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.
Overdrive
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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And you are in the eye
There ain't no movement
Things that could die
But the reelin' and the spinnin'
Of the rock and roll sides
Will all be gone before midnight
And die before sunrise
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
If you know what it is
And you wanna stay alive
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
Yes, the corner's full of monkeys
And your ear drum's full of lies
Time is out the window
And there's echoes in your sides
They've been burnin' down your walls
Ever since the peep of dawn
And now the dealer's in the fireplace
Tryin' to turn it on
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
If you know that it's time
And you oughtta take a dive
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
You know what it is
And you wanna stay alive
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
Now the light road's gettin' restless
Cause he knows your overdue
But it's just another train ride
Bein' all the same to you
And the last shot's at your finger tips
Like that flicker in the grass
And the last cord hits the ashes
And you know you gotta pass
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
If you know that it's time
And you oughtta take a dive
You better go to overdrive
Go to overdrive
The lyrics of Steve Miller Band's song "Overdrive" are about the reckless, chaotic nature of rock and roll, and the need to embrace it in order to truly experience and survive it. The room is described as a "cyclone," with the singer in the eye of the storm, surrounded by things that feel like they could die. But despite this ominous tone, the lyrics suggest that the true danger lies in not fully embracing the wildness and energy of rock and roll – the "reelin' and the spinnin'" that will all be gone before midnight.
The chorus encourages listeners to "go to overdrive" if they want to stay alive and truly understand what rock and roll is all about. It's a call to action, a reminder to fully immerse oneself in the music and let go of any fears or inhibitions. The verses are filled with vivid, almost surreal images: a corner full of monkeys, echoes in your sides, a dealer in the fireplace. These images add to the sense of chaos and unpredictability, while also emphasizing the importance of embracing the strange and unusual in rock and roll.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, the room is a cyclone
The environment around you is chaotic, constantly spiraling out of control.
And you are in the eye
But you feel like you are in the center of it all, calm and collected.
There ain't no movement
Nothing is progressing, everything is stagnant.
Things that could die
Possibly important things are on the verge of being lost forever.
But the reelin' and the spinnin' / Of the rock and roll sides
Despite the chaos, the thrill of the moment and the excitement of the music is present.
Will all be gone before midnight / And die before sunrise
But it is fleeting, it will all be over soon and will not last through the night.
You better go to overdrive / Go to overdrive / If you know what it is / And you wanna stay alive
The only way to keep going and survive through the chaos is to push yourself into overdrive mode, which requires a certain level of knowledge and understanding.
Yes, the corner's full of monkeys / And your ear drum's full of lies
The situation is full of nonsensical behavior and people not being truthful, which is causing confusion.
Time is out the window / And there's echoes in your sides
Time seems to have lost its meaning, and you are feeling the effects of the environment both mentally and physically.
They've been burnin' down your walls / Ever since the peep of dawn
The chaos and confusion are breaking down your defenses and wearing you down.
And now the dealer's in the fireplace / Tryin' to turn it on
The situation has devolved to the point where even those who are supposed to be helping are causing more problems.
Go to overdrive / Go to overdrive / You know what it is / And you wanna stay alive
Once again, the solution is to push yourself into overdrive mode to stay alive.
Now the light road's gettin' restless / Cause he knows your overdue
The person responsible for dealing with the situation is growing impatient because you are taking too long.
But it's just another train ride / Bein' all the same to you
To you, this chaos is just another situation to deal with, even if it's a difficult one.
And the last shot's at your finger tips / Like that flicker in the grass
The end is approaching and it's up to you to make the final move before it's too late.
And the last cord hits the ashes / And you know you gotta pass
The climax has been reached and now it's time to move on from this chaotic situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BOZ SCAGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind