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.
Children Of The Future
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Wonder where this world is going to, going to
We are children of the future
Wonder what in this world we are going to do, going to do
When they get high
They can see for miles and miles
When I get high
You know I've got something that you can use
It takes a little bit of lovin'
A little bit of huggin'
A little bit of lovin'
A little bit of huggin
And if you don't think that you can find
And if you don't think that it's peace of mind
The Steve Miller Band sings about being children of the future and wondering where the world is headed and what they are going to do in it. These lyrics can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, but the overall theme appears to be one of uncertainty and wonder. The line "When they get high, they can see for miles and miles" can be interpreted as a reference to a drug-induced perspective, while "When I get high, I can see myself for miles" suggests that getting high allows one to delve deeper into personal introspection.
The final lines of the song, "You know I've got something that you can use, It takes a little bit of lovin', A little bit of huggin', A little bit of lovin', A little bit of huggin', And if you don't think that you can find, And if you don't think that it's peace of mind," suggest that the answer to the questions raised earlier in the song might be found through love and warmth. The song's message can be seen as an encouragement to keep an open mind and to seek out goodness and positivity in the midst of an uncertain world.
Line by Line Meaning
We are children of the future
We are the young people who will inherit the Earth and the decisions that come with it
Wonder where this world is going to, going to
We are full of curiosity and concern about the future and the fate of our planet
Wonder what in this world we are going to do, going to do
We are eager to explore our potential and discover how we can contribute to society
When they get high
When others are under the influence of drugs or other substances
They can see for miles and miles
They experience heightened sensory perception that allows them to visualize things from afar
When I get high
When I, the singer of this song, am under the influence of drugs or other substances
I can see myself for miles
I experience a strong sense of self-awareness and introspection that allows me to contemplate my personal issues on a deeper level
You know I've got something that you can use
I have something valuable to offer that can benefit you
It takes a little bit of lovin'
Love and compassion are essential in addressing the problems we face
A little bit of huggin'
Physical affection and emotional support can make a big difference
And if you don't think that you can find
If you doubt that you can achieve what you desire
And if you don't think that it's peace of mind
If you don't believe that peace of mind is a worthy goal
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL CROSSDALE, DONALD DENNIS, MELBOURNE GEORGE MILLER, DELROY ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind