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

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"

Dave Alvin - "4th Of July"They're Playing My Song

When Dave recorded the first version of the song with his group the Blasters, producer Nick Lowe gave him some life-changing advice.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.