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.
Steve Miller's Midnight Tango
Steve Miller Lyrics
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You're waiting for your baby but she hasn't shown yet
And if she doesn't make it, well you've got no regrets
Because you can't win or lose if you ain't made no bets
And then she comes in walkin' lookin' fine as you please
You wanna stop and drop right down on your knees
And say baby
Whoa
You say you never worry cause you don't need a home
Don't need an address, don't need a phone
And you don't have to worry 'bout bein' alone
Cause you can make your music on a ten cent comb
And then she comes in walkin' lookin' fine as you please
You wanna stop and drop right down on you knees
And say baby
Whoa
The song "Steve Miller's Midnight Tango" by the Steve Miller Band speaks about a man waiting for his baby, who hasn't shown up yet. He's calm and collected, knowing that if she doesn't make it, he has "no regrets." The man is confident, believing that he can't win or lose if he hasn't made any bets. Suddenly, the woman walks in looking "fine as you please," and the man is overwhelmed. He wants to drop down on his knees and say "baby."
The lyrics provide an insight into the character of the man, who seems to be a free spirit. He doesn't worry about having a home or an address and doesn't need a phone. The character is confident in his abilities and can make music on a ten-cent comb. He's not concerned about being alone, indicating that he's content with himself. The lyrics also suggest that he's not entirely committed to the idea of a relationship - he's laidback and takes things as they come.
Overall, the song seems to be about a man who is content with his life, and even though he may want to have someone to share it with, he's not reliant on it. He's happy with who he is and is comfortable with being alone if necessary. The lyrics evoke a sense of calmness and confidence, reminding listeners that sometimes it's okay to let life take its course.
Line by Line Meaning
You have a cup of coffee and another cigarette
You are filling your time with mundane tasks while waiting for someone special to arrive.
You're waiting for your baby but she hasn't shown yet
The person you are waiting for is important to you and you are eager for their arrival.
And if she doesn't make it, well you've got no regrets
You are content with the present moment and would not regret not seeing the person you are waiting for.
Because you can't win or lose if you ain't made no bets
Without taking a chance, there is no possibility of either success or failure.
And then she comes in walkin' lookin' fine as you please
The person you were waiting for has finally arrived and looks amazing.
You wanna stop and drop right down on your knees
You are overjoyed by the sight of the person and want to show your admiration and love.
And say baby
You address the person you're admiring affectionately.
You say you never worry cause you don't need a home
You are self-sufficient and do not worry about material possessions such as a home.
Don't need an address, don't need a phone
You do not feel the need for typical modern conveniences and value simplicity.
And you don't have to worry 'bout bein' alone
Your sense of independence precludes loneliness as a fear.
Cause you can make your music on a ten cent comb
You can derive joy from simple, inexpensive things like a comb used as a musical instrument.
And then she comes in walkin' lookin' fine as you please
The person you were waiting for has finally arrived and looks amazing.
You wanna stop and drop right down on you knees
You are overjoyed by the sight of the person and want to show your admiration and love.
And say baby
You address the person you're admiring affectionately.
Whoa
An exclamation of strong emotion.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BEN SIDRAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind