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.
My Kinda Woman
Mr. Big Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She walked in with the look o' love
That girl had bedroom eyes
Fire engine lipstick lips
All heads turned ooh with a human desire
It set the world on fire
My kinda woman
That's my kinda woman
I could tear down the silver screen
A fallen woman femme fatale
Her body screamed heartbreak
Hotel... brains and beauty
Break down the walls, I fall
Down, to my knees,
When I see her picture in the movie magazines
All heads turned ooh for the lady in red
Bring up the house light and say
My kinda woman
Bring back those yesteryear dreams
My kinda woman help me
Tear down the silver screen
Picture perfect
X marks the spot
There's just no way
To tell you how hot
My kinda woman
If I could go back in time
To the right place eye to eye
Magic to burn ooh with a human desire
She set the world on fire
My kinda woman
Someone's yesteryear dreams
My kinda woman
I could tear down the silver screen
My kinda woman
Bring back those yesteryear dreams
And that's my kinda woman
Help me tear down the silver screen
The lyrics of Mr. Big's song "My Kinda Woman" depict the singer's attraction to a woman who embodies the classic femme fatale archetype. The woman is described as having "bedroom eyes" and "fire engine lipstick lips" that cause all heads to turn with a "human desire." The singer considers her his "kinda woman," someone who represents the yesteryear dreams of past generations and a woman he could tear down the silver screen for. The lyrics suggest that the singer is both captivated and overwhelmed by the woman's allure and power.
Throughout the song, the lyrics use visual language to describe the woman's appearance and the impact she has on the singer and those around her. The woman is portrayed as a "picture perfect" femme fatale, with "X marks the spot" indicating the intensity of the singer's desire. References to hotel rooms, brains, and beauty add to the alluring, mysterious image of the woman. The singer seems to be both in awe of and intimidated by her, as he falls to his knees when he sees her picture in magazines. However, despite the power she exudes, the singer seems unable to resist her, suggesting that her appeal is timeless and universal.
Line by Line Meaning
Way back in the early days 1946
The song speaks of a woman that the singer fell in love with in 1946, in the early days.
She walked in with the look o' love
The woman caught the attention of many people in the room because of the way she looked when she walked in, which signified love.
That girl had bedroom eyes
The singer is describing how the woman's eyes were attractive and inviting, causing anyone to feel like they could go to bed (and perhaps more) just by looking into them.
Fire engine lipstick lips
The singer mentions how the woman had very bright red lipstick that drew attention, which contrasted with the rest of her features, similar to the color of a bright red fire engine truck.
All heads turned ooh with a human desire
The woman was so attractive that all the men in the room turned their heads towards her and expressed desire either verbally or nonverbally with an 'ooh'.
It set the world on fire
The woman's beauty caused a huge impact and everyone felt its warmth.
My kinda woman
The singer is saying that this woman is the type of woman that he likes.
Someone's yesteryear dreams
The woman was someone's dream girl in the past, possibly even the singer himself.
That's my kinda woman
The singer repeats that this woman is his kind of woman.
I could tear down the silver screen
The singer is saying that the woman is so captivating that he could imagine breaking the imaginary wall of the movie screen to be with her in reality.
A fallen woman femme fatale
The singer sees the woman as a femme fatale, meaning that she is beautiful and dangerous, and has also been through some tough times or has a bad reputation.
Her body screamed heartbreak
The singer sees that the woman's body language is giving off emotions of sadness and heartbreak.
Hotel... brains and beauty
The singer mentions 'hotel' to signify being in a place where anything can happen, and describes the woman as having both brains and beauty.
Break down the walls, I fall
The singer is implying that he would fall for the woman so hard, that even the seemingly indestructible walls of his own heart would come down.
Down, to my knees
The singer would be so smitten with the woman that he would fall to his knees in awe of her beauty.
When I see her picture in the movie magazines
The woman is so attractive that just seeing her in a magazine would be enough to make the singer feel captivated by her.
All heads turned ooh for the lady in red
The woman is wearing a red dress that is so striking, even more people turn their heads and express their admiration.
Bring up the house light and say
The singer is requesting that the house lights be turned on to illuminate the woman, so that everyone can admire her beauty better.
Picture perfect
The singer sees the woman as being so beautiful that she is almost like a perfect picture.
X marks the spot
This line implies that the woman is special and denotes an X-shaped marking typically made to indicate a treasure, signifying the woman is a valuable find.
There's just no way
The singer feels that there is no way to describe how beautiful the woman is.
To tell you how hot
The singer tries to convey that he cannot even describe how attractive the woman is.
If I could go back in time
The singer wishes that he could go back in time to be with the woman.
To the right place eye to eye
The singer is suggesting that he and the woman are meant to be together, who made eye contact with each other in the right place at the right time.
Magic to burn ooh with a human desire
The singer is describing the intense attraction he feels for the woman, and also the feeling of something magical happening between them.
She set the world on fire
Just like in the beginning, the woman continues to have a huge impact on everyone and causes a lot of excitement, passion, and interest.
Bring back those yesteryear dreams
The singer longs to relive the past where he could be with the woman and have dreams like he did before.
And that's my kinda woman
He reaffirms that the woman is his kind of woman.
Help me tear down the silver screen
The singer is literally appealing to the woman to help him break down the imaginary boundaries between them so they can be together in reality despite appearing only on the silver screen.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL BRANDON GILBERT, ERIC MARTIN, ERIC LEE MARTIN, BILLY SHEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Anderson
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?
@ParkKH1
RACER X - Mad At The World
@lrn_news9171
Updated version with different lyrics with racer X
I prefer the vocals on this one but prefer the lyrics in the racer X song
@thenerdyhobbit3935
Eric singing is so blasting in this song. Well I know he always blasted. But this one is just the megablast.
Insaneeee...
@dijas9974
RIP Pat ❤️
@musicforever7123
I ve discovered them recently... And I can affirm they are one of the greatest rock band ever 🤟🤟💯🎸
@andresantel2137
Rock on Mr. Big!!🤘🤘
@elenarlimacoelho9108
Amo demais Eric Martin, Mr Big!
@ronniecbx6210
Um dos melhores intérpretes do mundo! E a voz d+...
@ep3614
O melhor ❤