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.
Key To The Highway
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am bound to go
I'm gonna roam this highway
Till my dying day
When the moon peeks over the mountain
Honey, I'll be on my way
I'm gonna roam this highway
Give me one more, one more kiss, mama
Just before I go
'Cause when I leave here, baby
I won't be back, no, I won't be back anymore
To the highway
Oh, Lord, I'm out and bound to go
I'm gonna leave here running
'Cause walking's much too slow
The lyrics to Steve Miller Band's "Key To The Highway" are about a restless wanderer who has the key to the highway and is determined to roam it until the end of his days. He is ready to leave, and when the moon appears over the mountain, he will be on his way. He requests one last kiss from his love before he departs because he knows that once he leaves, there is no turning back. He affirms that he is bound for the highway, and he will not be walking, but running towards his destination.
The song seems to be about an individual that is ready for change and is willing to take risks to achieve their dreams. By using the highway as a metaphor for life, the song suggests that the journey is just as important as the destination. The song can also be seen as a reflection of the spirit of adventure and independence, where the traveler is ready to embrace the world and take on new experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the key to the highway
I have the freedom and ability to travel wherever I please.
I am bound to go
I am destined and determined to leave and explore new places.
I'm gonna roam this highway
I plan to travel widely and frequently on the open road.
Till my dying day
Until the day I pass away, I will have a passion for traveling and exploring.
When the moon peeks over the mountain
When night time arrives and the moon can be seen from the horizon.
Honey, I'll be on my way
My itch to travel urges me to move forward and not settle in one place.
Give me one more, one more kiss, mama
Before I depart, I want one last farewell kiss from my loved ones.
Just before I go
Before I head out and leave for good.
'Cause when I leave here, baby
Because I know that once I leave, I won't be back again.
I won't be back, no, I won't be back anymore
I won't return to the place I'm leaving from, not even for a visit.
To the highway
To the open road, where there are endless possibilities.
Oh, Lord, I'm out and bound to go
I'm starting my journey now and there is no turning back.
I'm gonna leave here running
I'm eager and excited to start my travels so I'll move quickly.
'Cause walking's much too slow
Walking takes too long and I'd rather speed things up to experience more.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MCKINLEY MORGANFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind