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 Stake
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wheels are turning in the bed you make
I'll take you over, you're tied at the stake
Nobody loves you like the way I do
Light rain's over, the sun's all around
Four-leaf clover as I pull you down
I'll take you over, you're tied at the stake
Nobody loves you like the way I do
Nobody loves you like the way I do
The lyrics to Steve Miller Band's "The Stake" contain a mixture of passion, desire, and pain. The opening line, "Burnin', burnin', all you can take," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is consumed by a burning desire for someone who is seemingly unattainable or difficult to love. The line "Wheels are turning in the bed you make" can be interpreted as the singer acknowledging that this person has created their own problems or suffering, which they are unable to escape.
The chorus, "I'll take you over, you're tied at the stake/Nobody loves you like the way I do," conveys both protection and possession. The imagery of being tied at the stake suggests that this person is in danger or being threatened, and the singer is willing to risk everything to save them. However, there is also an element of control in the line "I'll take you over," which implies that the singer sees this person as something to be conquered or owned. The repeated phrase "Nobody loves you like the way I do" reinforces the idea that the singer's love is intense and unrivaled.
Overall, "The Stake" is a song about intense desire and the lengths to which someone is willing to go to claim their love interest. However, there is also a darker element of control and ownership present in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Burnin', burnin', all you can take
You're feeling intense emotional pain and you've hit your limit.
Wheels are turning in the bed you make
You're starting to face the consequences of your actions.
I'll take you over, you're tied at the stake
I'll help you out of the difficult situation you're in. You're willing to surrender yourself to me.
Nobody loves you like the way I do
I care for you more than anyone else does.
Light rain's over, the sun's all around
The negativity is gone and positivity is all around you.
Four-leaf clover as I pull you down
I'm lucky to have you and I'm guiding you towards me.
Nobody loves you like the way I do
I care for you more than anyone else does.
Nobody loves you like the way I do
I care for you more than anyone else does.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID WILLIAM DENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind