
Before I Go Away
Rubber Rodeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If only for a while
To spend this time together
With the whiskey and the smile
All the friends are married
All the friends are gone
And soon I will be leaving
I won't be here tomorrow
I'm just here for today
So many things to do
And so many things to say
Before I go away
Before I go away
Too much ground to cover
I don't know where to start
I can't find the words to tell you
The feelings in my heart
So we'll sit in the silence
And watch the sun go down
And wonder if we'll ever
Meet again on higher ground
I won't be here tomorrow
I'm just here for today
So many things to do
And so many things to say
Before I go away
Before I go away
The lyrics to Rubber Rodeo's song Before I Go Away depict a bittersweet moment between two friends who have reunited after a long time apart. The singer expresses how happy they are to see their friend, even if it's only for a short time. They spend their time together drinking whiskey and enjoying each other's company. However, the singer knows that they will have to leave soon, as they have other things they need to do.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of growing older and moving on from old friendships. The singer notes that all of their other friends have gotten married and moved on with their lives. It's a reminder that life goes on and people change, but it's important to cherish the time we have with the people we love.
The song's chorus repeats the line "I won't be here tomorrow, I'm just here for today," emphasizing the fleeting nature of life and the urgency of living in the present moment. The singer has so many things they want to say and do before they leave, but the enormity of it all overwhelms them. In the end, they find comfort in simply sharing the silence with their friend and watching the sunset together.
Overall, Before I Go Away is a poignant reminder to cherish the people in our lives and to make the most of the time we have together.
Line by Line Meaning
It's so nice to see you
I am filled with joy seeing you after such a long time, even if it's just temporary.
If only for a while
Although our meeting may be brief, it still brings me a lot of happiness.
To spend this time together
The time we share will always be very special to me.
With the whiskey and the smile
Drinking whiskey and smiling together brings us extra pleasure.
All the friends are married
All our friends seem to be married and have moved on with their lives.
All the friends are gone
Our friends have left and we may never have the chance to meet them again.
And soon I will be leaving
My departure is imminent, and I will soon have to move on with my life as well.
It's time for moving on
The time has come for me to accept change and move on.
I won't be here tomorrow
I won't be able to meet you tomorrow, as I'll be gone by then.
I'm just here for today
I'll be here only for today and will have to leave soon after.
So many things to do
I have so many things to do before leaving, that time seems to be running out so fast.
And so many things to say
There's so much I want to say to you before leaving, but words seem to elude me.
Before I go away
Before I leave this place forever, I want to make sure that we both get to share as many thoughts and feelings as possible.
Too much ground to cover
There's so much I want to accomplish before leaving that it seems overwhelming.
I don't know where to start
I'm confused and don't know how to begin dealing with everything on my list before leaving.
I can't find the words to tell you
I'm struggling to express my emotions effectively even though I want to share them with you.
The feelings in my heart
There are a lot of feelings in my heart that I'm trying to express to you before leaving.
So we'll sit in the silence
Instead of talking, we will sit together and enjoy each other's company in silence.
And watch the sun go down
We'll watch the sunset together, enjoying nature's beauty in one another's presence.
And wonder if we'll ever
We'll think and contemplate if we'll ever get the chance to see each other again.
Meet again on higher ground
If we ever happen to meet again, we'll be on a more elevated platform in life, owing to our experiences and understanding.
Before I go away
I'm still trying to arrange, express, and manage my feelings before leaving and move on in life.
Before I go away
Once again, before leaving, I want to remind you of my feelings and ensure that you know how much I cherish the time we spent together.
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.