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.
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Steve Miller Band Lyrics
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Turn you 'round, turn you 'round
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land (hey)
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
Turn you 'round, turn you 'round
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land
Well don't you let the policeman turn you 'round
Turn you 'round, turn you 'round
Well don't let the policeman turn you 'round
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land
Well don't let the politician turn you 'round
Slow you down, slow you down
Well don't let the politician slow you down
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land
Well don't you let the army general burn the world
Burn the world, burn the world
Well don't let the army general burn this world
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
Turn you 'round, turn you 'round
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
Marchin' to the freedom land
In Steve Miller Band's song "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around," the lyrics are an encouraging message to keep moving forward towards progress and freedom, despite obstacles and challenges that may come your way. The repetition of "don't you let nobody turn you 'round" emphasizes the importance of staying determined and focused on your path, and not letting anyone or anything discourage you from achieving your goals.
The song highlights various entities that could potentially hinder progress, including the police, politicians, and military leaders. These lines criticize those in power and suggest that they may use their authority to slow or stop progress, but that it's important to keep pushing forward despite these challenges. The final lines of the song repeat the message of resiliency and determination, urging listeners to keep walking and talking towards freedom.
Overall, "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" is an uplifting and inspiring song that encourages persistence and perseverance in the face of difficulty. It is a message that is relevant in many different contexts, whether it be social justice movements, personal growth and development, or any other situation where determination and focus are key.
Line by Line Meaning
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
Don't allow anyone to deter you from your path
Turn you 'round, turn you 'round
Don't let anyone make you change direction
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
You must continue to move forward and speak up for what is right
Marchin' to the freedom land
Working towards achieving true freedom and equality for all people
Well don't let the policeman turn you 'round
Don't allow law enforcement to intimidate or hinder your progress
Slow you down, slow you down
Try to impede your progress and delay your journey
Well don't let the politician slow you down
Don't allow politicians to impede your progress or distract you with empty promises
Well don't let the army general burn the world
Don't let anyone in power destroy our world and threaten our future
Burn the world, burn the world
To bring about destruction and chaos
Marchin' to the freedom land
Working towards achieving true freedom and equality for all people
Well don't you let nobody turn you 'round
Don't allow anyone to deter you from your path
You got to keep on walkin', keep on talkin'
You must continue to move forward and speak up for what is right
Marchin' to the freedom land
Working towards achieving true freedom and equality for all people
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Steven Haworth Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind