Known for their melodic songwriting as well as their deliberately 'nerdy' public image, the Rubinoos made their public recording debut in 1975with the song "Gorilla" on the 'Beserkley Chartbusters' LP. By 1977, the boys had finished recording their first full album, an LP titled simply 'The Rubinoos'. Gene Sculatti of the New York Rocker called it "the best pop album of the decade." The band took influence from both contemporary rock music as well as from the bubblegum pop music of the past twenty-five years.
The first single was "I Think Were Alone Now", a cover of the Tommy James classic pop track, and it reached the top 40 nationwide as well as the top 10 in many major U.S. cities. Appearances on 'Dick Clarks American Bandstand', 'The Rolling Stone 10th Anniversary TV Special', and in numerous teen magazines of the era helped put the Rubinoos into the pop consciousness. At the same time, the group was receiving a lot of attention overseas: critical acclaim and airplay in Europe came alongside top tens in Japan and Australia.
In 1978, they left for their first European tour. The first show was an appearance on German TV's 'Rockpalast'. The rest of the tour took them through northern Europe performing concert dates and appearing on assorted TV shows such as 'Top Pop (The Netherlands)', 'Old Grey Whistle Test', and 'Rock Goes to College'. As there was no photo on the first LP, the British press sometimes assumed the group was a mere studio contrivance (similar to The Archies or The Banana Splits), but they were startled to find that the Rubinoos were the real thing.
During that summer the seminal power pop song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" was recorded and released as a single in England, ending up as number 4 in terms of the highest airplay song chart of that year. It was also chosen as Music Week magazine's "Record of the Year". The Rubinoos finished recording their second LP, Back to the Drawing Board, in late 1978 for release in early 1979. Because of their success in the UK, the Rubinoos were chosen to open the U.S. portion of Elvis Costello's 'Armed Forces Tour', playing fifty-six sold out shows to screaming encores and rave reviews. Meanwhile, Back to the Drawing Board was a breakout hit all over U.S. radio, selling over 100,000 copies and making a run for the gold which was unfortunately cut short by the bankruptcy of its distributor GRT/Janus, a harbinger to come of the band's difficulties maintaining commercial success from the late 70s onward.
In 1983, the Rubinoos were signed by the label of Warner Brothers and made the mini LP Party of Two. produced by fellow power pop musicians Todd Rundgren and his mega-band Utopia (their first production project as a group). The video for the single "If I Had You Back" achieved heavy rotation on the then fledgling MTV. Still, by 1985 the band members had decided to pursue other interests apart, leaving behind a reputation as one of the best pop groups of that era.
By the mid-90s, rekindled interest in power pop combined with The Rubinoos stature in the field earned the group major releases of two compilations containing previously unavailable material: Basement Tapes and Garage Sale. In 1995, Basement Tapes was picked by Billboard magazine as one of the years ten best CDs. In addition, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", a contendor for being the band's 'signature song', has been included on many recent multi-artist pop compilation albums.
In the fall of 1999, the Rubinoos reformed to play at the I.P.O. (International Pop Overthrow) festival in Los Angeles. Their appearance was a major hit of the event. Along with the rare live performance, Rubinoos fans were treated to the debut of material from the May 2000 release Paleophonic. This stellar collection was produced by the late, great Kevin Gilbert.
The next couple of years were spent playing occasional pop festivals in the US and working on their individual musical projects. In 2002, the band, getting a little nervous and not wanting to spoil their streak of one CD every 10 years or so, headed back into the studio to record a new CD with a brand new idea, featuring only covers of bands that the Rubinoos have taken influence from. Titled Crimes Against Music, the group explored tracks by such diverse artists as Eurythmics, The Beach Boys, and the Raspberries, among others.
After finishing recording, they hit the road for two smash tours of Japan and Spain. The group has spent the past decade of so sporadically playing live, experiencing success in 2007 with their massive retrospective album titled Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Rubinoos. That 'best of' collection received rave reviews from the All Music Guide, praising it as "exhaustive" while giving it a rating of four and a half stars out of five. A legal run-in with pop punker Avril Lavigne of all people, accused of plagiarizing the Rubinoos, ended in a confidential settlement and also brought the group some sudden publicity. Fans hope for a new album as of 2013.
Operator
The Rubinoos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch out she’s an operator ooh
Watch out she’s an operator ooh
Kiss the boys and make them cry well that’s how she gets her kicks
She’ll tell you that you’re number one but it’s just one of her tricks
She’ll build you up and say you thrill her
But soon you’ll find
You’re just one in a line
Of other guys she told the same thing to so
Watch out she’s an operator
Better watch your step or you just might fall
Watch out she’s an operator
A real heart breaker don’t care at all
I really was a sucker for a couple of clever lines
But soon I found her looks of love were just heartache in disguise
So if you’re looking to love someone
Then you better stay away from this girl
Or soon you’ll find
You’re just one in a line
Of other guys who got there fingers burned so
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Well you’re a real hot number
Until she breaks your connection
And then suddenly you’re out the door
With no love or affection
(Chorus)
The Rubinoos' song "Operator" is a cautionary tale about a dishonest woman who toys with the emotions of men. The song opens with a warning to "watch out" for this "operator" who engages in manipulative behavior to get what she wants. She kisses boys and makes them cry, which is how she gets her thrills, and tells them they are number one, but the reality is that this is just one of her tricks. She will build them up and make them feel special, but ultimately they will realize that they are just one in a long line of guys that she has played the same game with.
The singer of the song admits that he was once a "sucker" for this woman's clever lines, but he soon realized that her looks of love were nothing more than a disguise for heartache. The song advises those looking for love to stay away from this woman, as they will only end up with their fingers burned. The bridge of the song plays with the concept of an operator, using the idea of a phone operator who can disconnect a call at will. The woman in question is compared to this operator, who can abruptly end a relationship with no love or affection.
Overall, "Operator" is a catchy and cautionary song about a manipulative woman who takes pleasure in leading men on. It warns against falling for her tricks and encourages listeners to watch out for her potentially heart-breaking behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Watch out she’s an operator ooh
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
Watch out she’s an operator ooh
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
Kiss the boys and make them cry well that’s how she gets her kicks
She enjoys hurting boys emotionally
She’ll tell you that you’re number one but it’s just one of her tricks
She will flatter and manipulate you to get what she wants
She’ll build you up and say you thrill her
She will make you feel special and wanted
Like no one she ever knew
But she tells that to everyone
But soon you’ll find
You will eventually realize
You’re just one in a line
That you are not the only one
Of other guys she told the same thing to so
She has used the same tactics on other guys as well
Watch out she’s an operator
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
Better watch your step or you just might fall
You might get hurt if you are not careful around her
Watch out she’s an operator
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
A real heartbreaker don’t care at all
She does not care about your feelings
I really was a sucker for a couple of clever lines
He fell for her manipulative tactics
But soon I found her looks of love were just heartache in disguise
He realized that her love was not real
So if you’re looking to love someone
If you are looking for love
Then you better stay away from this girl
Avoid getting involved with her
Or soon you’ll find
Or you will eventually realize
You’re just one in a line
That you are not the only one
Of other guys who got there fingers burned so
Other guys who got hurt by her
Watch out she’s an operator
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
Better watch your step or you just might fall
You might get hurt if you are not careful around her
Watch out she’s an operator
Be cautious of her manipulative behavior
A real heartbreaker don’t care at all
She does not care about your feelings
Well you’re a real hot number
You are attractive and desirable
Until she breaks your connection
Until she ends the relationship
And then suddenly you’re out the door
And then she leaves you
With no love or affection
Without any care or affection for you
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chris3c
One of the best 'power-pop' bands EVER - this is just 1 of a dozen great songs - LOVE these guys!
Lynn Yang
me too