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.
Can't You Hear Your Daddy's Heartbeat
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat
Tried to tell you people
I thought I knew the score
With those pretty women hangin' round my door
All of them loved me, some have played me for a fool
But I never saw a {??} while I was going to school
Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat
Time after time I told myself, oh
Don't you ever leave her, never let her go
You see she's kind of groovy like a fine glass of wine
And she's got the kind of love that makes a man lose his mind
Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat
Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat
One of these days girl I'm gonna get straight
When it's all together, hope it's not too late
Got to make {??}
Hey, hey, baby can't you hear it
Can't you hear your daddy
Can't you hear your daddy's heart
The Steve Miller Band's "Can't You Hear Your Daddy's Heartbeat" is a song that showcases Miller's ability to blend rock and blues. The lyrics are an exploration of love and the consequences of taking it for granted. The chorus repeats the line "Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat" which acts as a reminder of the love and passion that exists between two people. The song is addressed to a lover who the singer fears is slipping away from him.
Miller sets up the narrative arc of the song with the lines "Tried to tell you people, I thought I knew the score, with those pretty women hangin' round my door." This suggests that the singer has been something of a playboy, allowing women to come and go from his life without much regard for their feelings. He acknowledges that some of them have "played me for a fool." However, despite these dalliances, he sings "But I never saw a {??} while I was going to school." This line implies that he now sees the error of his ways and recognizes that he needs to change his behavior in order to keep the love of his life.
The verses of the song are a meditation on the power of love and the fear of losing it. The singer confesses that he has told himself "time after time" not to let his lover go. He describes her as "kind of groovy like a fine glass of wine" and notes that she has "got the kind of love that makes a man lose his mind." This imagery suggests that the love between the two of them is rare and intoxicating. The song ends with the singer admitting that he needs to "get straight" and "make a stand" before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby can't you hear your daddy's heartbeat
I want you to understand and listen to what I have to say, and to feel the love that I have for you.
Tried to tell you people
I attempted to communicate my thoughts and feelings to others.
I thought I knew the score
I believed I had a complete understanding of the situation.
With those pretty women hangin' round my door
Attractive women showed interest in me and were seeking attention and affection from me.
All of them loved me, some have played me for a fool
I was loved by many women but some took advantage of me or made me look foolish.
But I never saw a {??} while I was going to school
I didn't find love or a meaningful relationship while I was in school.
Time after time I told myself, oh
Repeatedly, I reminded myself that I needed to focus on what's important.
Don't you ever leave her, never let her go
I made a promise to myself to never lose or leave the person I love.
You see she's kind of groovy like a fine glass of wine
The person I love is attractive and appealing, like a good glass of wine.
And she's got the kind of love that makes a man lose his mind
The love that my partner gives me is so intense and powerful that it can drive me crazy at times.
One of these days girl I'm gonna get straight
Someday, I am going to make things right in my life.
When it's all together, hope it's not too late
Hopefully, I will have everything in order before it's too late.
Got to make {??}
I need to make changes in my life to become the best version of myself.
Hey, hey, baby can't you hear it
I'm asking my partner to listen closely to what I am saying, and to understand the depth and strength of my emotions.
Can't you hear your daddy
I am expressing myself intimately, as a father would speak to his child.
Can't you hear your daddy's heart
I want you to listen to the love and sincerity in my words, and to understand the emotions that I feel.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
3Ddude101
Started drumming at 12 yo in '69. This song always amazed me.
R. Daw
I just love those hand claps at the end. The song really rocks.
Tom Campbell
His first 6 albums were the best - stack up with anybody you care to name and much better than most. The double guitars, the tight drumming of Tim Davis, its was all Frisco, summer of love,
with a rough driving edge. And the guy was a Texas bluesman. Always helps.
Greg Boardman
His first album was brilliant, so underrated , Sailor was good, but Brave New World was the first album I bought.
Alan C
And Stevie from Dallas, right?
Robert McAllister
Agree totally
raddmann99
Sung by the late great and underrated Tim Davis who added a dimension that later versions of the SMB lacked.
mrbag60
Steve needs to go back to the spirit of his classic 1968-70 sound. It was a revelation for me listening to his first five albums and to those of you who only remember him from his mid/late-70's pop rock sound never hearing his 60's SF rock before, this is a good starting point.
Stephen Gaydos
October 31, 1969. Fillmore East. great show. base player Lonnie Turner wore blue high top sneakers
2003Cpayne
Fantastic drumming.