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.
High On You Mama
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know that I'm high on you girl
Don't you know that I'm high on a feeling
Don't you know that I'm high cause you're here
Don't you know that I'm way up on a mountain
Don't you know that I'm way up in the air
Don't you know that I'm high on the sunshine
Don't you know that I'm high cause you care
I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
High, high, high
On you mama
Don't you know that I'm high on you mama
Don't you know that I'm high on you girl
Don't you know that I'm high on a feeling
Don't you know that I'm high cause you're here
Don't you know that I'm way up on a mountain
Don't you know that I'm way up in the air
Don't you know that I'm high on the sunshine
Don't you know that I'm high cause you care
I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
High, high, high
Don't you know that I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
Don't you know that I'm high
At first glance, it may seem like the lyrics to "High On You Mama" by the Steve Miller Band are about being high on drugs or alcohol; however, on closer examination, it becomes clear that the lyrics are actually about being high on love. The opening lines, "Don't you know that I'm high on you mama/Don't you know that I'm high on you girl," make it clear that the song is about the intoxicating feeling of being in love. The repetition of the phrase "Don't you know that I'm high" emphasizes this feeling of being under the influence of love, as though it is a drug that the singer cannot resist.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer's happiness and sense of well-being come from being with their lover. The line "Don't you know that I'm high cause you're here" reinforces this idea, as does the line "Don't you know that I'm high cause you care." Rather than being about escaping reality through substance use, the song is about finding joy and fulfillment in a relationship.
Overall, the lyrics to "High On You Mama" celebrate the intoxicating effects of love and the happiness that can come from being with someone who cares for you. Rather than being a cautionary tale, the song encourages listeners to enjoy the positive effects of love and savor the feeling of being with someone who makes them feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know that I'm high on you mama
I'm feeling euphoric and exhilarated because of my connection with you, mama.
Don't you know that I'm high on you girl
You are the reason for my current elated state, girl.
Don't you know that I'm high on a feeling
It's not just you, but a general high I'm experiencing due to strong emotions that I have right now.
Don't you know that I'm high cause you're here
Your presence has directly affected my mood, and I'm feeling on top of the world because you're around.
Don't you know that I'm way up on a mountain
My emotional high is so intense that it feels like reaching the peak of a mountain.
Don't you know that I'm way up in the air
I'm feeling so light and free as if I'm soaring high in the sky because of my current state of mind.
Don't you know that I'm high on the sunshine
The bright and warm energy of the sunshine is adding to my existing high, and I'm feeling even more invigorated.
Don't you know that I'm high cause you care
Your concern and love for me are directly affecting my current mood, and I'm feeling high as a result.
I'm high
I'm experiencing a natural, euphoric state of mind.
Don't you know that I'm high
The same idea expressed in the first line is repeated to emphasize the fact.
High, high, high
A repetition of 'high' to enhance the feeling of excitement and energy.
On you mama
Reiterating the idea expressed in the first line of being high because of a connection with 'mama.'
Don't you know that I'm high
A repetition of the same idea to emphasize the extent of the current high.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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