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.
Child
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible said and it still is news
Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own
Yes, the strong gets more
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade
Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own
Money, you've got lots of friends
Crowding round the door
When you're gone, spending ends
They don't come no more
Rich relations give
Crust of bread and such
You can help yourself
But don't take too much
Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own
Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own
He just worry 'bout nothin'
'Cause he's got his own
The song "God Bless the Child" by Steve Miller Band is a cover of a jazz standard originally written and performed by Billie Holiday. The song speaks to the importance of self-sufficiency and having one's own resources in order to succeed in life. The lyrics state that those who have will continue to receive, while those who do not have will continue to lose. The words are directly taken from the Bible and show that this message has been relevant throughout time. The chorus emphasizes a particular type of person, one who is blessed because they have their own resources. The song encourages the listener to be self-reliant and to achieve success on their own, rather than relying on others for help.
The verses delve deeper into the idea of wealth and how it affects relationships. The lyrics state that money creates friends who only stick around when you have it, and rich family members may only give you the bare minimum to help you out. The chorus repeats that the truly blessed person is the one who is self-sufficient and does not rely on others. The song ends with the line "He just worry 'bout nothin' cuz he's got his own," emphasizing that the person who has their own resources can be worry-free.
Line by Line Meaning
Them that's got shall get
People who are already successful will continue to be successful
Them that's not shall lose
People who aren't successful will continue to struggle
So the Bible said and it still is news
This is an old idea that still holds true today
Mama may have, papa may have
Your parents may have money and resources
But God bless the child that's got his own
But it's better to have your own resources
Yes, the strong gets more
Successful people continue to gain more success
While the weak ones fade
Unsuccessful people struggle to make progress
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade
Being poor makes it difficult to get ahead
Money, you've got lots of friends
People will be your friend if you have money
Crowding round the door
They will only stick around as long as you have money
When you're gone, spending ends
When you run out of money, your 'friends' will leave
They don't come no more
Once you're out of money, people won't want to associate with you anymore
Rich relations give
Wealthy family members will give you the bare minimum
Crust of bread and such
They will only provide the basics
You can help yourself
You shouldn't depend on others to provide for you
But don't take too much
But don't be greedy
He just worry 'bout nothin'
Someone with their own resources doesn't need to worry about financial struggles
'Cause he's got his own
Because they have their own resources to rely on
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: Arthur Herzog, Billie Holiday
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind