Their first break came shortly after forming when basist Chris Vinson's newly formed website company was featured on CBC's CityBeat, who's first client was the band itself. By the end of 1998 the band had an independent video on rotation at MusiquePlus(French equivalent to Canada's MuchMusic). After obtaining a government grant, the band self-produced and recorded "Alice's Wonderland", a song that helped "break" the group. Their biggest break though, came through winning Montreal's CHOM FM L'Esprit contest back in 1999. Winning the contest landed them music equipment, recording time and 500 manufactured CDs.
In 2001 Rubberman released their self-titled album, on Donald Tarlton's (a.k.a Donald K. Donald) Aquarius records and was produced by Glen Robinson (Tea Party, David Byrne, Voivod, Tori Amos). Their first single "More Than I Can Chew" remained within the top 10 on Montreal's CHOM FM Top 20 Album Countdown for 11 weeks while the video received heavy airplay on MusiquePlus.
The Band later parted ways, Jonas (http://www.jonas-music.com/) pursued a successful solo career having recorded two albums, self titled (2004) and Suite Life (2006). The only other member known to having pursued their music aspirations is Keith Pun, who now plays for a band called "Playing with Diana" (http://playingwithdiana.com/) .
Alice
Rubberman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said free smiles come if you pay
Holes in her arm like an L.A. freeway
Looking like heaven
Sky was falling down
And out
Who knew she'd lose
Every gambler gets the blues
Where the alley cats are brawling
She's snow balling again
She did it in a need to need way
Said redemption comes if you pray
Holes in her soul where the pushes pulled away
Looking like heaven
Sky was falling down
And out
Who knew she'd lose
Every gambler gets the blues
Nighttime calling, moonlight falling
Where the alley cats are sniffing
She's tripping again
What would your mother say
Life is a long strange trip
Don't trip it away
What would your father say
Leave him out of this
He never owned me
She did it in a need to need way
Said redemption comes if you pray
Holes in her soul where the pushers pulled away
Looking like heaven
Sky was fallen down
And out
Who knew she'd lose
Every gambler gets the blues
Nighttime calling, moonlight falling
Where the alley cats lie
She has died
What would your mother say
Life is a long strange trip
Don't trip it away
What would your father say
Leave him out of this
He never owned me
Never owned me...
The song "Alice" by Rubberman is a poignant tale about a troubled woman who spirals out of control due to her dependence on drugs. The lyrics describe her descent into addiction and the toll it takes on her physical and emotional well-being. The song is set against a backdrop of a city that is both glittering and dangerous, with references to L.A. freeways, alley cats, and moonlit streets.
In the first verse, the lyrics suggest that the woman's addiction began in a casual and almost mundane way - in a "day-to-day" manner. However, as her dependence grows, she finds herself in a state of desperation, willing to do whatever it takes to get her next fix. The reference to "paying for free smiles" is a bleak depiction of the cost of addiction, both in terms of money and personal dignity. The "holes" in her arms and soul are physical and metaphorical manifestations of the damage that addiction has wrought.
As the song progresses, the main character continues to struggle with her addiction, despite her attempts to find redemption through prayer. The chorus emphasizes that her fate is a universal one - that "every gambler gets the blues." The nighttime and moonlit imagery suggest that her addiction is a secret one, hidden from the rest of the world. At the end of the song, it is clear that the woman has succumbed to her addiction, as she "dies" in the final verse.
Overall, "Alice" is a powerful and moving song that highlights the devastating effects of drug addiction. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and poignant insights into the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
She did it in a day to day way
She did it habitually and casually
Said free smiles come if you pay
She believed that you need to pay something to get happiness or kindness
Holes in her arm like an L.A. freeway
She had scars and wounds on her arm, similar to the potholes and cracks in a road
Looking like heaven
In spite of her scars, she still had an appearance of innocence and purity
Sky was falling down
She felt like everything was crashing down on her
And out
She felt helpless and desperate
Who knew she'd lose
Nobody knew she would succumb to her addiction and lose her life because of it
Every gambler gets the blues
Every addict will eventually suffer the negative consequences of their addiction
Nighttime calling, moonlight falling
The darkness of night and the light of the moon symbolize the allure and temptation of her addiction
Where the alley cats are brawling
The dangerous and violent environment where people go to obtain drugs
She's snow balling again
She's spiraling out of control and her addiction is getting worse
What would your mother say
A rhetorical question asking what a person's mother would think about their behavior
Life is a long strange trip
Life is unpredictable and full of unexpected turns
Don't trip it away
Don't ruin your life through bad decisions and destructive behavior
What would your father say
A rhetorical question asking what a person's father would think about their behavior
Leave him out of this
Don't bring him into this discussion or decision
He never owned me
I don't owe anything to my father, and he doesn't have any control over me
She did it in a need to need way
She was driven by a compulsion to use drugs in order to fulfill a perceived need
Said redemption comes if you pray
She believed that salvation or forgiveness could come from religious devotion
Holes in her soul where the pushes pulled away
She had emotional wounds and damage caused by the people who supplied her drugs
Who knew she'd lose
Nobody knew that her addiction would lead to her premature death
Nighttime calling, moonlight falling
The allure and temptation of her addiction are still present during the nighttime
Where the alley cats are sniffing
The environment where people go to get drugs
She's tripping again
She's under the influence of drugs again and starting to lose control
Sky was fallen down
Everything in her life was falling apart
Who knew she'd lose
Her addiction would ultimately lead to her death, and nobody could have predicted this outcome
Every gambler gets the blues
Addicts will all suffer the negative consequences of their addiction eventually
Nighttime calling, moonlight falling
The temptation and allure of her addiction remain strong during the nighttime
Where the alley cats lie
The environment where people go to get drugs
She has died
Her addiction has reached its tragic conclusion, and she has lost her life
Never owned me...
I was never under anyone's control, and I made my own choices and mistakes
Contributed by Anna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@valprem6401
Omg omg omg I was looking for them for 14 years at least
@MrJJ1980
I actually haven't see too much of Jonas on his own but I got to see Rubberman Live at the Metropolis in Montreal and I found they kicked ass
@amylea1
it's a shame they couldnt keep things together, I really admired their music. Although it is great to see Jonas back in action :D
@KpGG7
My dad was the drummer in this band haha not even joking!
@ChrisFillman
@@KpGG7 That's awesome! My band played a show with them in Ottawa and they were great!
@amylea1
it's a shame they couldn't keep things together. I really admired their music but I am glad to see Jonas back in action :D
@Rebecca-hv8fg
Finally found it again
@valprem6401
Omg me too!!!!!!
@lj28lj
thanks for postging this video!!! i really prefer jonas now
@lj28lj
well you should see jonas now cause he is reaaaaally good, now with 2 cd let me tell u he kick ass!! ;)