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.
Wild World
Mr. Big Lyrics
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La la la
La la la
Now that I've lost everything to you
You say you want to start something new
And it's breaking my heart you're leaving
Baby I'm grieving
But if you want to leave take good care
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
I'll always remember you like a child girl
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
And it's breaking my heart in two
'Cause I never want to see you sad girl
Don't be a bad girl
But if you want leave take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad everywhere
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child girl yeah
La la la
La la la
Baby I love you, but if you want to leave take good care
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
But just remember there's a lot of bad everywhere
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just just upon a smile
Yeah yeah yeah
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child girl oh yeah
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
Yeah
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
And I'll always remember you like a child girl
The song "Wild World" by Mr. Big is a beautiful yet melancholic song about heartbreak and moving on. The lyrics describe a person who has lost everything to their loved one, who now wants to start something new. The singer is grieving the relationship's end, warning his partner about the dangers of the world as they leave, hoping they take care and make wise choices. The chorus emphasizes the song's main theme, the world's wildness that is challenging to navigate, and the love felt for his partner.
The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia for past memories when things were simpler and happier. The singer remembers his partner as a child girl, perhaps implying that the love between them was pure and authentic. The lyrics about the world's wildness convey the message that one needs to be cautious and mindful of their choices in life. Although the song is melancholic, it also inspires hope that one can move on and find happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that I've lost everything to you
After losing everything I had to you,
You say you want to start something new
You tell me that you want to start over,
And it's breaking my heart you're leaving
Your departure is hurting me and breaking my heart,
Baby I'm grieving
I am grieving over your departure,
But if you want to leave take good care
In case you do decide to leave, take good care of yourself,
Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear
I hope you have good things to wear when you leave,
But then a lot of nice things turn bad out there
Although things might seem good, they can quickly turn bad in the world,
Oh baby baby it's a wild world
The world is unpredictable and wild,
It's hard to get by just upon a smile
It's difficult to get through life with just a smile,
I'll always remember you like a child girl
I will always remember you as an innocent and pure girl,
You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do
I have witnessed the terrible things the world can do,
And it's breaking my heart in two
It hurts me deeply to see you suffering,
'Cause I never want to see you sad girl
I never want to see you sad,
Don't be a bad girl
Don't do anything negative or harmful,
Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
I hope you make many kind and supportive friends when you leave,
But just remember there's a lot of bad everywhere
However, there is a lot of negativity and evil in the world,
Baby I love you, but if you want to leave take good care
I love you, but if you decide to leave, please take care of yourself,
And I'll always remember you like a child girl yeah
I will always keep you in my thoughts as an innocent and pure girl,
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Islam Yusuf
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@delrooslin481
A favorite of mine! Still so beautiful and will forever remain in my heart. I just falling in love with all the songs by Mr Big since my high school in 2008. And now I am 30 in 2023. How fast the time flies. You guys were so incredible! Love ❤
@theresecaiazza7240
I am 59 years old and I just got introduced to this band through first time hearing through Rob Squad. I never knew who sang To Be With You. So now I am a big fan of the band. I am going to go buy your music. Love it. Because I went to listen to other songs. Love the band, voices, drums, guitars all the instruments. Love the song oh the lyrics and the long hair. Thank you for the great music.
@simonerigao4554
Sou feliz por ter vivido minha adolescência nessa melhor época! Eric Martin que voz incrível, sou apaixonada! ♥️ 2023 🇧🇷
@uesleiantonio8678
Curto muito esse tipo de som também... mesmo sendo criança na época mais é muito top
@luar197
Vdd amiga eu já tô em 2024 feliz ano novo pra vc 🎉
@ricmorpheus2025
Verdade...e você é Linda!
@rochimpropertychannel3831
Yeaa
@inczebeata
No words,it"s a masterpiece,and the world is still wild!
@edwardbadad1241
during my high school days, we have a neighbor who works overseas to play music. every time he plays this song when he's on a vacation, I would always sit down and listen to it. such beauty
@nathaliamagurnogreve1607
I had the privilege of going to the concert of this wonderful band, an unforgettable day ♥️