Bor… Read Full Bio ↴Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania on February 3, 1970, Richie Kotzen was soon taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by New York City band KISS to learn the electric guitar. Relentlessly developing chops and his own unique voice on the guitar, Kotzen was eventually discovered by Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney, and he recorded his first album by the age of 18. During that same year, he also graced the cover of several publications including Guitar World Magazine. He created the video Rock Chops for REH video in 1989, highlighting many of his formative techniques, including using wide-intervals and fluid sweeping.
In 1993, Kotzen made his big break when he joined the rock band Poison at age 20, co-writing and performing on the album Native Tongue. This album produced two top twenty singles which Richie wrote, Stand and Until You Suffer Some. Kotzen was subsequently fired from the band when it was discovered that he had been romantically involved with Deanna Eve, the ex-fiance of Poison drummer Rikki Rockett. Kotzen and Eve later married and divorced. In 1999 Kotzen replaced Paul Gilbert as guitarist in the mainstream rock band Mr. Big. Kotzen maintained the band's enormous success, performing on the Mr. Big record Get Over It, which sold more than 1,975,000 copies in its first two weeks in Japan, eventually reaching platinum status. Kotzen also contributed guitars to Mr. Big's subsequent release Actual Size. The record included the Kotzen song Shine, which debuted at number one on Japanese radio charts. Following the disbanding of Mr. Big, Kotzen released the solo album Change, in 2003. The title track, and the song Get A Life were featured in TV commercials throughout Japan.
In mid 2002 Kotzen established a recording Studio/Production company in Los Angeles, California. He has since been producing acclaimed solo albums and collaborating with various figures in rock, jazz, and fusion. He now has formed a band called Forty Deuce which recently released a new album entitled Nothing to Lose.
Richie has a unique style, which he has described as a mix of rock, jazz fusion, and soul music. Of his albums, he claims he is most proud of Vertu. Kotzen utilizes a heavy amount of legato playing into his solos.
Richie is now living in Los Angeles, California. Besides playing the guitar, his hobbies include exercise and sports, especially basketball. Richie has said that if he had'nt become a professional musician, he would have liked to play professional basketball.
In 2008, Kotzen released his first official live album, "Live In São Paulo", which featured Johnny Griparic on bass and Dan Potruch on Drums.
Discography
* (1989) Richie Kotzen
* (1990) Fever Dream
* (1991) Electric Joy
* (1991) Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (Soundtrack)
* (1993) Native Tongue (Poison)
* (1994) Mother Head's Family Reunion
* (1995) Inner Galactic Fusion Experience
* (1995) Tilt (with Greg Howe)
* (1996) Wave of Emotion
* (1996) Times Gonna Tell (EP)
* (1997) Kotzen/Howe Project (with Greg Howe)
* (1997) Something to Say
* (1998) What Is
* (1999) Break It All Down
* (1999) BiPolar Blues
* (1999) Vertu (project with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White)
* (1999) Get Over It (Mr. Big)
* (2000) Deep Cuts (Mr. Big)
* (2001) Actual Size (Mr. Big)
* (2001) Slow
* (2002) In Japan (Mr. Big)
* (2003) Change
* (2003) Acoustic Cuts
* (2004) Get Up
* (2004) The Best of Richie Kotzen
* (2005) Nothing to Lose (Forty-Deuce)
* (2006) ZxR Ai Senshi
* (2006) Into the Black
* (2007) ''Return Of The Mother Head's Family Reunion'' (Japan & Europe)
* (2007) ''Go Faster'' (US only)
* (2008) ''Live In São Paulo''
* (2009) ''Peace Sign''
* (2011) ''24 Hours''
* (2013) ''The Winery Dogs'' (The Winery Dogs)
* (2014) ''Unleashed In Japan: The Second Show'' (The Winery Dogs) Released only In Japan (DVD/2CD)
* (2014) ''The Essential''
* (2015) ''Cannibals''
* (2015) ''Hot Streak'' (The Winery Dogs)
* (2017) ''Salting Earth''
Videography
* (1989) Rock Chops
* (1994) Mother Head's family Reunion (Videoclip from the Mother Head's family Reunion Album)
* (1996) Wave of Emotion (Videoclip from the Wave of Emotion Album)
* (2001) Don't Wanna Lie (Videoclip from the Slow Album)
* (2001) Shine (Videoclip from Mr. Big's Actual Size Album)
* (2002) ''Hi-Tech Rock Guitar''
* (2005) ''Live In South America''
* (2008) ''Chase It'' (Videoclip from the R.O.T.M.F.R. Album)
* (2008) ''Bootlegged in Brazil''
* (2014) ''Unleashed In Japan: The Second Show'' (The Winery Dogs) Released only In Japan (DVD/2CD)'
* (2015) ''Live''
Got It Bad
Richie Kotzen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
strung out on drama like a queen
act out your stories till you get home
and you fake it like its all true
she feel in love in his mercedes
with china white and malibu
just one dime bag and silver coke spoon
up and now your jonsin
any body holdin fight it but you still
got it bad got it bad
crawl out from the under fly into your wonder
fight it but you still got it bad got it bad
you got your picture in the paper
up town and spiked with attitude
tell all your friends you really made it
while your cookin in your bed room
she found a stairway straight to heaven
made out of foil and the heat
and had to climb it higher, higher,
until the bottom finally fell through
In Richie Kotzen's song "Got It Bad," the lyrics explore the theme of addiction and the desperate desire to cling to a fantasy world to escape the harsh realities of life. The first verse describes someone who is so obsessed with movies and drama that they begin to live their life through these experiences. They act out stories and pretend that their lives are just as exciting and dramatic as the ones they see on the screen. The second verse portrays a woman who fell in love with a man in his Mercedes, who offered her a taste of drugs and luxury. Even though this life is ultimately destructive, the woman still clings to the fantasy that it can bring her happiness. The chorus of the song speaks to the feeling of being trapped by addiction despite one's best efforts to resist it.
Overall, "Got It Bad" is a powerful commentary on the seductive power of fantasy and addiction. It highlights the world of excess and hedonism that many people are drawn to, even though it ultimately leads to their destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
you live your life through the movies
You escape reality by living vicariously through the stories and characters in movies.
strung out on drama like a queen
You are addicted to the drama that surrounds you and crave attention like royalty.
act out your stories till you get home
You exaggerate and fabricate your experiences and emotions until you are alone and can no longer keep up the facade.
and you fake it like its all true
You pretend that your lies and illusions are real and convince yourself of their validity.
she fell in love in his mercedes
She became infatuated with a man who had material possessions like a fancy car and drugs.
with china white and malibu
The drugs she was exposed to were highly addictive and dangerous.
just one dime bag and silver coke spoon
Drug paraphernalia can be so appealing that it only takes a small amount to lead to addiction.
can turn a fantasy true
The allure of drugs can make a fantasy or desire become a reality, but at a cost.
up and now your jonsin
You are now desperately craving drugs and will do anything to get them.
any body holdin fight it but you still
You try to resist your urges, but it's difficult when you know someone has drugs nearby.
got it bad got it bad
Your addiction has taken full control and you can't escape its grasp.
crawl out from the under fly into your wonder
You try to break free from the addiction's hold and explore a different reality.
fight it but you still got it bad got it bad
You are determined to overcome the addiction, but it's hard and it still has an intense grip on you.
you got your picture in the paper
You can appear successful and accomplished to others by simply having your photo in the newspaper.
up town and spiked with attitude
You try to impress and intimidate others with your perceived success and abrasive personality.
tell all your friends you really made it
You boast about your achievements and success to everyone, but it may not be entirely true or sustainable.
while your cookin in your bed room
You may be living a double life, hiding your addiction and real struggles in the privacy of your own home.
she found a stairway straight to heaven
She believed that drugs would bring her happiness and fulfillment, but it was a lie and only took her down a dark path.
made out of foil and the heat
The drugs she used were a dangerous combination of household items that were harmful and addictive.
and had to climb it higher, higher,
She continued to chase that high and believed that if she just used a little more, she would get back to that first high.
until the bottom finally fell through
But the more drugs she used, the worse her situation became, and eventually, it became too much to handle and everything fell apart.
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brad N
Another amazing tune from RK
JohnSikes73
Love this song.......