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.
Evil
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If somebody, somewhere done you wrong
Oh, don't worry about your revenge, no
I said if somebody, somewhere done you wrong
Oh, don't worry about your revenge, no no
'cause that's when evil
Oh, evil slips on in
Hey, when I first met you baby
You were nothing but a child
When I first met you baby
I used to let you run wild
But somewhere, somehow
Lord, I don't know how
All your goodness
Slipped away
And that's when evil
Yeah
Evil let it stay
Evil let it stay, yeah
Evil's with me in the morning
Evil's with me and I can't get away, no
But there's gonna come a time
Oh, when somebody else is gonna pay
Gonna pay baby
The song "Evil" by the Steve Miller Band is a classic tale of revenge and the consequences of seeking it. The lyrics warn against seeking revenge for wrongdoings as it leads to a slippery slope of evil; when one succumbs to revenge, they risk losing all their goodness and allowing evil to take hold. The song starts by emphasising this point, encouraging listeners not to worry about their revenge as it paves the way for evil to slip in.
The song then moves into a narrative about a relationship gone sour, with the singer warning their partner that they used to let them run wild as a child. However, over time, their goodness slipped away, and evil took hold. The lyrics imply that the partner did something to betray the singer, possibly leading them down the path of seeking revenge. The chorus warns against succumbing to evil and encourages a change in heart, especially as evil is with them every morning and will never let them go.
Overall, "Evil" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of revenge and the temptation of allowing evil to take hold. The song is a reminder that the price of revenge is often too high and that it's better to resist revenge and focus on being good.
Line by Line Meaning
You know
Listen closely and pay attention because what I am about to tell you is important.
If somebody, somewhere done you wrong
If someone has committed a wrongdoing against you, regardless of who or where they are.
Oh, don't worry about your revenge, no
You don't need to seek revenge against the person who wronged you, it's not necessary.
I said if somebody, somewhere done you wrong
I'm repeating myself to emphasize the importance of my message.
Oh, don't worry about your revenge, no no
Again, I'm telling you not to worry about seeking revenge.
'cause that's when evil
When someone seeks revenge, evil tends to follow.
Oh, evil slips on in
Revenge is like an invitation for evil to enter into the situation.
Hey, when I first met you baby
Back when we first met each other.
You were nothing but a child
You were still young and inexperienced.
When I first met you baby
I'm emphasizing that this was a while ago.
I used to let you run wild
I used to let you do your own thing and live your life freely.
But somewhere, somehow
At some point in time, something changed.
Lord, I don't know how
I'm unsure of the exact reason or cause for the change.
All your goodness
Your positive qualities and actions.
Slipped away
Gradually disappeared, possibly due to negative influences or events.
And that's when evil
This is the point where evil entered into the situation.
Yeah
An expression of agreement or affirmation.
Evil let it stay
Evil remained and took over the situation.
Evil's with me in the morning
Evil is a constant presence and is always present, even in the morning.
Evil's with me and I can't get away, no
I cannot escape from the influence of evil.
But there's gonna come a time
However, there will be a point in time where something changes.
Oh, when somebody else is gonna pay
Someone will have to face the consequences or pay the price for their actions.
Gonna pay baby
They will face punishment or consequences for their actions, regardless of who they are.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Syreeta Wright, Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markr1115
What a great rendition of this song. Stevie really was "Guitar Miller" on this one !!!!
@patricias5122
And his voice, great, bluesy, high/low notes. Really a classic.
@jaciayanni1721
Flippin Amazingly Awesome!! Love it!!!
@ricknelson99
his band was originally called The Steve Miller Blues Band
@maxrevelationsmg
Great music! Yeah!
@serpentineflame
Holy Joseph Mother of Mary this is water in the desert to a thirsty man.
@robertkirby3266
Well said...I am.listenening to this song for the first time.
@factorylad5071
This talent or a great PRS advert.
@jo-andahoe9806
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍