Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)

Album: Lean Into It (1991)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by the band with help from their songwriting cohort Andre Pessis, this swaggering rocker finds lead singer Eric Martin letting a girl know that he's there to fulfill her desires:

    When your body needs salvation
    I'll be your tender touch
    I'll take all the love you give me
    And give you twice as much


    The Lothario in Mr. Big was their bass player, Billy Sheehan. He wrote the lyrics based on his many encounters with adoring female fans, and Martin reworked them a bit. "This was early '90s, so it was a little on the 'cock rock' side," Martin said in our 2015 interview. "But I wrote it about his conquests: I'll be your daddy, your brother, lover, little boy, I'll be all those kind of characters for you."
  • Guitarist Paul Gilbert used an electric drill to play the song's solo, and replicated this feat in concert, where it was always a crowd-pleaser. The drill was fitted with a special three-sided pick that was attached to the bit. By activating the drill, he could pick the strings at hyperspeed, creating a very unusual sound. The phallic imagery of the drill also went with the song's lyrical content.
  • Concertgoers expecting the acoustic, soothing sounds heard on Mr. Big's huge hit "To Be With You" got quite a surprise when they learned that the band was more likely to deliver testosterone-fueled rockers like this song. The band dabbled in many different genres, but power ballads were big at the time and more likely to get radio play. Extreme is another example from this era of a rock act that was only heard in acoustic form via their radio hits.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

Rick Springfield

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees

Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn YankeesSongwriter Interviews

Revisit the awesome glory of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees: cheesily-acted videos, catchy guitar licks, long hair, and lyrics that are just plain relatable.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Sugarland

SugarlandSongwriter Interviews

Meet the "sassy basket" with the biggest voice in country music.