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.
Out of the Night
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You came movin'
Out of the night
Movin' so cool
Lookin' for a lover
Lookin' for a friend
You must surely be some new kind of cool
Out of the night
You came running
Didn't have to baby
But you just couldn't stop
Said that you love me
But you won't tell me why
You better watch it
Watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it
Pretty baby or you're gonna make me cry
I wear my heart on my sleeve
You know the one I love, I'll never leave
I'm not blind to the shining light
Of a heart that's true in the middle of the night
Out of the night
You came movin'
Out of the night
Movin' so cool
Say that you love me but don't tell me why
You got to want me, want me, want me
Got to want me pretty baby
Or you're gonna make me cry
Take me for a lover, take me for a friend
'cause you know if you do
I will stay here with you to the end
I wear my heart on my sleeve
You know the one I love, I'll never leave
I'm not blind to the shining light
Of a heart that's true in the middle of the night
Out of the night
And into the dawn
We keep movin', movin', movin', movin', movin'
Pretty baby, we keep movin' on
Don't worry 'bout tomorrow
Or yesterday
We got to live this life
That we love from day to day to day to day to day
The Steve Miller Band's "Out of the Night" is a song about a man who falls in love with a mysterious woman who seems to have come out of nowhere. He is intrigued by her cool and confident demeanor, and he is enamored by the fact that she doesn't seem to need anyone but still chose to be with him. The lyrics recount the story of their fleeting romance, as the man struggles to understand why the woman loves him and why she won't tell him why. He is vulnerable, wearing his heart on his sleeve, but he is also confident in his own feelings for her. In the end, they know they have something special, and they vow to keep moving forward, living their lives one day at a time.
The lyrics to "Out of the Night" reflect the introspective, reflective style of much of Steve Miller's music. The song's themes of love, mystery, and uncertainty are woven together in a tapestry of evocative imagery that captures the essence of falling deeply in love with someone. The melody is simple and catchy, with a driving beat that propels the song forward. Miller's vocals are raw and emotional, capturing both the passion and the pain of the lyrics. Overall, "Out of the Night" is a powerful song that speaks to the universal human experience of love and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the night
The person being addressed enters the singer's life without warning.
You came movin'
The person being addressed approached the singer with a certain confidence and vitality.
Out of the night
The singer notes that the person being addressed came from a hidden or mysterious place.
Movin' so cool
The person being addressed appears to have a calm, collected demeanor that the artist admires.
Lookin' for a lover
The artist assumes that the reason the person being addressed came over is to find a romantic partner.
Lookin' for a friend
The singer assumes that the reason the person being addressed came over is to find a platonic friend.
You must surely be some new kind of cool
The singer admires the person being addressed for their distinct, perhaps unconventional style.
You came running
The person being addressed approaches the artist with a sense of urgency.
Didn't have to baby
The person being addressed did not require any special treatment or handling.
But you just couldn't stop
The person being addressed was drawn to the artist and could not resist seeing them.
Said that you love me
The person being addressed expresses their affection for the singer.
But you won't tell me why
The artist feels confused by the lack of explanation from the person being addressed about why they feel the way they do.
You better watch it, watch it, watch it, watch it
The singer warns the person being addressed to be careful with their words or actions.
Pretty baby or you're gonna make me cry
The singer warns the person being addressed that their actions may have emotional consequences.
I wear my heart on my sleeve
The singer is open and transparent about their feelings.
You know the one I love, I'll never leave
The artist is committed to the person they love.
I'm not blind to the shining light
The artist can see the goodness in a person's character.
Of a heart that's true in the middle of the night
The singer recognizes that a person's love and loyalty are just as valid during the night as they are during the day.
Say that you love me but don't tell me why
The person being addressed is giving mixed signals to the singer.
You got to want me, want me, want me
The artist needs reassurance from the person being addressed about their feelings and intentions.
Take me for a lover, take me for a friend
The artist is willing to accept whatever type of relationship the person being addressed desires.
'cause you know if you do
The artist assures the person being addressed that their feelings will be reciprocated.
I will stay here with you to the end
The singer is willing to stay committed to the person being addressed no matter what.
Out of the night
The person being addressed came from a hidden or mysterious place.
And into the dawn
The singer and the person being addressed are moving forward into a new phase of their relationship.
We keep movin', movin', movin', movin', movin'
The singer and the person being addressed are progressing through life together.
Pretty baby, we keep movin' on
The singer is encouraging the person being addressed to continue moving forward with them.
Don't worry 'bout tomorrow
The artist encourages the person being addressed to focus on the present and not to worry about the future.
Or yesterday
The artist encourages the person being addressed to let go of the past.
We got to live this life
The singer emphasizes the importance of living fully in the present moment.
That we love from day to day to day to day to day
The singer emphasizes the importance of finding joy and fulfillment in everyday life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE MILLER, TIM DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind