Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967-8 in San Franci… Read Full Bio ↴Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967-8 in San Francisco, California, USA. The band features Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of (mainly) mid-1970s hit singles that continue to be staples of the classic rock radio format.

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.

Who Do You Love
Steve Miller Band Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whooooo
Whooooo
Ever since time began
Man loves a woman
Woman loves a man
This is the way it was meant to be
Through the pages, through the books
Of our history

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

One and one and one are three
I love you, do you love me
This is the place, now is the time
Give me your love, and I'll give you mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

This is simple, and it's true
There's a shining light all around you
You're the one, you're the fire
You can make it higher and higher

This is the place, now is the time
Tell me now darlin', will you be mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

Put your arms around me
Ah, hold me tight
Ah, cuddle up darlin'
Ah, in the still of the night
Ah, you are the one
Ah, that I adore
Ah, you are the one that I love so well

This is the place, now is the time
Tell me now darlin', will you be mine

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now
You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love, now
You, you, you
Do you love me, do you love me, do you love me, now

You, you, you
Who do you love, who do you love, who do you love

Overall Meaning

The Steve Miller Band's song "Who Do You Love" is a classic rock anthem that explores the timeless theme of love and relationships. The opening lines indicate a universal desire for love and affection between a man and woman, something that has remained constant throughout time. The song continues to ask the listener a simple question: who do you love? This question is repeated throughout the song, almost as if to challenge the listener to think about their own love life.

The lyrics suggest that love is a simple concept; "one and one and one are three, I love you, do you love me." However, the song also acknowledges that love can be complicated, as it can be hard to know who to love and who truly loves you. There is a sense of urgency in the chorus as the question is asked repeatedly, indicating that the search for love is a constant struggle.

The song's bridge provides a glimpse of hope, as it suggests that love is a transformative force that can elevate individuals and help them grow. The lyrics "you're the one, you're the fire, you can make it higher and higher" suggest that love can inspire an individual to be their best self and achieve great things.

Overall, "Who Do You Love" is a powerful rock anthem that speaks to the universal human desire for love and connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Ever since time began
Since the beginning of time

Man loves a woman
Men have always loved women

Woman loves a man
Women have always loved men

This is the way it was meant to be
This is the natural way of things

Through the pages, through the books
Throughout history

One and one and one are three
Together we are more than the sum of our parts

I love you, do you love me
If I love you, will you love me back?

This is the place, now is the time
The moment is now, let's do this

Give me your love, and I'll give you mine
Let's exchange love

This is simple, and it's true
Love is simple and true