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.
Key to the Highway
Steve Miller Lyrics
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I am bound to go
I'm gonna roam this highway
Till my dying day
When the moon peeks over the mountain
Honey, I'll be on my way
I'm gonna roam this highway
Give me one more, one more kiss, mama
Just before I go
'Cause when I leave here, baby
I won't be back, no, I won't be back anymore
To the highway
Oh, Lord, I'm out and bound to go
I'm gonna leave here running
'Cause walking's much too slow
The lyrics to Steve Miller Band's "Key To The Highway" are about a restless wanderer who has the key to the highway and is determined to roam it until the end of his days. He is ready to leave, and when the moon appears over the mountain, he will be on his way. He requests one last kiss from his love before he departs because he knows that once he leaves, there is no turning back. He affirms that he is bound for the highway, and he will not be walking, but running towards his destination.
The song seems to be about an individual that is ready for change and is willing to take risks to achieve their dreams. By using the highway as a metaphor for life, the song suggests that the journey is just as important as the destination. The song can also be seen as a reflection of the spirit of adventure and independence, where the traveler is ready to embrace the world and take on new experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the key to the highway
I have the freedom and ability to travel wherever I please.
I am bound to go
I am destined and determined to leave and explore new places.
I'm gonna roam this highway
I plan to travel widely and frequently on the open road.
Till my dying day
Until the day I pass away, I will have a passion for traveling and exploring.
When the moon peeks over the mountain
When night time arrives and the moon can be seen from the horizon.
Honey, I'll be on my way
My itch to travel urges me to move forward and not settle in one place.
Give me one more, one more kiss, mama
Before I depart, I want one last farewell kiss from my loved ones.
Just before I go
Before I head out and leave for good.
'Cause when I leave here, baby
Because I know that once I leave, I won't be back again.
I won't be back, no, I won't be back anymore
I won't return to the place I'm leaving from, not even for a visit.
To the highway
To the open road, where there are endless possibilities.
Oh, Lord, I'm out and bound to go
I'm starting my journey now and there is no turning back.
I'm gonna leave here running
I'm eager and excited to start my travels so I'll move quickly.
'Cause walking's much too slow
Walking takes too long and I'd rather speed things up to experience more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MCKINLEY MORGANFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind