‘The Rubberband Man’ is a song recorded by American vocal group the Spinners. The last major hit by the Spinners to feature Philippé Wynne on lead vocals, ‘The Rubberband Man’ spent three weeks at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (blocked from the top spot by Rod Stewart's massive hit single ‘Tonight's the Night’) and topped the U.S. R&B chart at the end of 1976. It was also a top-20 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 16 in October 1976. The song was included in the Detroit Free Press's "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs" list, ranking 70th.
The Spinners' producer, Thom Bell, wrote this song for his son with help from his songwriting partner Linda Creed. Bell wrote theme songs for all of his children, although "The Rubberband Man" is the only one that was ever recorded. At first, it was called "The Fat Man," since his son Mark was rather large and that's what his schoolmates called him. Bell wanted to change the perception of this nickname, so he wrote a song about a big man who can really move. He's the guy everyone waits for at the party because when he arrives, it can really get going. Said Bell, "It was written for big people who were hip, to change the whole idea of a person being large being sloppy, slow."
This song was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in June 1976. Sigma was the hub of the Philadelphia Sound; it was where Patti Labelle, The O'Jays and The Stylistics recorded. Musicians on this track included Tony Bell and Bobby Eli on guitar, Andrew Smith on drums, Larry Washington on percussion and Thom Bell on keyboards. The album version runs 7:22, with the radio edit cut down to 3:30. Both versions have a cold ending.
The Spinners had a whole dance routine to go with this song, which was choreographed by Dianne Bland. The routine incorporated very large rubber bands made of elastic that were sewn together by Bland's mother, Eunice Moore. They would show up about three minutes into their performance. These outlandish rubber bands made an interesting visual, as the group members and backup singers would find different ways to stretch them to the music.
The song enjoyed a surge in popularity in 2018 as a result of its use in the superhero movie Avengers: Infinity War. Other movies to use the song include: Stripes (1981), Radio (2003), Akeelah and the Bee (2006), About Last Night (2014).
Label – Atlantic
Songwriters – Thom Bell, Linda Creed
Producer – Thom Bell
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Hand me down my walkin' cane
Hand me down my hat
Hurry now and don't be late
'Cause we ain't got time to chat
You and me, we're goin' out
To catch the latest sound
Guaranteed to blow your mind
So high you won't come down
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Post-Chorus 1]
Oh, this dude is outta sight
Everything he does
Seems to come out right
[Verse 2]
Once I went to hear him play
At a club outside of town
I was so surprised, I was hypnotized
By the sound these cats put down
When I saw this short, fat guy
Stretch a band between his toes
Hey, I laughed so hard
'Cause the man got down
When it finally reached his nose
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Post-Chorus 2]
Got that rubber band, uh
Up on his toes
And then he wriggled it up
All around his nose
[Verse 2]
(Du du du du du du du du)
Guaranteed to blow your mind
(Du du du du du du du du)
Playin' all that music, yet keepin' time
(Du du du du du du du du)
Where in the world did he learn that, oh, Lord
(Du du du du du)
Lord, help him get away
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Bridge]
Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, uh
Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, choo
Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, uh
Rubberband man, rubberband man, uh
(Du du du du du du du du)
Du du du du
(Du du du du du du du du)
Watch him, keep movin', just movin'
Got em groovin' on the corner, it's burnin' up, y'all
(Du du du du du du du du)
Ohooohooohhh
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Verse 3]
Ay, ay, ay, ay
Rubberband man's a doozy
Move so quick, uh, he make me woozy
(Du du du du du du du du)
And then he stopped to show down
He wiggle it up, he wiggle it down, uh
(Du du du du du du du du)
Got speed to move it
Get rubberband off the ground, uh
(Du du du du du du du du)
He lifted it well high
In the sky, y'all
And then he
Du du du du du
Oh, get with it, y'all
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Verse 4]
Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, uh
Turn it up, turn it up
Choo, choo, choo, choo, choo, uh
Rubberband man, rubberband man, uh
(Du du du du du du du du)
How much of this stuff do he think we can stand, uh, huh?
(Du du du du du du du du)
So much rhythm, grace, and debonair for one man, Lord
(Du du du du du du du du)
And then he had the nerve to twiggle his left toe
Slip it through his knee, got the feeling in his head, y'all
(Du du du du du)
Aw, come on, baby
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself (won't you prepare yourself, hear me) for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound (never heard a sound)
Like the rubberband man (Aw, he's the man)
You're bound to lose control (and he likes to jam)
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Post-Chorus 3]
Rubberband man starts to jam
Moving up and down cross the land
Got the people all in his wake
Everything probably seems outta place
[Bridge]
Just move it, just move it
(Du du du du du du du du)
Just move, move, move it
Just, rubberband, rubberband man
Just move it, just move it
(Du du du du du du du du)
Just move, move, move it
Just, rubberband, rubberband man
Get down
(Du du du du du du du du)
Oh, get down low
Ah ha
(Du du du du du du du du)
Oh, he can jam, y'all
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man
You've never heard a sound (never heard a sound)
Like the rubberband man (never felt the groove)
You're bound to lose control (take a seat and move)
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Verse 5]
Ohwee
What's he doin' to me?
Rhythms I ain't felt before
Just groovin' up loudly
Gotta move, I gotta groove
Rubberband man
(Du du du du du du du du)
Achoo, achoo, achoo
(Du du du du du du du du)
The way he twiddles his toes with the band [?]
[Chorus]
Hey, y'all, (I don't know) prepare yourself for the rubberband man (Aw, prepare yourself, y'all)
You've never heard a sound (Can see his show)
Like the rubberband man
You're bound to lose control (Throwing his hat)
When the rubberband starts to jam
[Outro]
Ready to jam
Do my Rubberband
Ready to jam
I gotta do my Rubberband
(Du du du du du du du du)
A-twang, a-twang, a-twang, a-twang
Lord, have mercy
(Du du du du du du du du)
A-twang, a-twang, a-twang, a-twang
Just strike me in my bones
A-twang, a-twang, a-twang, a-twang
Maked a move, y'all
I kinda groove when I did
Hey, y'all, prepare yourself for the rubberband man (ya gotta believe me)
You've never heard a sound (He's a [?] cat )
Like the rubberband man (he moves and grooves)
You're bound to lose control ([?])
When the rubberband starts to jam
He's a big fat man that moves me good
Everybody oughta knock on wood
When you see the man do his stuff
I done see enough
(Du du du du du du du du)
Movin' his shoulders
Got his head movin' side to side
(Du du du du du du du du)
Dig him crimpin' with a [?]
(Du du du du du du du du)
Oh, he's the man, rubberband man
(Du du du du du)