W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from … Read Full Bio ↴W.A.S.P. is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982. They emerged from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Guns N' Roses and others.

W.A.S.P. began following the demise of Circus Circus, a Los Angeles-based band featuring Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper. The original lineup of W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 by Lawless, Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards.

The first lineup did not last for long, as Rik Fox was let go and went on to join the band Steeler with vocalist Ron Keel and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. He was replaced by Don Costa, the bassist in Richards' former band, Dante Fox (which later evolved into Great White). Shortly afterward, Costa also left the band and his position on the bass was filled by Brayden Parker. By the time they recorded their debut album "W.A.S.P.", Lawless had taken over on bass and Chris Holmes had joined on lead guitar. At the same time, guitarist Chris Holmes joined the band.

Shortly after the album's release in 1984, Richards was replaced by former Keel drummer Steve Riley. The group released "The Last Command" in 1985, before Piper left in July 1986. Lawless subsequently switched back to guitar, with Johnny Rod (real name John Tumminello) leaving King Kobra to take over as bassist. "Inside the Electric Circus" followed in October. A live album "Live...In the Raw" was released in 1987. Riley left during the subsequent tour to join L.A. Guns. He was replaced for future shows by a string of temporary substitutes. By early 1988, W.A.S.P. had started working on its fourth studio album with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.

The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal bands. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over 12 million copies of their albums.

The band was a prominent target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) led by Tipper Gore, who at the time was wife of then-Senator Al Gore (D-TN), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live...In the Raw.

"I Wanna Be Somebody" was the most successful single from W.A.S.P.'s debut album. and It was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time.

In October 2007, W.A.S.P. embarked on The Crimson Idol Tour, to celebrate that album's 15th anniversary. It is the first time that the album, often regarded to be among the band's finest work, was performed in full from start to finish. The tour kicked off in Greece, in Thessaloniki at the Principal Club Theater on October 26, 2007.
Blackie Lawless remains the only member from the original line-up. They released their most recent album in November 2009, entitled Babylon.

On September 21, 2012, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first ever live show by kicking off a world tour at The Forum in London. The set for the tour was split into three sections: songs from the first four albums, a cut-down rendition of the Crimson Idol performance and a final segment for newer material.

Rubber Man
W.A.S.P. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The man of steal is
Master of lies
This ribber mother's
Tied to me for life
Heart breaker the snake
He'll do it to you
Oh he's killig me alive
I'm ties to rubber

I'me tied up for life

The son of Charlie
Morgue of liars
Don;t let him get ya
Oh or he'll sodomize you
Ball breaker and raper'll
Do it to you
Rubber man's a fucking liar

I'm dying from pain
Let me go
Here he comes I'm hiding my hole
Don;t give me your grease
I'm dying for rubber
I'm dying for pain
I'm dying no
Don't give me your love

Get down on your knees
And give me your rubber

Overall Meaning

The song "Rubber Man" by W.A.S.P. is a heavy metal track that tells a story of a man who is trapped in a toxic and abusive relationship with someone he refers to as the "rubber man." The lyrics suggest that the rubber man is a master of lies and a heartbreaker, who is slowly killing the singer. The rubber man is also described as a son of Charlie and a morgue of liars who is capable of sodomy and rape.

The singer of the song is dying from pain and wants to be released from his bondage with the rubber man. However, despite the pain that the rubber man inflicts on him, he seems to crave the rubber man's love and attention. He begs for the rubber man's rubber, which could be a metaphoric way of saying that he desires the abuse and pain that the rubber man causes him.

Overall, the song appears to be a commentary on the dangers of abusive relationships and the psychological toll that they take on victims. It portrays the victim as someone who is trapped in a cycle of abuse and unable to escape his tormentor.

Line by Line Meaning

The man of steal is
There is a deceptive individual who is skilled at getting what he wants.

Master of lies
This individual is highly skilled at deception.

This rubber mother's
I am bound to this deceitful individual for the rest of my life.

Tied to me for life
I cannot escape the grasp of this individual.

Heart breaker the snake
This person is a heartless and venomous individual.

He'll do it to you
He will deceive and harm anyone who crosses his path.

Oh he's killig me alive
This person's deceitful nature is slowly destroying me.

I'm ties to rubber
I am bound to this individual like a rubber band.

I'me tied up for life
I cannot break free from this individual's grasp.

The son of Charlie
This individual is the offspring of a notorious criminal.

Morgue of liars
This person is surrounded by deceitful individuals.