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 Window
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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She'll say a monkey swingin' in a tree
Ask my baby what she's thinkin' of
She'll say there's nothing greater than love
Well, look through the window (window, window, window)
Tell me what do you see?
A beautiful planet
Think love you're surrounded
We are one you and I
Gather your leaves together
There's only love until we die
Until we die
Ask my baby what she's goin' through
She'll say the same thing, the same thing as you
Ask my baby what she's thinkin' of
She'll say there's nothing greater than love
Well, look through the window (window, window, window)
Tell me what do you see?
A beautiful planet
Peace and harmony (harmony, harmony, harmony)
Think love you're surrounded
We are one you and I
Gather your leaves together
There's only love until we die
Until we die
The lyrics to Steve Miller Band's "The Window" are a classic example of the simple profundity that often characterizes the band's music. Miller begins by asking his "baby" what she wants to be, and she responds with a whimsical answer: "a monkey swingin' in a tree." But she also knows what truly matters in life, declaring that "there's nothing greater than love." The song's message is one of unity and positivity, echoing the countercultural values of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
As the song progresses, Miller invites the listener to look through the window, both literally and metaphorically. What we see on the other side is a "beautiful planet" characterized by "peace and harmony." This brings to mind the idea of the Gaia hypothesis, which suggests that the Earth is a self-regulating system that seeks to maintain a state of balance and harmony. Miller encourages us to think of ourselves as part of this larger whole, reminding us that "we are one you and I." The song ends on a message of hope, urging us to "gather your leaves together" and embrace love as the ultimate force in our lives, "until we die."
Line by Line Meaning
Ask my baby what she wants to be
My partner desires to be compared to a monkey swinging on trees.
She'll say a monkey swingin' in a tree
My partner compares herself to a carefree, playful monkey swinging from branches.
Ask my baby what she's thinkin' of
My partner's thoughts revolve around the value of love.
She'll say there's nothing greater than love
According to my partner, love is the most important thing in life.
Well, look through the window
Observe your surroundings.
Tell me what do you see
What do you observe in your environment?
A beautiful planet
The Earth is a stunning place.
Peace and harmony
Serenity and tranquility exist in the world.
Think love you're surrounded
Focus on the presence of love around you.
We are one you and I
We, as humans, are interconnected.
Gather your leaves together
Bring people together.
There's only love until we die
Love is the only thing that matters until our lives end.
Ask my baby what she's goin' through
I can empathize with my partner's experiences.
She'll say the same thing, the same thing as you
My partner and I have similar perspectives.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jason Cooper, Steve Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind