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.
How Does It Feel
Mr. Big Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I keep on believin' it's all right in my mind
I have tried, but I can't go back to kneeling,
Not this time
We've been dying for too long
You can fight but you're never wrong
[Chorus]
And the blame is worn on you
How does it feel when your pride is torn,
Your best years are gone and used
How does it feel
I was holdin' on, now I'm leavin'
And there ain't no chance I'm goin' back
Seven years of believing it could change
We keep on holdin' on
You can fight but you're never wrong
How does it feel when the hurt is on
And the blame is worn on you
How does it feel when your pride is torn,
Your best years are gone and used
How does it feel
I don't know where I belong
We still fight but you're never wrong oh
We've been dying for too long,
How does it feel
[Chorus]
How does it feel
How does it feel
How does it feel
The lyrics of Mr. Big's song "How Does It Feel" depict a character who has been through a lot and has had enough. The opening line "I been tired, crucified, yeah!" sets the tone and indicates someone who has endured a lot of pain and suffering. The character keeps on believing that everything is okay, but deep down, they know the truth. They have tried, but they cannot go back to kneeling, referring to a sense of submission or giving up control. The character has been through a lot, possibly in a relationship, and has been fighting for change for seven years. However, they have finally decided to let go and move on. The line "Your best years are gone and used" implies regret and feeling like time has been wasted.
The chorus asks a series of questions, "How does it feel when the hurt is on, and the blame is worn on you? How does it feel when your pride is torn, your best years are gone and used?" These questions highlight the pain and suffering that the character has been through, and they are seeking to understand how it would feel for someone else to experience it. This could also imply that the character feels like the other person is not aware of the pain they have caused.
Overall, "How Does It Feel" is a powerful song about enduring pain and making the difficult decision to move on. It showcases the struggle of letting go of something that has caused so much pain for so long.
Line by Line Meaning
I been tired, crucified, yeah!
I've been exhausted and put through hell.
And I keep on believin' it's all right in my mind
But despite all that, I try to convince myself that everything is okay.
I have tried, but I can't go back to kneeling, Not this time
I used to submit to the hurt but not anymore.
We've been dying for too long
Our suffering has gone on for far too much time.
You can fight but you're never wrong
No matter how much I argue or struggle, I can't win.
How does it feel when the hurt is on And the blame is worn on you
What does it feel like when you're dealing with terrible pain and being blamed for it?
How does it feel when your pride is torn, Your best years are gone and used
What about when your dignity is shattered, and you've wasted your best time on something?
I was holdin' on, now I'm leavin' And there ain't no chance I'm goin' back
I was clinging onto hope, but now I'm leaving this for good and I won't turn back.
Seven years of believing it could change We keep on holding on You can fight but you're never wrong
Despite seven long years of trying to keep faith in a different outcome, we keep hanging onto the past, and I can't seem to win no matter how much effort I put in.
I don't know where I belong
I don't know where to go now after everything has fallen apart.
We still fight but you're never wrong oh
We still argue, but I can't seem to win.
How does it feel
Again, what does it feel like dealing with all this suffering and disappointment?
How does it feel
What does it feel like?
How does it feel
What does it feel like?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAT TORPEY, RICHARD DALE KOTZEN, WILLIAM 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?