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.
Industrial Military Complex Hex
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Livin' in here in this industrial military complex
Doesn't really help when I read Time magazine
Cause they only distort the scene
The sky is so hazy I can't even see the sun
Livin' here is like livin' under a gun
I really do wonder 'bout the United Nations
Why don't they face the situations
I'm a troubadour
Lookin' for a dream
I'm a troubadour
Lookin' for some dream
Lord, I'm so tired of payin' all of these dues
From Sunday to Sunday all I hear is bad news
Tired of the war and those industrial fools
Got to make it better cause I've got nothin' to lose
Ain't too clear to pay my income taxes
'Specially when I know it goes to kill the masses
Love to hear the President make it perfectly clear
How the donkeys and the elephants are police up here
I'm a troubadour
Lookin for a dream
I'm a troubadour
Lookin for some dream
Lord, I'm so tired of payin' all of these dues
From Sunday to Sunday all I hear is bad news
Tired of the war and those industrial fools
I've got to make it better cause I've got nothin' lose
Won't somebody help me cause I've gotten in my shoes
Those industrial military complex blues
In the song "Industrial Military Complex Hex" by Steve Miller Band, the singer feels as though he's been placed under a bad spell, or hex, as a result of living in the industrial military complex. He reads Time magazine, but it doesn't help because the magazine only distorts the truth. The sky is so hazy that the sun is not even visible, and living there feels like living under a gun. He's curious about the United Nations and why they're not doing anything to address the situation. The singer expresses his frustration with having to pay income tax, knowing that his money goes to killing the masses, particularly in times of war. He's tired of hearing bad news from Sunday to Sunday and of the industrial fools who perpetuate it. He wants it to get better, and as a troubadour, he's searching for a way to make that happen.
The lyrics of the song were written by bassist Gerald Johnson, while the music was composed by Steve Miller. The song was released in 1984 on the album "Italian X Rays." The album was not as commercially successful as the earlier releases of the Steve Miller Band. Nevertheless, critics praised the album for its experimentation with different styles of music, including blues, funk, and jazz.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel like I'm livin' under some kind of hex
I feel as though I am living under some sort of curse or spell.
Livin' in here in this industrial military complex
Living in this society that prioritizes and relies heavily on the military and industrial complexes is suffocating.
Doesn't really help when I read Time magazine
Reading Time magazine doesn't provide any helpful insight because it only distorts the truth.
Cause they only distort the scene
The media only alters the truth to suit their own agenda.
The sky is so hazy I can't even see the sun
The pollution in this industrial society is so bad that it's affecting even the sky.
Livin' here is like livin' under a gun
Living in this society feels like constantly living under the threat of violence and danger.
I really do wonder 'bout the United Nations
I question the effectiveness and power of the United Nations to address the world's problems.
Why don't they face the situations
Why aren't they taking action to solve the world's problems?
I'm a troubadour
I am a wandering musician and storyteller.
Lookin' for a dream
I am searching for a better future and a better world.
Lord, I'm so tired of payin' all of these dues
I'm exhausted from constantly feeling obligated to pay for and support a society that exploits and oppresses its citizens.
From Sunday to Sunday all I hear is bad news
There is never any good news in this society, only constant negativity and despair.
Tired of the war and those industrial fools
I'm fed up with the endless cycle of war and the people who profit from it.
Got to make it better cause I've got nothin' to lose
I am motivated to change this society for the better because I have nothing left to lose.
Ain't too clear to pay my income taxes
I don't see the point in paying my taxes when I know they are being used to fund violence and oppression.
'Specially when I know it goes to kill the masses
Especially when it's used to fund war and violence that harms innocent people.
Love to hear the President make it perfectly clear
I would love to see our leaders be honest and transparent about their intentions and actions.
How the donkeys and the elephants are police up here
How the two major political parties in America keep each other in check, but not necessarily for the good of the people.
Won't somebody help me cause I've gotten in my shoes
I am asking for help and support to make positive change because I am struggling on my own.
Those industrial military complex blues
The feelings of sadness, frustration, and oppression that come from living in a society that prioritizes and profits from war and violence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: STEVEN HAWORTH MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind