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.
Road to Ruin
Mr. Big Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To push her memory to the back o' my mind
"Mustang Sally" from her head to her toe
My life was in shambles
When she shot down that road
That was then, this is now
I'd I learned my lesson, I forgot it somehow
A knock at the door,
I hear that voice, and I know what's in store...
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
I looked in those angel eyes
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
The devil was in disguise, year
She took me,
Down the road to ruin
(Yeah baby) my head was spinnin' round
Don't know what I'm doin'
Back on the road to ruin...
(Listen)
Hip Hips
Sexy legs_
Ain't no surprise I got on my knees and begged
Forked tongue, and pointed tail
If we make it this time, it's a cold day in hell
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
She said she'd be sweet this time yeah
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
One kiss and it all seemed so right
She took me,
Down the road to ruin
(Yeah baby)my head was spinnin' round
Don't know what I'm doin'
Back on the road to ruin...
Guitar solo-
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
She said she'd be sweet this time
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
The devil was I n disguise
Chorus out-
The lyrics of "Road to Ruin" by Mr. Big tell a story of a man who is trying to move on from a past lover, but finds himself falling back into old habits when she suddenly reappears in his life. The first verse describes the man's attempt to push the memory of the woman out of his mind, but he realizes that he can't as he hears the song "Mustang Sally" that reminds him of her. The second verse informs the listener that the woman has returned and the man, despite thinking he had learned from his past mistakes, cannot resist her. The chorus paints a picture of the destructive nature of their relationship, as the woman takes the man down the road to ruin once again.
The third verse provides a vivid description of the woman's physical appearance, emphasizing her sex appeal with lines like "hip hips" and "sexy legs." However, the man acknowledges that she also has a dark side, represented by her "forked tongue" and "pointed tail." The man recognizes that their previous attempts at a relationship have not gone well, but is drawn in by her promises of sweetness this time. The song ends with another chorus, emphasizing that the man is back on the road to ruin with this woman.
Overall, "Road to Ruin" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of falling back into toxic relationships. The man knows that his involvement with this woman will end poorly, but he cannot help himself. The lyrics use vivid imagery to convey the seductive power of this woman, juxtaposed with her destructive influence on the man's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Good Lord, I tried
I gave it my all
To push her memory to the back o' my mind
To forget about her
"Mustang Sally" from her head to her toe
She loved that song
My life was in shambles
I was a mess
When she shot down that road
When she left me
That was then, this is now
Things have changed
I'd I learned my lesson, I forgot it somehow
I thought I knew better, but I didn't
Headlights in the driveway,
Someone's coming
A knock at the door,
Someone's here
I hear that voice, and I know what's in store...
I know what's gonna happen
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
Sound effect
I looked in those angel eyes
She looked innocent
The devil was in disguise, year
She was actually bad news
She took me,
She led me
Down the road to ruin
To a bad place
(Yeah baby) my head was spinnin' round
I was confused
Don't know what I'm doin'
I am lost
Back on the road to ruin...
I have gone back to a bad place
(Listen)
Pay attention
Hip Hips
Hip movements
Sexy legs_
Nice legs
Ain't no surprise I got on my knees and begged
I begged for her
Forked tongue, and pointed tail
She's deceptive and evil
If we make it this time, it's a cold day in hell
It will be difficult
She said she'd be sweet this time yeah
She promised to be kind
One kiss and it all seemed so right
One kiss changed everything
Guitar solo-
Musical interlude
The devil was in disguise
She was trouble
Chorus out-
The refrain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: BILLY SHEEHAN, ERIC MARTIN, JEFF PARIS, PAT TORPEY, PAUL BRANDON GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@evo.jennifer
🖤🔥🤘🏼
Good Lord, I tried
To push her memory to the back o' my mind
"Mustang Sally" from her head to her toe
My life was in shambles
When she shot down that road
That was then, this is now
I'd I learned my lesson, I forgot it somehow
Headlights in the driveway,
A knock at the door,
I hear that voice, and I know what's in store...
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
I looked in those angel eyes
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
The devil was in disguise, year
She took me,
Down the road to ruin
(Yeah baby) my head was spinnin' round
Don't know what I'm doin'
Back on the road to ruin...
Hip Hips
Sexy legs_
Ain't no surprise I got on my knees and begged
Forked tongue, and pointed tail
If we make it this time, it's a cold day in hell
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
She said she'd be sweet this time yeah
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
One kiss and it all seemed so right
She took me,
Down the road to ruin
(Yeah baby)my head was spinnin' round
Don't know what I'm doin'
Back on the road to ruin...
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
She said she'd be sweet this time
Whoa Oh Whoa Oh
The devil was in disguise
@dwaynewladyka577
An awesome song, by a great band. May Pat Torpey rest in peace. Cheers!
@TonySantuccistudios
I sang this at karaoke night and got a standing ovation thanks Mr. Big.
@brunoBEGARANI-kx2ey
Leur meilleur album,normal,il y a une loco sur la pochette,vive les cheminots, pour mon poto Pascal ,good souvenir man que ce jour en machine!!!Inoubliable,merci encore man
@keikoyamashitack
That’s a real Rock Blues. MR. BIG rules !!!!
@sdpsailo9652
Love em....Eric Martin's voice tho 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@viemaynard
wow this song is so powerful🔥🔥🔥
@KorGyee_92
Still love them!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤟
@ramsonk
Sheesh the groove is unreal.
@tomytomoofficial4028
Amazing & Always Love The Until Now 🎸🤘
@carloscoelho6463
Good old music that never ages. Talented bunch of musicians put 2gether. Very good live band ask Budokan. This studio song worthy ⭐⭐⭐⭐.