(For the 70s British rock band, see Mr Big.)

Mr. Big combined two po… Read Full Bio ↴(For the 70s British rock band, see Mr Big.)

Mr. Big combined two popular musical trends of the rock scene in the mid to late 80s: a particular brand of hard rock focused on melodies and listener-friendly choruses made for the arena, and impressive technical proficiency, then called shredding. The seeds for the group were sown when bass player Billy Sheehan (considered one of the top bassists of rock, often thought to be the bass equivalent of guitarist Eddie Van Halen) left David Lee Roth's solo band in 1988. Almost immediately after his exit, Sheehan began piecing together a new outfit, with the help of Mike Varney from Shrapnel Records, a label specialized in the shredding genre. The band comprised Shrapnel artist and former Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert, Pat Torpey on drums, and singer Eric Martin, who had a number of album releases throughout the 1980s with his Eric Martin Band.

By 1989, the newly formed quartet, already regarded as a budding supergroup, had already inked a recording contract with Atlantic, resulting in the release of a self-titled debut the same year. Produced by Kevin Elson and Val Garay, 'Mr. Big' proved a partial commercial success, reaching the 46th slot on the Billboard 200 chart. Lead-off single "Addicted to that Rush", featuring the band's aggressive guitar and bass playing, also brought the group some mainstream attention, reaching the #39 slot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Despite causing a buzz among musicians, the album didn't quite cross over to a mainstream rock audience stateside, though Mr. Big was an immediate smash success overseas in Japan. The band's breakthrough came with their second album, 'Lean Into It', in 1991. It featured two power ballads that established the band as a total commercial success: "To Be With You" and "Just Take My Heart". The group also released arena rock songs that have remained staples of their live set for years, such as "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind".

Other releases followed, 'Bump Ahead' in 1993 and 'Hey Man' in 1996, but the band never replicated its earlier success in the U.S. market. The rise of grunge and nu metal groups damped much of the mainstream's interest in traditional arena-made hard rock. In Japan, on the other hand, they continued to sell out tours, resulting in a number of live releases for the Japanese market throughout their career (from "Raw Like Sushi" in 1990 to Mr. Big in Japan in 2002 among later releases). Paul Gilbert left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career and eventually reform Racer X. Richie Kotzen, another Shrapnel artist and former guitarist for Poison, was brought in to take on guitar duties, also contributing occasional vocals.

Two studio albums were released by this lineup: 'Get Over It' in 2000 and 'Actual Size' in 2001, which featured the single Shine used in the anime Hellsing. Tensions in the band between Billy Sheehan and the other members, especially Eric Martin, led to the band's demise-- contractual obligations for yet another Japanese tour were fulfilled in the form of a "farewell tour". The multi-million record-selling band broke up in 2002, many years since their last hit in the United States but while still enjoying great popularity in Japan.

In February 2009, as a result of fan-demand and also after several coincidences over the past couple of years that have gradually brought the group back together again, Eric Martin, Pat Torpey, Paul Gilbert, and Billy Sheehan finally announced their decision to reunite.

In September 2010, Mr. Big recorded a seventh album with producer Kevin Shirley at a Los Angeles-area studio. The album (What If...) was released in Japan on December 15, 2010, in Europe on January 21, 2011, and in the US in February 2011. The group's latest album, Defying Gravity, was recorded in Los Angeles in six days, and released on July 21, 2017. Due to Pat Torpey being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, he could not play drums fully on the record and played on only several tracks. Matt Starr recorded the drum tracks, while Pat Torpey acted as "drum producer."

On February 7, 2018, drummer Pat Torpey died from complications of Parkinson's disease at the age of 64. His last show took place at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton on November 23, 2017. A memorial show took place on May 23, 2018 at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, California, with former member Richie Kotzen as a special guest.

Around The World
Mr. Big Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's see whatever way it falls
True it's seems a little bit late
Got a dream and it just can't wait

A million places
We're wanting to be
Where everybody's standing
And they're starting to scream

'Round the world we go
Get a laugh from the people that you know
'Round the world we go
Stick around 'til the evening starts to flow
'Round the world we go
Now it's time to let your head explode

I can see it coming down
I know that you can feel the sound
You and I were made to move
Just put the diamond into the groove

A million faces
We're hoping to see
Where everybody's standing
Staring back at me

'Round the world we go
Get a laugh from the people that you know
'Round the world we go
Stick around 'til the evening starts to flow
'Round the world we go
Now it's time to let your head explode

Everybody needs a little getting away
Shout it all together we've got something to say
Gather up anyone that you can find
Forget the masqueraders, leave 'em all behind

'Round the world we go
Get a laugh from the people that you know
'Round the world we go
Stick around 'til the evening starts to flow

'Round the world we go
Get laugh from the people that you know

'Round the world we go
Now it's time to let your head explode

Overall Meaning

The song "Around The World" by Mr. Big is an upbeat and energetic anthem about living life to the fullest, making memories, and enjoying every moment. The lyrics express the desire to travel and experience different cultures, and the excitement that comes with meeting new people and seeing new sights. The chorus is particularly catchy, with the repetition of "Round the world we go" emphasizing the sense of adventure and spontaneity that the song portrays.

The verses delve deeper into the details of this escapade. The lyrics "Got a dream and it just can't wait" and "I know that you can feel the sound" speak to living in the moment and embracing the thrill of the present. The lyrics "Where everybody's standing / Staring back at me" express the idea of being the center of attention and enjoying the spotlight. The song encourages listeners to participate in this journey, with the line "Gather up anyone that you can find" suggesting that everyone is welcome.

Overall, "Around The World" is an upbeat and positive song that aims to inspire listeners to seize the day and make the most of their lives. It is a song about adventure, exploration, and experiencing all that the world has to offer.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's see whatever way it falls
Let's see what happens without worrying about the result

True it's seems a little bit late
It may be late, but we are still going to follow our dream

Got a dream and it just can't wait
Our dream is so important that we cannot let anything stand in the way of achieving it

A million places
There are countless locations that we want to visit

We're wanting to be
We have a strong desire to experience different parts of the world

Where everybody's standing
We want to be in a place where there is a crowd of people

And they're starting to scream
We want to be in a place where people are excited and enthusiastic

'Round the world we go
We are going to travel to different parts of the world

Get a laugh from the people that you know
We will enjoy the time spent with those we know

'Round the world we go
We are still traveling and experiencing new places

Stick around 'til the evening starts to flow
We will stay in one place until the evening when things become more lively

'Round the world we go
We are still going all around the world

Now it's time to let your head explode
It's time to let go and enjoy the experience to the fullest

I can see it coming down
I can sense everything coming together

I know that you can feel the sound
I know that you can sense the excitement of the place

You and I were made to move
We were meant to explore and travel

Just put the diamond into the groove
Let's start the excitement and the adventure

A million faces
There are countless people we hope to meet

We're hoping to see
We have a strong desire to meet new and interesting people

Where everybody's standing
We want to be in a place where there is a crowd of people

Staring back at me
We want to be in a place where people are interested in us as well

'Round the world we go
We are still traveling and experiencing new places

Get a laugh from the people that you know
We will enjoy the time spent with those we know

'Round the world we go
We are still going all around the world

Stick around 'til the evening starts to flow
We will stay in one place until the evening when things become more lively

'Round the world we go
We are still going all around the world

Now it's time to let your head explode
It's time to let go and enjoy the experience to the fullest

Everybody needs a little getting away
Everyone needs a break from their routine

Shout it all together we've got something to say
We have a message to share with the world

Gather up anyone that you can find
We will invite anyone to come along with us

Forget the masqueraders, leave 'em all behind
We will leave behind those who are not genuine and are just pretending

'Round the world we go
We are still going all around the world

Get a laugh from the people that you know
We will enjoy the time spent with those we know

'Round the world we go
We are still traveling and experiencing new places

Now it's time to let your head explode
It's time to let go and enjoy the experience to the fullest

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC LEE MARTIN, JAMES KEVIN DOTSON, PAT TORPEY, PAUL BRANDON GILBERT, WILLIAM SHEEHAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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