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.
Living in the U.S.A
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stand back, stand back
Stand back, stand back
Stand back, stand back
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Living in the U.S.A.
Where are you goin' to
What are you gonna do
Do you think that it will be easy
Do you think that it will be pleasin', hey
Stand back, what'd you say
Stand back, I won't pay
Stand back, I'd rather play
Stand back
It's my freedom
Ah, don't worry 'bout me, babe
I got to be free, babe
Hey
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Stand back, dietician
Stand back, television
Stand back, politician
Stand back, mortician
Oh, we got to get away
Living in the U.S.A.
Come on baby, Owwww
I see a yellow man, a brown man
A white man, a red man
Lookin' for Uncle Sam
To give you a helpin' hand
But everybody's kickin' sand
Even politicians
We're living in a plastic land
Somebody give me a hand, yeah
Oh, we're gonna make it, baby
Oh, we're going to shake it, baby
Oh, don't break it
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Come on baby, hey
Hey, hey
In the U.S.A., babe yeah
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Don't worry 'bout me, babe
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Living in the U.S.A.
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
I got to be free
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
Come on try it, you can buy it, you can leave it next week, yeah
Somebody give me a cheeseburger
The song "Living in the U.S.A." by the Steve Miller Band is an upbeat and energetic anthem that reflects the band's eclectic style. The song features a catchy chorus, with the refrain of "Doot do do do do doot doot, Living in the U.S.A." serving as a powerful rallying cry for listeners. The verses of the song explore topics such as freedom, politics, and society's plasticity, with Miller's lyrics taking a critical and often satirical look at American life.
The song is notable for its patriotic imagery and references to Uncle Sam, as well as its commentary on the political climate of 1971 when it was released. Miller uses a variety of metaphors to convey his message, including comparisons between politicians and morticians, and references to the plastic nature of contemporary American life. The song's infectious melody and catchy instrumentation make it a classic of the era, and an anthem that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand back, stand back
The singer is encouraging the listeners to step back and observe what's happening.
Doot do do do do doot doot
Living in the U.S.A.
The chorus emphasizes that the song is about life in the United States of America.
Where are you goin' to
What are you gonna do
Do you think that it will be easy
Do you think that it will be pleasin', hey
The singer is asking rhetorical questions, highlighting the challenges of living in the USA.
Stand back, what'd you say
Stand back, I won't pay
Stand back, I'd rather play
Stand back
The singer defies authority and prefers to do things his own way.
It's my freedom
Ah, don't worry 'bout me, babe
I got to be free, babe
Hey
The singer values his personal freedom and doesn't want others to worry about him.
Stand back, dietician
Stand back, television
Stand back, politician
Stand back, mortician
The singer lists various professions but doesn't hold them in high regard.
Oh, we got to get away
Living in the U.S.A.
Come on baby, Owwww
The singer yearns to escape the difficulties of life in the USA.
I see a yellow man, a brown man
A white man, a red man
Lookin' for Uncle Sam
To give you a helpin' hand
But everybody's kickin' sand
Even politicians
We're living in a plastic land
Somebody give me a hand, yeah
The singer observes that despite people's differences, everyone faces challenges in the United States. He feels that even politicians aren't helping, and wants someone to assist him.
Oh, we're gonna make it, baby
Oh, we're going to shake it, baby
Oh, don't break it
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The singer is optimistic and believes he and his partner will persevere despite the difficulties of living in the USA.
Come on baby, hey
Hey, hey
In the U.S.A., babe yeah
The singer urges his partner to join him in navigating life in the USA.
Don't worry 'bout me, babe
Living in the U.S.A.
Living in the U.S.A.
I got to be free
Living in the U.S.A.
Come on try it, you can buy it, you can leave it next week, yeah
Somebody give me a cheeseburger
The singer reiterates his desire for freedom and tells his partner not to worry about him. He encourages listeners to try living in the USA but warns that it's not easy. He even jokes about wanting a cheeseburger, which could symbolize his desire for simplicity and comfort amidst chaos.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: STEVE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nowitsabadtime
'SOMEBODY GET ME A CHEESEBURGER!' I love that line
Davis Lukrich
literally the greatest line of all time
Marc 187
@Davis Lukrich
The Winner of the Race line at end is funny!
Michael McGovern
TOFUburger LOVE THAT HARP
I believe this is a nod to Chuck Berry's song Back in the USA
Looking hard for a drive in, searching for a corner cafe
Where hamburgers sizzle on an open grill night and day
Yeah, and a jukebox jumping with records like in the U.S.A.
Brian Haines
Relevant today, a sign of a true classic. 😎Everyone's kicking sand. Even Politicians. Living in a plastic land. We can all use a cheeseburger.❤
curtis price
This song JAMS SO HARD!!! PERFECT jem from the 60's...love it! Stand back!!!
duayne veer
Yep I always thought this souns like about 1972 he was often abit ahead of the times
Marc 187
Steve Miller still Tours & He is on the Road in 2023!
Drew Wilson
The imperfections of this song make it so much more real than every other quantized robotic song today.