Born in … Read Full Bio ↴Aaron Tippin (born July 3, 1958) is a country music singer.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, but raised in upstate South Carolina, Tippin performed in local honky-tonks in the 1970s. He competed on TNN's "You Can Be A Star" talent contest in 1986, landed a song publishing contract and moved to Nashville in 1987. During this time he wrote songs for The Kingsmen, David Ball, The Midsouth Boys, Mark Collie, and Charlie Pride. He would spend his nights working at a mill in Kentucky and spend his days driving 60 miles to Nashville to write songs.
Tippin performed his first Nashville nightclub show in 1990, and it earned him a contract with RCA records. His first single, "You've Got to Stand for Something", cracked the top 10 in 1991 and allowed him to go to the Persian Gulf with Bob Hope, to entertain the troops. Then, in 1992, Aaron's single "There Ain't Nothin' Wrong With the Radio" stayed at No. 1 for three weeks.
In 1995, Tippin married Thea Corontzos, and he, Thea, and his manager, Billy Craven, created Tippin's company, Tip Top Entertainment. Tippin also opened two hunting supply stores called Aaron Tippin Firearms. One is located close to where he lives in Smithville, Tennessee, and the other run by his father in Oak City, North Carolina.
In 1998, Tippin moved to Lyric Street Records and charted a No.1 hit with "Kiss This", co-written with his wife Thea in 2000. In the wake of 9/11, his patriotic anthem, "Where the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly", peaked at No. 2. Both songs crossed over onto the Hot 100 charts; in fact, "Stars And Stripes" was his biggest crossover hit.
In 2006, Tippin started up his own record label, Nippit Records; the label's name is "Tippin" spelled backwards.
Other facts
* Survived lightning strikes on (at least) seven different occasions.
* Was granted pilot licence when he was 15
Big Boy Toys
Aaron Tippin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I head across the yard
To my big sandbox
Where I work real hard
Playin' all day
With my little toy trucks
Backhoes Bulldozers herdin' in some stuff
That was my whole life
But when I grew up
I guess I never really did
I like 'em Big Boy Toys
Motors and lights
Knobs and switches
And a four-wheel drive
Runnin' up the road
Or crawlin' cross the farm
And when they break down
I jack 'em up in the yard
Pull out my tools
My pride and joy
Man you gotta love 'em
Big Boy Toys
Now sometimes baby
You just can't understand
The mud on my boots
And the grease on my hands
I've tried to explain
How it makes me feel
The awesome power
Of my hands on the wheel
If I can't find the words
To set things right
I just scoot over
And I let my baby drive
She likes Big Boy Toys
Motors and lights
Knobs and switches
And a four-wheel drive
Runnin'up the road
Or crawlin' cross the farm
And when they break down
I jack 'em up in the yard
Pull out my tools
My pride and joy
Man you gotta love 'em
Big Boy Toys
Yeah
It's boats and cars
Tractors and trucks
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Are runnin' through my blood
I like 'em Big Bpy Toys
Motors and lights
Knobs and switches
And a four-wheel drive
Runnin' up the road
Or crawlin' cross the farm
And when they break down
I jack 'em up in the yard
Pull out my tools
My pride and joy
Man you gotta love 'em
Big Boy Toys
Man you gotta love 'em
Big Boy Toys
Big Boy Toys
The song "Big Boy Toys" by Aaron Tippin is an ode to the passion for machinery and the joy of working with one's hands, particularly as it pertains to "big boy toys" which in this case refers to trucks and tractors. The song opens with the artist reminiscing about his boyhood days playing with toy trucks and bulldozers in the sandbox. As he grew up, however, his love for these toys did not fade, but instead he found himself drawn to the real-life equivalents. He describes a deep affection for the power of these machines, from their motors and lights to their knobs and switches, and the way they can traverse rugged terrain with ease. Even when they break down, he enjoys tinkering with them and fixing them up, taking pride in his ability to work with his hands.
The chorus of the song repeats the titular phrase, "I like 'em Big Boy Toys," with the addition of the line, "Man you gotta love 'em." This sentiment is expanded in the second verse as the artist attempts to communicate his passion to a loved one who can't quite understand it. He talks about the feeling of being in control of these powerful machines and the thrill it gives him, and ultimately offers to share the experience by letting his partner take the wheel. The final verse expands the definition of "Big Boy Toys" beyond trucks and tractors to include boats, cars, and even gasoline and diesel fuel themselves, as the artist talks about how these loves are simply part of him.
Line by Line Meaning
I hook my wagon to my trac
I attach my wagon to my tractor
And I head across the yard
I go across the yard
To my big sandbox
To my large sandbox
Where I work real hard
Where I work very hard
Playin' all day
Playing all day
With my little toy trucks
With my small toy trucks
Backhoes Bulldozers herdin' in some stuff
Moving some things around with backhoes and bulldozers
That was my whole life
That was my entire life
When I was a kid
When I was younger
But when I grew up
But even as I got older
I guess I never really did
I guess I never truly grew up
I like 'em Big Boy Toys
I like big toys for boys
Motors and lights
Engines and lights
Knobs and switches
Controls
And a four-wheel drive
And four-wheel drive
Runnin' up the road
Driving up the road
Or crawlin' cross the farm
Or crawling across the farm
And when they break down
And when they stop functioning
I jack 'em up in the yard
I lift them up in the yard
Pull out my tools
I take out my tools
My pride and joy
The things that I take pride in
Man you gotta love 'em
You really have to love them
Now sometimes baby
Sometimes, my partner
You just can't understand
You cannot always comprehend
The mud on my boots
The mud on my boots
And the grease on my hands
And the grease on my hands
I've tried to explain
I have tried to clarify
How it makes me feel
How it affects me emotionally
The awesome power
The impressive energy
Of my hands on the wheel
Of me controlling the wheel
If I can't find the words
If I am unable to express myself
To set things right
To resolve things
I just scoot over
I move over
And I let my baby drive
And I let my partner drive
She likes Big Boy Toys
She also likes big toys for boys
Yeah
Yes
It's boats and cars
It includes boats and cars
Tractors and trucks
Tractors and trucks as well
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Gasoline and diesel fuel
Are runnin' through my blood
Are a part of me
Man you gotta love 'em
You really have to love them
Big Boy Toys
Big toys for boys
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BROCK, TIPPIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind