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.
Red Top
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My little red top
See how you got me spinning
Going 'round and 'round
And I don't wanna stop
You've got me so if I don't go 'round
I am sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
So red top
You go 'round and 'round
And don't you ever stop
Remember that if you don't go 'round
We are sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
Red top
My little red top
See how you got me spinning
Going 'round and 'round
And I don't wanna stop
You've got me so if I don't go 'round
I am sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
So red top
You just go right on spinning
You go 'round and 'round
And don't you ever stop
Remember that if you don't go 'round
We are sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
The Steve Miller Band's song Red Top is a catchy tune with simple, repetitive lyrics that make it a fun and energetic song to listen and dance to. The chorus of the song repeats the lines "Red top, my little red top, see how you got me spinning, going 'round and 'round, and I don't wanna stop" over and over again, emphasizing the idea of being caught up in something that makes you feel good, unable to stop or get off the ride. The metaphor of the spinning top is used to represent this feeling, with the warning that if the top stops spinning, "we are sure gonna drop".
The lyrics of Red Top can be interpreted in a number of ways, as is often the case with songs that rely on metaphor and repetition. One interpretation is that the song is about the power of music and dancing to transport and elevate people, to take them out of the mundane and into a state of euphoria. The red top in this reading could symbolize the music itself, propelling people into ever more frenzied and joyous dancing. Another possible interpretation is that the song is about a kind of addiction or obsession, with the 'red top' standing in for a substance or habit that creates a sense of spin and disorientation in the user. In this reading, the warning that "if you don't go 'round, we are sure gonna drop" takes on a darker, cautionary tone, underscoring the destructive power of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Red top
Referring to a spinning toy top
My little red top
The singer's personal toy top that is red in color
See how you got me spinning
The singer is fascinated by the spinning top and is entranced by it
Going 'round and 'round
The spinning of the top in a circular motion
And I don't wanna stop
The artist is enjoying watching the top and doesn't want it to stop spinning
You've got me so if I don't go 'round
The top has influenced the singer's senses so that they too feel like going round and round
I am sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
If the singer doesn't keep spinning like the top, they will fall over or get dizzy
So red top
A direct address to the toy top
You just go right on spinning
Encouraging the top to keep spinning
And don't you ever stop
Urging the top to maintain its momentum
Remember that if you don't go 'round
A warning to the top that if it stops spinning, something unpleasant will happen
We are sure gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop, gonna drop
If the top stops spinning, the artist and others will get dizzy and fall over
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.