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.
Take the Money and Run
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo, billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey, you know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today
Singin' go on take the money and run
Go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
Oh lord, go on, take the money and run
Hoo-hoo-hoo
Hey, yeah, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
Oh lord, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run, oh lord
The lyrics of "Take the Money and Run" by Steve Miller Band tell the story of two lovers, Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue, who decide to cut loose and go on a robbery spree. They head down to old El Paso where they run into some trouble and end up robbing a man's castle, with Billy Joe shooting the man in the process. Bobbie Sue takes the money and they run away, with Detective Billy Mack hot on their trail.
The song seems to glorify the idea of taking risks and breaking the law, as the chorus encourages the couple to "go on, take the money and run". However, the final verses suggest that there are consequences for their actions as they can never settle down and are forced to keep running. Detective Billy Mack represents the law and order that they try to escape.
Overall, the song is a catchy and upbeat story about young love and rebellion, but behind the fun melody, there is a hint of cautionary tale about the consequences of our choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoo-hoo
Steve Miller Band opens the song with a chorus of playful yelps, which serve as an introduction to the story of Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue.
This is a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
The song follows the tale of two young lovers, who have nothing to do except get high and watch TV around the house.
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue are a classic example of young love, without any particular direction or purpose in mind.
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
The two lovers are content with indulging in their favorite pastime: smoking marijuana and watching television.
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose
The song builds up to the point where the lovers decide to take some action, and the story gets more exciting from here on.
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
The young couple set out for the city of El Paso, Texas, as they wanted to experience a change of scenery.
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Almost immediately upon arriving in El Paso, the couple encountered a significant obstacle in their path.
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
In a moment of recklessness, Billy Joe ended up firing his gun while robbing someone's house, resulting in a violent encounter.
Bobbie Sue took the money and run
Bobbie Sue, who was with Billy Joe during the robbery, decided to take the money and flee the scene.
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
The chorus repeats the phrase 'take the money and run', urging Bobbie Sue to abscond with the cash and make herself scarce.
Go on, take the money and run
The song's title and refrain, repeated throughout the chorus, continues to encourage Bobbie Sue to take the loot and escape.
Hoo-hoo-hoo, billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
The song takes a humorous turn when it introduces Billy Mack, a detective in Texas who is tasked with tracking down the robbers.
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
Billy Mack is a seasoned detective who has a keen understanding of what actually happened during the robbery.
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
Billy Mack is determined to catch the robbers and make sure they are punished for their crime.
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
The song describes how Billy Mack's salary comes from the taxes paid by the very same people he is trying to protect from robbers.
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Despite Billy Mack's best efforts, Bobbie Sue managed to slip away from his grasp and is now on the run.
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
Billy Joe, who was left behind after Bobbie Sue fled the scene, managed to catch up with her the next day.
They got the money, hey, you know they got away
The lovers managed to get hold of the money and are currently on the run, with no one to stop them.
They headed down south and they're still running today
The lovers decided to flee towards the south, and are still running to this day to avoid being caught by the authorities.
Singin' go on take the money and run
The song returns to its chorus, repeating the catchphrase 'take the money and run' to pay homage to the lovers' daring escape.
Oh lord, go on, take the money and run
The song repeats its chorus a few more times, reinforcing its central message of encouraging Bobbie Sue to take the money and run.
Hey, yeah, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
Steve Miller Band adds a bit of flair as the song draws to a close, urging Bobbie Sue once more to take the money and make her getaway.
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run
The song's final chorus repeats the title phrase, offering a final burst of encouragement for Bobbie Sue to abscond with the spoils of the robbery.
Oh lord, go on, take the money and run, yeah (yeah)
The song draws to a close with a final repetition of the chorus, once more nudging Bobbie Sue to make her escape.
Hoo-hoo-hoo, go on, take the money and run, oh lord
The last line of the song repeats the chorus one final time with a heartfelt plea for Bobbie Sue to make her escape.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEVE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eintopf
I found this CD from my father and decided to listen to it. I never knew my father had such a cool side. I love it.
kkinghomes
Went looking for this CD and found out my 21 year old daughter had it! Good rock n roll never dies!
David Steinert
Decades later and this greatest hits album is still introducing new generations to one of mankind's greatest inventions, rock n roll.
Matt Byrd
I remember being in the car with my mom when I was 4 or 5 and steve miller's greatest hits would be playing all the time! Still love it to this day.
Ellis Barrett
Brings back memories of being young and out of control...Love this song.
whoRthoseGuys
Yes.
Paulpp Christman
KICKASS TUNE ! My favorite Steve Miller song. Odd that it didn't make the top ten although "Rockin' Me" hit # 1 and "Fly Like An Eagle" reached # 2 that same year 1976 and they were all on the same album. Saw the band in concert in summer 1977. Terrific !!!
Don Winslow
#FlyEaglesFly It it used to our theme song!!
SirTalksAlot496
I recently learned to play this song on the drums. It is such a fun yet simple song to play and sounds great. Definitely a great classic 👍
Reuter 282
The intro?!?! I've been working on this for weeks lol it's hard