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.
Snach It Back and Hold It
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, one more time
I ain't doin' too bad, baby
I got you on my mind
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey yeah
We're havin' a real good time
Somebody help me
Somebody's got to help me
I can't help myself
I'm not doin' too bad, baby
You know I ain't got no brand new bag
Snatch it back and you hold it
Snatch it back and hold it
Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Snatch it back and hold it
I said hey, hey, hey, hey, hey yeah
Snatch it back and hold it
You doin' a swim the máshed potato
Jump back Jack, see you later, alligator
Doin' a jerk, you're doin' a twine
You're doin' a push with a funky, monkey turn
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
We're havin' a real good time
Now snatch it back and hold it
I wanna tell you where it's at
All the kids in the neighborhood
They're doin' a brand new dance
Snatch it back and hold it
I wanna show you where it's at
You doin' a swim the máshed potato
Jump back Jack, see you later, alligator
Doin' a jerk, you're doin' a twine
You're doin' a push with a funky, monkey turn
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
We're havin' a real good time
Snatch it back and you hold it
Snatch it back and hold it
Hey, hey, hey, hey yeah
Snatch it back and hold it
I said hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Snatch it back and hold it
I said one more time
Just one more time
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey yeah
Baby, one more time
All the kids in the neighborhood
They know exactly where it's at
You doin' a swim the máshed potatoes
Jump back Jack, see you later alligator
Doin' a jerk, you're doin' a twine
You're doin' a push with a funky, monkey turn
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
We're havin' a real good time
The lyrics to Steve Miller Band's "Snatch It Back and Hold It" seem to be about having a good time and dancing. The phrase "snatch it back and hold it" seems to refer to a dance move, which is reinforced by lines about doing the mashed potato and the jerk. The singer is clearly having fun and wants to keep dancing, asking for one more time.
However, there also seems to be an element of addiction or compulsion in the lyrics. The repeated line "just can't help myself, somebody's got to help me" suggests the singer is struggling with something they can't control. This could be interpreted as referring to drug use or some other addictive behavior, or it could simply be a metaphor for the irresistible urge to keep dancing and having a good time.
Overall, the lyrics to "Snatch It Back and Hold It" are a fun, upbeat celebration of dancing and having a good time, while also containing some darker undertones about addiction and compulsion.
Line by Line Meaning
Snatch it back and hold it
Take back what's rightfully yours and keep a firm grip on it
Baby, one more time
Let's do it again
I ain't doin' too bad, baby
I'm doing pretty well and I've got you on my mind
I got you on my mind
You are occupying my thoughts and making me happy
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey yeah
We're having fun
We're havin' a real good time
We're having a great time enjoying each other's company
Somebody help me
I need assistance
Just can't help myself
I can't control my actions or impulses
Somebody's got to help me
I need someone to lend a hand and assist me
I'm not doin' too bad, baby
I'm doing pretty well overall
You know I ain't got no brand new bag
I may not have the latest and greatest, but I'm still enjoying life
You doin' a swim the máshed potato
You're dancing a certain dance move called 'the mashed potato'
Jump back Jack, see you later, alligator
Farewell, I'll see you later
Doin' a jerk, you're doin' a twine
You're dancing certain moves that involve twirling and jerking
You're doin' a push with a funky, monkey turn
You're executing dance moves and making it look good
I wanna tell you where it's at
I want to show you something or reveal something to you
All the kids in the neighborhood
Everyone who lives nearby or who is familiar with the scene
They're doin' a brand new dance
They're doing a new dance move or sequence
I wanna show you where it's at
I want to take you somewhere and show you what's happening
I said one more time
Again, let's do it one more time
All the kids in the neighborhood
They know exactly where it's at
The young people are aware of what's going on and where all the action is
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BUDDY GUY, JUNIOR WELLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind