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.
Cry Cry Cry
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause i know that you're a gangster of love
I'm gonna sing you the blues
All about this beautiful world
Sing the blues for a beautiful world
Sing the blues for a beautiful world
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
I'm gonna play you the blues
Cause i know that you're a rebel with a cause
I'm gonna play you the blues
All about this beautiful world
Play the blues for a beautiful world
Play the blues for a beautiful world
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Why, why baby, why baby, why
This is the blues for a beautiful world
This is the blues for a beautiful world
A heartbeat and a heart
Is all you need to make it through
A heartbeat and a heart
Am i gettin' through to you
This is the blues for a beautiful world
This is the blues for a beautiful world
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Why, why baby, why baby, why
The Steve Miller Band's song "Cry Cry Cry" is a mournful, bluesy tune that speaks to humanity's struggle to find beauty in a world beset by pain and adversity. The lyrics speak of the need to cry - to let out one's deepest emotions - as a means of coping with the difficulties of life. Miller invokes the metaphor of the blues, a musical style often characterized by its melancholy themes, as a way of expressing these difficult emotions.
The first lines of the song identify the listener as a "gangster of love," indicating that this is a person who perhaps hasn't had the easiest path in life. Miller then promises to "sing you the blues" - the very sounds and themes that have historically provided solace to those in pain. The repeated refrain of "cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry" is a call to release the pent up emotions that this gangster of love may be holding on to. The next verse finds Miller promising to "play you the blues," perhaps taking up an instrument or using his voice as a means of providing a cathartic release.
What is particularly striking about this song is its repeated reference to the idea of a "beautiful world." Despite the sadness that runs through the lyrics, Miller seems to believe that there is something inherently valuable and worth fighting for in the world. The line "a heartbeat and a heart is all you need to make it through" suggests that even in the midst of struggle and pain, there is something life-affirming that pulses at the core of our existence. Ultimately, "Cry Cry Cry" is a song about hope in the face of darkness - a reminder that even when things seem at their bleakest, there is something worth fighting for.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna sing you the blues
I will perform a blues song for you
Cause i know that you're a gangster of love
Because I know you are a person with a reputation for being expert in love relationships
All about this beautiful world
Regarding the subject of this beautiful, remarkable world
Sing the blues for a beautiful world
Perform blues music that praises the beauty of this world
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Being upset, emotionally distressed, or in pain, crying is a healthy release of emotion
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Asking for an explanation or reason why something occurred
I'm gonna play you the blues
I will perform blues music for you
Cause i know that you're a rebel with a cause
Because I know you are someone who stands up against the norm for a specific reason
Play the blues for a beautiful world
Perform blues music that celebrates the beauty of this world
This is the blues for a beautiful world
This blues song is for praising the extraordinary world
A heartbeat and a heart
A living being's pulse and the bodily organ that pumps blood
Is all you need to make it through
It is the only necessity needed to survive or overcome something
Am i gettin' through to you
Do you understand what I am communicating effectively?
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Being upset, emotionally distressed, or in pain, crying is a healthy release of emotion
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Asking for an explanation or reason why something occurred
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Being upset, emotionally distressed, or in pain, crying is a healthy release of emotion
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Asking for an explanation or reason why something occurred
Cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry
Being upset, emotionally distressed, or in pain, crying is a healthy release of emotion
Why, why baby, why baby, why
Asking for an explanation or reason why something occurred
Lyrics © THOMAS G. CAIN D/B/A CANDY CANE MUSIC
Written by: WILLIAM HARRIS MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind