Steve Miller (born 5 October 1943) is a blues and rock and roll guitarist and performer. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but attended high school in Dallas. While at St. Mark's School of Texas, he formed his first band, The Marksmen. Miller taught one of his classmates, Royce Boz Scaggs, a few guitar chords so that 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.
In 1968, Miller formed the Steve Miller Band, with Scaggs 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 with vocal chores taken over by drummer Tim Davis; Miller himself would begin singing occasional lead on 1969's Brave New World. These albums performed respectably on the album charts but failed to yield a hit.
In the 1970's the band had some hits that became classics over the years - Jet Airliner, with some evocative lyrics that brought home the loss of life on the road; and The Joker which includes the famous line about the "pompatus of love", which is of course nonsense, but that didn't stop a lot of stoned folks from spending years talking amongst themselves.
Steve Miller's father was a wealthy doctor in Dallas, and friends with famous guitarist and guitar designer Les Paul. Les Paul gave Miller his first guitar lessons.
Longtime member Norton Buffalo (harmonica player) died from lung cancer on October 30, 2009.
John King (drummer during "The Joker" era) died after a short bout of kidney cancer on October 26, 2010.
Band-member James Cooke died from cancer on 16 May 2011.
Behind The Barn
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Way back down on the farm
Went to see my woman
Way back on the farm
Sundown's gonna catch me
In my sweet baby's arms
She likes to rock
She likes to
Push, push, push to the stroll
Down, down, down, down
Down behind the barn
Sundown's gonna catch me
In my sweet baby's arms
You know, we went up on the mountain
Looked down on the sea
Went up on the mountain
And we looked down on the sea
You know, sundown's gonna catch me
Lovin' my sweet baby
She likes to rock
She likes to roll
She likes to
Push, push, push to the stroll
Down, down, down, down
Way behind the barn
Sundown's gonna catch me
In my sweet baby's arms
Woo
Woo, woo, woo
Yeah
Way behind the barn
Hoo
Hoo, hoo, hoo
Way behind the barn
Sundown's gonna catch me
In my sweet baby's arms
The lyrics of Steve Miller Band's "Behind The Barn" describe the singer's return to a farming community to see his woman. He anticipates being caught by sundown in his sweet baby's arms. He then goes on to sing about his woman's wild nature, loving to rock, roll, and push the stroll down, down, behind the barn. They have gone up on the mountain to look out on the sea, and he's caught feeling the love from his sweet baby before sundown will catch him. The song ends with a drawn-out, sensual "woo" as the singer almost succumbs to the passion he feels.
The lyrics suggest a very rural and simple lifestyle, where sundown seems to mark the passing of the day and signals that the singer should return to his simpler way of life with his partner. The song is categorized as a Rock and Roll, Blues, and R&B song. It has an upbeat tempo with an electrifying guitar riff that keeps the energy level high. The song is straightforward in its message, but the nostalgia for rural life and romance is evident throughout.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I went to see my woman
The singer went to visit his significant other.
Way back down on the farm
The woman resides on a farm, which is located far from the singer's location.
Went to see my woman
The singer is reiterating his purpose for going to the farm.
Way back on the farm
The woman is located deep into the rural area.
Sundown's gonna catch me
The artist has realized that it is getting late and he needs to leave before sunset.
In my sweet baby's arms
The singer wants to spend his final moments in his girlfriend's embrace.
She likes to rock
The woman enjoys dancing and moving her body in a certain way.
She likes to roll
The woman is comfortable with freely expressing herself.
She likes to
The woman enjoys doing different activities which bring her happiness.
Push, push, push to the stroll
The woman likes to dance to specific music styles or rhythms.
Down, down, down, down
The place where the woman likes to dance is in a lower location, probably a basement or behind the barn.
Down behind the barn
The woman likes to dance in a secluded area, away from curious eyes.
Sundown's gonna catch me
The singer has realized that he has spent too much time with his girlfriend and needs to leave before it is too late.
In my sweet baby's arms
The singer wants to carry his girlfriend's touch with him as he leaves.
You know, we went up on the mountain
The singer and his girlfriend took a walk on a mountain.
Looked down on the sea
From the mountain, the artist had a view of the sea which was situated far from the mountain.
Sundown's gonna catch me
It is late and the artist has to leave soon.
Lovin' my sweet baby
The entire time he spent with his girlfriend, the singer was enjoying his love for her.
Way behind the barn
The woman and the singer like to dance in a relatively hidden place behind the barn.
Hoo
The artist is expressing excitement as he leaves his girlfriend's location.
Hoo, hoo, hoo
The artist is expressing multiple levels of excitement as he leaves.
Sundown's gonna catch me
The artist has spent a considerable amount of time with his girlfriend and is now leaving at the last minute.
In my sweet baby's arms
The singer wants to leave his girlfriend in her embrace, as he departs.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVE MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind