Next to being the singer, organist and songwriter of The Slackers, he is/was involved in various projects like The SKAndalous All-Stars or The Stubborn Allstars.
For many years, Vic has also nurtured a dusty alt country/blues/rock solo project.
He's recorded a slew of solo albums on which he mainly plays the guitar, harmonica and percussion.
Albums are: Living in Sin/Understanding New Jersey, Alive at the Ladybug House, Hamburguru (2007), Something In My Blindspot (2008), On the Rag Time (+ 7" from 2009 of piano driven rag style vic/slackers songs), Songs For Clandestine Lovers (2009), split discs with ZOOT 16 G.B. (Meatball and Sushi Party, 2009) and Kepi Ghoulie (The Dark Ages, 2009) and Don't Feed The Cats in Iraq (2010). Over the years, various unofficial CD-Rs and bootlegs of his work have been made available through Vic and his website.
Ruggiero is pretty much shaping up to be "the man" when it comes to finding someone to play keyboard instruments in the north American punk scene. His guest appearances include famous artists like Rancid, The Transplants or Roger Miret And The Disasters. He was also involved in a side project going by the name of "The Silencers" with Tim Armstrong of Rancid and others. The Silencers have oficially released one song ("Policeman") on the Hellcat label sampler "Give 'em The Boot I". Ruggiero has writing credit, does backing vocals and plays the organ on this song. Other songs of the Silencer sessions are to be found on Rancid's Life Won't Wait Demos which have leaked to the internet.
Vic is also a member of Reggae Workers of The World, a supergroup composed of Vic Ruggiero, Jesse Wagner of The Aggrolites and Nico Leonard of The Moon Invaders and The Caroloregians.
List of bands that he played/plays in (not exhaustive)
- The Nods
- The Slackers
- SKAndalous All-Stars
- Stubborn All-Stars
- The Silencers
- Da Whole Thing
- David Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7
- Victor Rice Octet
- Sic & Mad
- tremoflex9000
- Vic & Phil
- Chris Murray
- Reggae Workers of The World
Official Site: http://www.vicruggiero.com
Animales
Vic Ruggiero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nobody lives inside
I think somebody tried to sell it
Oh, but nobody wanted to buy
So in come mean old winter
And in come father time
And in come the bad old summer
And nothing else here rhymes
Because the animals run the house
The animals run the house
I said the animals run the house
I said the animals run the house
You know the postman come by
And he said "Man, I'm leavin'"
The meter man went inside
And he just ran out screamin'
Crazy mary said "Let's go drink a beer, man"
I said "Nah, nah I don't wanna go in there"
I said "It don't feel right man,
It feels it's some kind of sin, now"
Chorus
And then a cat walked up to me, man
And he looked at me and he said "Meow"
And the dog cam up and he looked and me and he went "Rrrrr"
And deep down, they were whisperin', man
Behind their little eyes, they were sayin'...
They were sayin'...
Free:
"Well, come in ant and mouse
Come in dog and monkey
Come in, oh man
It may seem unresolved and funky
You may feel all wrong
Man, you may feel all wrong now"
And they said, "Vic, if you do
It's 'cause you don't belong, now"
Chorus
Free:
And then all of a sudden, man
I started thinkin' to myself, man
Oh, things seem strange in there, they seem wrong
Nobody's payin' taxes in there, man
Nobody's got electric
Nobody's watchin' the TV set, man
Everything's, like...
There ain't no floors, man, that's just dirt
The walls are all grimy
It's almost like...
Nature, or something, in there man
And there were snakes in the floor
There were earthworms in the couch
There was amoebas on the bed
There was... There was... On the doorknob
There were spiders in the walls
There was rats on in the bed
There was a lemur in the old TV set
And there's a big bullfrog in the head
And there's a big bullfrog in the head
And there's a big bullfrog in the head
And there's a big bullfrog in the head
Chorus (Etc.)
The lyrics of the song Animales by Vic Ruggiero paint a vivid picture of a house on the corner that has been neglected and left abandoned. The house is empty, and nobody seems interested in buying it. As the seasons change, the house becomes overrun by animals, and it becomes clear that they have taken over the place. The postman and the meter man who come by react in surprise and run out screaming. Even people like Crazy Mary who are not afraid of anything want to avoid it. The animals are the ones who have taken command of the house in the absence of human presence. The lyrics suggest that nature has taken over the man-made dwelling.
The chorus of the song goes, "Because the animals run the house, I said the animals run the house." This line is repeated throughout the song and highlights the central theme of the track. The lyrics are accompanied by an upbeat melody that creates a dissonance with the dark and eerie mood of the track, adding to the overall effect of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's a house on the corner that's yellow
The singer is describing a specific house on the corner that is painted yellow.
And nobody lives inside
There are no human inhabitants living in that house.
I think somebody tried to sell it
The singer believes that someone attempted to sell the house at some point.
Oh, but nobody wanted to buy
No one was interested in purchasing the house for an unknown reason.
So in come mean old winter
The season of winter has arrived and is personified as 'mean' by the singer.
And in come father time
The personification of 'father time' has also arrived, possibly alluding to the passing of time and the wear and tear it has on the house.
And in come the bad old summer
The season of summer arrives and is referred to as 'bad old' by the singer, possibly because of its harsh effects on the abandoned house.
And nothing else here rhymes
The singer acknowledges that the previous lines did not have a matching rhyme, concluding a poem or rhyming verse.
Because the animals run the house
The song's title is repeated, indicating that animals are now the dominant inhabitants of the previously abandoned house.
You know the postman come by
The mailman arrives at the house to deliver letters or packages.
And he said "Man, I'm leavin'"
The mailman quickly becomes scared and uncomfortable and leaves the scene hastily.
The meter man went inside
A person who comes to inspect the utilities enters the house.
And he just ran out screamin'
The person conducting the inspection is frightened by the presence of animals inside and leaves screaming.
Crazy mary said "Let's go drink a beer, man"
Crazy Mary, a character introduced in the chorus, invites the singer to drink a beer with her.
I said "Nah, nah I don't wanna go in there"
The singer refuses to go into the house because it feels wrong and unnatural to him.
And they said, "Vic, if you do
The animals inside the house address the singer by his name, warning him of the consequences of entering.
It's 'cause you don't belong, now"
The animals believe that the singer does not belong in the house and advises him not to enter.
And then all of a sudden, man
The singer unexpectedly has a realization or epiphany that challenges his previous beliefs.
Oh, things seem strange in there, they seem wrong
The singer realizes that something is wrong with the abandoned house and its current occupants.
Nobody's payin' taxes in there, man
The house's current occupants do not pay taxes or any form of rent, as animals can't do so.
Nobody's got electric
There is no electrical power in the house as the animals don't need it.
Nobody's watchin' the TV set, man
There is no one watching TV as the house is occupied by animals.
Everything's, like...
The singer struggles to find a word to describe the situation, possibly feeling overwhelmed or confused.
There ain't no floors, man, that's just dirt
The floors of the house are not visible, covered in dirt or debris.
The walls are all grimy
The walls of the house are visibly dirty and in disrepair.
It's almost like...
The singer struggles to accurately describe his impression of the abandoned house and its animal occupants.
Nature, or something, in there man
The singer realizes that the abandoned house has become a natural habitat for animals, as opposed to its intended purpose as a human dwelling.
And there were snakes in the floor
The singer describes finding snakes on the floor of the abandoned house, possibly feeling alarmed or frightened.
There were earthworms in the couch
The couch in the house has become a habitat for earthworms.
There was amoebas on the bed
The bed in the house is home to microscopic organisms known as amoebas.
There was... There was... On the doorknob
The singer struggles to describe what he saw on the doorknob, possibly indicating it was unidentifiable material.
There were spiders in the walls
The walls of the house are now home to spiders, an indication of the house's abandonment or neglect.
There was rats on in the bed
The singer finds live rats in the abandoned house's bed, a sign of uncleanliness and neglect.
There was a lemur in the old TV set
A type of primate, known as a lemur, has chosen the television set in the abandoned house as its habitat.
And there's a big bullfrog in the head
A large frog has made the toilet, or 'the head,' its living space.
Chorus (Etc.)
The chorus is repeated, reiterating that animals run the abandoned house and not humans.
Contributed by Avery V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheRa421
if good music is your thing t