Miller was born to Dr. George "Sonny" Miller, a pathologist, jazz enthusiast and amateur recording engineer, and Bertha, a jazz-influenced singer. In 1950, the family moved to Dallas, Texas. His first guitar chords were taught to him by the legendary Les Paul, pioneer of the electric guitar and also Miller's godfather. While at St. Mark's School of Texas, Miller formed his first band, The Marksmen. Miller taught classmate Royce Boz Scaggs some guitar chords so he could join the band; Scaggs became better known by his nickname, Boz. Miller attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison during the 1960s, where he formed The Ardells. Scaggs joined the Ardells the next year. Ben Sidran was added to the Ardells as a keyboardist the following year. Miller was only sixteen when he started college, and dropped out six credit hours shy of a literature degree. Les Paul encouraged young Miller to utilize his prodigal talents, and much of Miller's success has been attributed to Paul's tutelage during his childhood and teenage years.
Prior to forming the Steve Miller Band, Miller was in a band with Barry Goldberg called the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band. They formed in 1965, and released one single, before Miller left the band.
In 1968, Miller formed the Steve Miller Band, with Miller handling vocals, and released an album, Children of the Future, the first in a series of discs rooted solidly in the psychedelic blues style that dominated the San Francisco music scene at the time. Scaggs would leave the band after a couple of albums. Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace and Number 5 followed. These albums performed respectably on the album charts but failed to yield a hit. This first period in Steve Miller's music formed part of double album compilation "Anthology" which includes a guest appearance on drums by the then Beatle Paul McCartney on the song "My Dark Hour".
1973's The Joker marked the start of the second phase of Miller's career: more pop-oriented and simplistic, the album featured a number one hit in the U.S. in the title track as well as several other popular tunes. In fact, "The Joker" hit Number One on the UK singles chart in September 1990 after it was used on a television commercial.
Miller followed up The Joker with Fly Like an Eagle in 1976 and Book of Dreams in 1977. This pair of albums represented the peak of Miller's commercial career, both reaching the top echelons of the album charts and spawning a seemingly-endless series of hit singles, including "Rock'n Me", "Take the Money and Run", "Jet Airliner" and "Jungle Love". While critics lambasted Miller for abandoning his more ambitious approach and socially-aware lyrics for simple pop-rock and derivative blues tunes, fans gravitated towards the catchy, melodic songs in great numbers, and the Steve Miller Band co-headlined a major stadium tour with the Eagles in 1977.
On the heels of this massive success, Miller took a long hiatus from recording and touring, emerging in 1981 with Circle of Love, an ambitious album possibly intended to appease critics of his new style. Sales were disappointing, however, and in 1982 he returned to the pop formula with another hit album, Abracadabra. This was Miller's last great commercial success; a series of collections, live albums and attempts to find a new style appeared sporadically, but after 1993 Miller gave up producing records altogether. However, he collaborated with Paul McCartney on the former Beatle's 1997 Grammy-nominated album, Flaming Pie.
Celebration Song
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, everybody
What do you say
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Hey, everybody
Today is the day
Sha la sha la la la la la la
To be a celebration
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Hey, hey
Do what you want
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Hey, hey
{??}
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Be a celebration
Everybody trip out
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Be a celebration
Can't you hear the band call
Sha la sha la la la la la la
Hey
The lyrics of Steve Miller Band’s “Celebration Song” revolve around the idea of celebrating life and enjoying every moment. The repetition of “Sha la sha la la la la la la” creates a sense of joyousness and encourages people to participate in the celebration. The band announces that “today is the day” to celebrate life and they are going to play music to enhance the festive mood. The song tells its listeners to let loose and do whatever they want be it dancing, singing, or having fun with friends.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, and can be seen as a call to live in the moment, to make the most of every opportunity, to celebrate life, and to enjoy the company of others. The song’s message is clear: life is short, so enjoy every moment and seize every opportunity to celebrate the joys of living.
Overall, “Celebration Song” is a simple song with a deep meaning that encourages listeners to make the most of life, take chances, and live with joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Sha la sha la la la la la la
A repetitive phrase used to set the celebratory tone of the song
Hey, everybody
Addressing the entire group of people present
What do you say
Asking for a positive response or agreement
Today is the day
Emphasizing the special occasion of the day
To be a celebration
Declaring the purpose of the gathering
The band is going to play
Announcing the entertainment for the celebration
Do what you want
Encouraging personal freedom and enjoyment at the event
{??}
Possible call to action or activity not specified in the lyrics
Be a celebration
Reinforcing the idea of the event being a time for joy and happiness
Everybody trip out
Encouraging everyone to let loose and have fun
Can't you hear the band call
Implying the music is getting people excited and energized
Hey
Used to punctuate the end of the chorus and transition back to the verse
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
91thebossman
I'm 22 and I have always loved Steve Miller. Then one day I realized I didn't have any of his old stuff. This album and Children of the Future quickly became 2 of my favorites of ALL TIME. So amazing!
David Mercer
An 8-track tape of this album came with the '56 Chevy I bought in 1970. Replaced it with an album, then cassette, then CD. Now I have it on my phone. It's been a long strange trip, but Stevie 'Guitar' Miller has always been right there with me. God Bless 'ya. Smartest businessman in rock 'n roll.
SergeantReese
Thank you posting this. It is my favorite Steve Miller song.
Greg Boardman
Love the drums
Lise Atchley
Whoever posted this MAJORLY UNDER-RATED ALBUM OF ALL TIME is ...... is ......... really hip.
Lise Atchley
Great album from the atomics to my dark hours.
Vadim G
Paul McCartney played drum part on this song.
Jeffrey Simmons
McCartney on My Dark Hour. Bass, drums and backing vocals. Look it up
Lise Atchley
Shalalalalaaaaaa-loving it!!!
Dennis K
steve miller says yes to dope ♪