Steve Miller Wrote ‘The Joker’ as a Balm for Vietnam War Turmoil

Steve Miller Band struck gold (and platinum) with their breakthrough 1973 album The Joker and its chart-topping title observe, which launched listeners to the house cowboy, the gangster of affection and Maurice, who spoke of the pompatus of affection.

The head-scratching lyrics have develop into a part of the pop-culture lexicon, however the band’s namesake frontman revealed there was a function to his nonsensical pot-smoking anthem.

“Vietnam [the war] wasn’t over; there was just always shit going on with [then-President] Nixon; there’d been riots all over the country,” Miller not too long ago instructed the New York Post. “The country was in a mess. And I just wanted to, you know, not sing about all the negative shit but try and do something positive.”

It’s straightforward to see why listeners gravitated towards the protagonist of “The Joker,” a freewheeling vagabond in pursuit of a good time, whereas the U.S. was in turmoil. “It was just a song about this Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer kind of character — a rascally kind of guy who’s just out and about having fun and not taking anything too seriously,” Miller defined.

Watch Steve Miller Band’s ‘The Joker’ Video

The tune was additionally mildly transgressive for its time, as marijuana legalization was nonetheless many years away. “Ooh, hush hush — that was, like, secret talk in 1973,” the 79-year-old rocker mentioned with a giggle. “Nudge nudge, wink wink.”

Miller’s nonetheless out on the street delivering classic-rock staples like “The Joker,” “Fly Like an Eagle” and “Jet Airliner” to the lots, however he is now not dwelling out all of his lyrics, as he gave up consuming and smoking at 35. “Drinking was easy — I just quit,” he mentioned. “But the smoking was really tough.”

He additionally maintains an offstage health and follow routine that retains him in prime form for gigs — whereas additionally incomes him some gentle ribbing from good friend and collaborator Paul McCartney, whose 1997 album Flaming Pie options Miller on a number of tracks. “They were making fun of me for doing my vocal warm-ups,” Miller mentioned. “And I just said, ‘Paul, you know, you really ought to try it. It really helps.'”