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.
Walks Like A Lady
Steve Miller Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody knows her name
And every single time that she walks by
Everybody just falls back lame
Everybody wants to see her
Ain't nobody wants to talk
They're afraid that they might say too much
Afraid that she might walk
You know she walks like a lady
But she acts like a child
She can drive you crazy
Yeah, she can drive you wild
Talks like a baby
But she looks like a lady to me
Why do they blame her
Why do they call her name that way
All they want to do is
Try to shame her
Try to make her play their game that way
They'll never chain her down
They'll never make her stay that way
She's not that way
You can't explain her cause all she wants to do is
Walk like a lady
But she acts like a child
She can drive you crazy
Yeah, she can drive you wild
Talks like a baby, but she looks like a lady to me
Time just keeps on passin'
Till I finally asked her out
She said pick me up at eight
And don't be late
And we'll see what you're about
Up to the drive just ready to roll
The girl was no where to be seen
She stood me up, she knocked me down
Boy, that girl is mean
You know she walks like a lady
But she acts like a child
She can drive you crazy
Yeah, she can drive you wild
Talks like a baby, but she looks like a lady to me
Why do they blame her
Why do they call her name that way
All they want to do is
Try to shame her
Try to make her play their game that way
They'll never chain her down
They'll never make her stay that way
She's not that way
You can't explain her cause all she wants to do is
Walk like a lady
Talk like a lady
You know she walks like a lady
You know she talks like a baby
Walk like a lady
Talk like a lady
You know she walks like a lady
You know she talks like a baby
Looks like a lady to me
Looks like a lady to me
Looks like a lady to me
The Steve Miller Band's "Walks Like A Lady" is a song about a woman who appears to be confident and in control, but underneath her cool exterior, she acts like a child. The song portrays her as being desirable and mysterious, as everyone wants to be with her but no one can quite figure her out. When she walks by, everyone becomes mute, and they're afraid to try talking to her.
The lyrics suggest that the woman is the target of gossip and slander, with people attempting to shame her or make her conform to their expectations. However, the singer shows an appreciation for her individualism and independence, saying that no one can ever chain her down or make her behave in a certain way.
While the song appears to be a simple pop tune, it subtly touches on themes of gender roles, social expectations, and individualism. It's not just about a woman who is hard to understand, but also about societal pressures to conform and the importance of staying true to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody wants to be her man
Everyone desires to be with her
Everybody knows her name
Everyone is aware of her identity
And every single time that she walks by, Everybody just falls back lame
Whenever she passes by, everyone is left speechless and in awe
Everybody wants to see her, Ain't nobody wants to talk, They're afraid that they might say too much, Afraid that she might walk
Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of her, but nobody wants to speak to her as they fear it might ruin their chances with her
You know she walks like a lady, But she acts like a child, She can drive you crazy, Yeah, she can drive you wild
She carries herself with poise and grace, but her actions and behavior are immature and unpredictable, which can be both enchanting and maddening
Talks like a baby, But she looks like a lady to me
Though she speaks with a childish innocence, her appearance and mannerisms exude sophistication and elegance
Why do they blame her, Why do they call her name that way, All they want to do is, Try to shame her, Try to make her play their game that way
People criticize and belittle her because they want her to conform to their expectations and standards
They'll never chain her down, They'll never make her stay that way, She's not that way, You can't explain her cause all she wants to do is
She refuses to be controlled or confined by anyone and lives life on her own terms, making her difficult to understand or predict
Talk like a lady
Speak with sophistication and refinement
Looks like a lady to me
Her appearance and demeanor are that of a cultured and refined woman
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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