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.
You've Got The Power
Steve Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To open the door
You've got the power
It's been done before
Once you get there
You're sure to see
You open your eyes
And love will be easy
Cause there's someone who wants you
Someone to love and please you
Cause there's someone who needs you
Ooooohhhh
These lyrics from Steve Miller Band's song "You've Got The Power" speak to the idea that individuals hold the power and agency within themselves to make positive changes in their own lives. The first two lines, "You've got the power, to open the door, you've got the power, it's been done before" suggest that the power to change and improve one's life already exists within them - it's just a matter of tapping into it, and the idea is not a new one. The subsequent lines, "Once you get there, you're sure to see, you open your eyes, and love will be easy" suggest that once we tap into this power, everything else will fall into place, and love and happiness will come easily.
The final stanza, "Cause there's someone who wants you, someone to love and please you, cause there's someone who needs you, ooh," speaks to the concept of community or interpersonal relationships. The idea is that while individuals hold the power within themselves to change and improve their lives, at the end of the day, love and connection with others is what makes it all worth it. The lyrics suggest that there are always people out there who want and need us, and who we can love and please in turn.
Line by Line Meaning
You've got the power
You possess the strength, ability and potential to achieve your desires and aspirations.
To open the door
To unlock the opportunities and possibilities that can lead you to success and happiness.
It's been done before
Others have used their power and determination to achieve similar goals or overcome similar obstacles that you face.
Once you get there
After making the effort and journey towards your goal, once you arrive and reach your destination
You're sure to see
You will finally understand and appreciate the fruits of your labor and the rewards that come with it.
You open your eyes
You will see the opportunities, possibilities, and love that surrounds you.
And love will be easy
You will find that love and fulfillment will come naturally, without requiring much effort or struggle.
Cause there's someone who wants you
There is a person who deeply desires your love, company, and attention.
Someone to love and please you
This person is willing to give you affection, support, and kindness to make you feel happy, content, and cherished.
Cause there's someone who needs you
You are important and valuable to someone, who needs your love, presence, and care to feel complete and fulfilled.
Ooooohhhh
An expression of excitement and positivity, indicating that good things are to come.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind