Steve Miller (born October 5, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Steve Miller (born October 5, 1943 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American blues and rock and roll guitarist and performer, best known for his work leading the Steve Miller Band.

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.

Just A Little Bit
Steve Miller Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't want much
I just want a little bit
No I don't want it all
I just want a little bit
Just an eeny-weeny bit
Just a teeny-weeny bit of your love

Turn your lamp down low

Now honey won't you slip me a kiss
Turn your lamp down low
Babe you know I can't resist
From an eeny-weeny bit
Just a teeny-weeny bit of your love

I want you forever
Not just for peace of mind
Please say you'll never leave me
Not until the end of time
From an eeny-weeny bit
Just a teeny-weeny bit of your love

Turn your lamp down low
Now honey won't you slip me a kiss
Turn your lamp down low
Babe you know I can't resist
From an eeny-weeny bit
Just a teeny-weeny bit of your love

[Repeat: x3]

From just a teeny-weeny bit
Just an eeny-weeny bit of your love

Overall Meaning

Just a Little Bit by Steve Miller Band is a song about wanting love, but only needing a small amount of it. The singer asserts that they can live with just a little bit of love, not wanting too much of it. They ask their lover to lessen their lamp and give them a quick kiss. The singer's expression asks their lover to remain in their life forever with a promise not to abandon them until the end of time.

In typical Steve Miller Band style, the song features a catchy beat with an infectious rhythm. The lyrics are uncomplicated and catchy, making it a classic sing-along song. Although the song is about wanting just a little bit of love, the way Miller sings it creates a sense of urgency, making the listener crave more of the love he's talking about. The song's musical theatre was significant during its release in 1970, and it has remained classic rock territory ever since.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't want much
I am not asking for the world.

I just want a little bit
I am asking for a small favor.

No I don't want it all
I am not greedy.

I just want a little bit
I am asking for a small favor.

Just an eeny-weeny bit
I am asking for a tiny amount.

Just a teeny-weeny bit of your love
I am asking for a small amount of affection.

Turn your lamp down low
Create a cozy environment by reducing the lighting.

Now honey won't you slip me a kiss
Give me a kiss.

Turn your lamp down low
Create a cozy environment by reducing the lighting.

Babe you know I can't resist
I cannot resist your charm.

From an eeny-weeny bit
Even the smallest amount.