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.
Blame It On My Youth
Mr. Big Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't seen to shake trouble
Follows me wherever I go
My mama told me I was always in a hurry
You'd better slow down or you'll lose control
I've loved and lost for the moment
It never lasted long enough
But I won't let it get me down
Blame it on my youth
Put it to the circumstances
Blame it on my youth
I can't be judged for my actions
I'm an accident waiting to happen
Blame it on my youth
Someday I might stop being a child
But for now it looks as though
I'm having too much fun
You're as young as you feel
From the inside
Inside and out you're always on the run
Angels with dirty faces
A little lost but not innocent
Time steals people and places
But I won't let it get me down
Blame it on my youth
Put it to the circumstances
Blame it on my youth
I can't be judged for my actions
I'm an accident waiting to happen
Blame it on my youth
The lyrics of Mr. Big's song "Blame it on My Youth" tell a story of a person who is constantly in trouble, but refuses to take responsibility for their actions. They feel that their youth is to blame for their mistakes, and that they are an "accident waiting to happen." Despite warnings from their mother to slow down, they continue to live their life recklessly, with a sense of urgency and an attitude that they cannot be judged for their actions. The lyrics explore themes of self-discovery, coming of age, and taking ownership of one's mistakes.
The song is musically upbeat, with a melody that matches the energetic and carefree tone of the lyrics. The guitar riffs are catchy and memorable, and the chorus is a memorable anthem that encourages listeners to embrace their youth and live in the moment. The song has a timeless quality that continues to resonate with audiences, even decades after its initial release.
Line by Line Meaning
I live my life, one after the other
I'm just taking things one step at a time
Can't seen to shake trouble
I always seem to have problems no matter where I go
Follows me wherever I go
Trouble seems to follow me no matter where I am
My mama told me I was always in a hurry
My mother always said I was too impatient
You'd better slow down or you'll lose control
She warned me that if I didn't slow down, I would lose control of my life
I've loved and lost for the moment
I've had brief relationships that didn't last
It never lasted long enough
None of my relationships have lasted very long
You come to me when something gets broken
People only reach out to me when they need something fixed
But I won't let it get me down
Despite all my troubles, I won't let it get the best of me
Blame it on my youth
I'm not perfect because I'm still learning and growing
Put it to the circumstances
It's not entirely my fault, there are external factors contributing too
I can't be judged for my actions
Don't judge me too harshly for my mistakes, I'm still young and learning
I'm an accident waiting to happen
I have a tendency to act impulsively and take risks
Someday I might stop being a child
I know I need to grow up and mature eventually
But for now it looks as though
But right now, I'm still acting like a kid
I'm having too much fun
I'm enjoying my freedom and youth too much right now to settle down
You're as young as you feel
Age is just a number and it's all about your mindset
From the inside
It's not just your physical age that matters
Inside and out you're always on the run
I'm always on the move and looking for the next adventure
Angels with dirty faces
People who seem innocent may not be
A little lost but not innocent
I may not have it all figured out, but I'm not clueless either
Time steals people and places
Loss is a natural part of life and we can't hold onto everything forever
But I won't let it get me down
Despite loss, I won't let it defeat me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL BRANDON GILBERT, ERIC MARTIN, ERIC LEE MARTIN, BILLY SHEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Anderson
on My Kinda Woman
After using google i‘d say he‘s singing about the 1948s femme fatale Rita Hayworth. That’s the year of GILDA with the well known glove striptease.
Anyone got proof on that? An Interview maybe?