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.
The Last Wombat In Mecca
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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The last wombat in Mecca. Take 1.
There's some things I can't find
Some are better left alone
There are few things I won't find
Some are better left alone
Like that bulldog in the bathroom
As I float in my leer jet
Without a sling shot or a shield
As I hang in my leer jet
Without a shotgun or a shield
Hey, a flying saucer wobbled past
With a bulldog at the wheel
Yeah
Can you give us a description
Said the air force on the phone
Can you certify you've seen this
Said the air force on the phone
No, but here's his passport
And his teeth mark's on the phone
If I take a long vacation
And nail my bulldog to a wall
If I leave this smoggy nation
And nail my bulldog to a wall
If my bulldog keeps his mouth shut
Will you remember me at all
The Last Wombat In Mecca by Steve Miller Band is a quirky and surreal song that begins with a spoken intro before launching into a series of nonsensical lyrics. The song seems to be about the strange and surprising things that the singer has encountered in their life, and how some things are so odd that it's best to leave them alone. The first verse mentions a bulldog in the bathroom and a wombat on the phone, two bizarre images that seem to set the tone for the rest of the song.
The second verse finds the singer floating in their leer jet, seemingly without any means of protection. They spot a flying saucer with a bulldog at the wheel, which only adds to the sense of surrealism. The air force calls to ask for a description of the bulldog, but the singer can only provide his passport and the teeth marks he left on the phone.
The final verse takes a darker turn, as the singer contemplates leaving the smoggy nation and nailing their bulldog to a wall. The last line of the song asks if the singer will be remembered if their bulldog keeps his mouth shut. Overall, The Last Wombat In Mecca is a strange and whimsical song that defies easy interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
There's some things I can't find
There are some things that are missing in my life that I am unable to locate.
Some are better left alone
It is best to not search for certain things that cannot be found for fear of being disappointed.
There are few things I won't find
There are very few things that are unattainable in life.
Some are better left alone
For some things that won't be found, it is best to let them remain that way.
Like that bulldog in the bathroom
Just like the fact that searching for a bulldog in the bathroom can be fruitless, some things in life cannot be found no matter how hard one looks.
Like that wombat on the phone
Just like a wombat talking on the phone, some concepts in life are absurd and just cannot be explained.
As I float in my leer jet
Traveling in my luxurious private jet.
Without a sling shot or a shield
Traveling without protection or preparation.
As I hang in my leer jet
Suspended in my private jet.
Without a shotgun or a shield
Traveling without any weapons or means of self-defense.
Hey, a flying saucer wobbled past
Unexpected, unusual events happen in life (like a flying saucer), that are difficult to comprehend or explain.
With a bulldog at the wheel, yeah
Even more unusual, the flying saucer was being driven by a bulldog, adding to the strangeness of the event.
Can you give us a description
The air force is asking for a detailed account of what was seen.
Said the air force on the phone
The Air Force is inquiring about what was witnessed over the phone.
Can you certify you've seen this
The Air Force needs confirmation that what was reported is true.
Said the air force on the phone
The Air Force requests the confirmation over the phone.
No, but here's his passport
While the artist can't confirm what was seen, they offer proof of the bulldog's existence through a passport document.
And his teeth mark's on the phone
In addition to the passport, there are bite marks on the phone that further confirm the presence of the bulldog.
If I take a long vacation
If I decide to take an extended break from my life.
And nail my bulldog to a wall
If I were to mount the bulldog on a wall like a trophy or decoration.
If I leave this smoggy nation
If I choose to depart my current residence/country, which is polluted with smog.
And nail my bulldog to a wall
In the same vein, the artist contemplates displaying the bulldog as decoration in the new location.
If my bulldog keeps his mouth shut
If the bulldog remains quiet and doesn't reveal anything of significance.
Will you remember me at all
Will I still be remembered even if I leave everything behind and try to start anew.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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