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.

Nothing Lasts
Steve Miller Lyrics

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All the things you think and say
Float away into space
Done in thought or done in haste
They have no place, they leave no trace

All the things you think and do
Have become a part of you
All your deeds have come to pass

Nothing lasts, nothing lasts

Like a river flowing past your windowpane
Life's never the same
Like the sun you're born to set
You'll die in sin
And be born once again

Now you know, so damn well
That your life is a heaven and a hell
And it's very easy to tell
When you're sick and when you're well

So the secret to this life
Is so very easy to learn
If you ever love another
Never ask for anything in return

Like a river flowing past your windowpane
Life's never the same
Like the sun you're born to set
You'll die in sin
And be born once again

All the things you think and say
Float away into space
Done in thought or done in haste
They have no place, they leave no trace

All the things you think and do
Have become a part of you

All your deeds have come to pass
Nothing lasts, nothing lasts

Overall Meaning

The song "Nothing Lasts" by Steve Miller is a contemplative piece that touches upon the transience of life and the impermanence of all things. The lyrics reflect on how our thoughts, words, and actions all become a part of us and shape our lives, but at the same time, they are fleeting and eventual disappear without leaving any trace. Miller also talks about how life is full of opportunities and choices, and every decision we make affects our journey. He emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment and enjoying what we have before it's too late.

The lyrics compare life to a river flowing past a windowpane, always changing and always moving forward, never the same. Life is like the sun, born to set and die in sin, but it's also a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Miller believes that the secret to a fulfilling life is simple: to love another without asking for anything in return. This message is a reminder that love and kindness are invaluable, and giving is just as important as receiving.

Overall, "Nothing Lasts" is a song that encourages listeners to be present, appreciate what they have, and love others without expecting anything in return.

Line by Line Meaning

All the things you think and say
Everything you think or express

Float away into space
Are lost and forgotten

Done in thought or done in haste
Whether it's a conscious decision or a quick reaction

They have no place, they leave no trace
These things have no impact and won't be remembered

All the things you think and do
All your thoughts and actions

Have become a part of you
Have shaped who you are

All your deeds have come to pass
Everything you've done is in the past and can't be changed

Nothing lasts, nothing lasts
Everything eventually fades away

Like a river flowing past your windowpane
Life moves forward constantly and inevitably

Life's never the same
Change is an inherent part of life

Like the sun you're born to set
Just like the sun rises and sets, life has a finite timeline