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''
Let Me In
Richie Kotzen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tryin hard to stay avobe the past
Realizeing that this rope
Wont lost but I cant stop theres something
I need fallin down so deep inside the frame
In between the lines behind the pain upside down
Insane and rearranged
But I cant stop you've got what I need
Two people slippin through the cracks of life
Three times I lost this fight I wont back down now
We can survive let me in
Addiction a trap no explanation
Both hands tied in knots with expectations
Prophecy denied give up and face it but I cant stop
You've got what I need
Dont you know the stuff you got is killin me
The song "Let Me In" by Richie Kotzen is a reflection of the struggles of someone trying to move on from their past but feeling trapped by their own addiction. The lyrics "Walking on a broken bed of glass, trying hard to stay above the past" paint the picture of the songwriter trying to navigate through their struggles without succumbing to their addiction. The rope mentioned in the lyrics is a metaphor for the traps of addiction, which the songwriter knows they need to overcome but feels helpless to do so.
The chorus of the song "One knock will not let me in, two people slipping through the cracks of life, three times I lost this fight, I won't back down now, we can survive let me in" shows the songwriter pleading to be let back into the world, despite their past failures. The repetition of "let me in" highlights the songwriter's desire to be accepted and understand their addiction.
The second verse continues with the themes of addiction and the difficulty of facing expectations of others. The line "addiction a trap no explanation, both hands tied in knots with expectations" shows the songwriter acknowledging the hold that addiction has on them, and the pressure they feel from others to overcome their addiction, further highlighting the complexities of addiction
Overall, "Let Me In" is a poignant reflection of the internal tug-of-war of addiction, denial, and the songwriter's battle to be accepted by society while coming to terms with their past.
Line by Line Meaning
Walkin on a broken bed of glass
I am trying to move forward on an unstable and challenging path.
Tryin hard to stay above the past
I'm giving my all to overcome the memories and experiences that haunt me.
Realizeing that this rope
I understand that my only option is to keep going, even if it's difficult.
Wont lost but I cant stop theres something
Even though I'm driven to succeed, there's something inside me that won't let me give up.
I need fallin down so deep inside the frame
I'm struggling with deep-seated issues that impact my sense of self and place in the world.
In between the lines behind the pain upside down
There's a lot of unseen complexity to the emotions and experiences I'm grappling with.
Insane and rearranged
I'm feeling disoriented and overwhelmed by everything happening in my life.
But I cant stop you've got what I need
Despite everything, I'm moved to keep fighting and pushing forward because of something you possess.
One knock will not let me in
I've tried before to connect with you and failed, but I'm not ready to give up yet.
Two people slippin through the cracks of life
We're both struggling to stay afloat and navigate the challenges of daily existence.
Three times I lost this fight I wont back down now
I've failed before, but I refuse to surrender to my doubts and fears this time around.
We can survive let me in
If we work together and support each other, we can make it through anything.
Addiction a trap no explanation
I'm grappling with an addiction that's been hard to wrangle and doesn't make any logical sense.
Both hands tied in knots with expectations
I feel constrained and restricted by the expectations others have placed on me.
Prophecy denied give up and face it but I cant stop
People are telling me to abandon my dreams and move on, but I can't shake my desire to push forward.
You've got what I need
I'm drawn to you and feel like you have something that can help me through my struggles.
Dont you know the stuff you got is killin me
Even though I want to be closer to you, I know that being around you is causing me pain and turmoil.
Writer(s): Richard Dale Kotzen, Atma Anur
Contributed by Gabriel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.