Date: Nov 6, 1976
Weeks: 1
It took Steve Miller a while to win me over last time. There will be no such adjustment here. This song is just plain simple fun.
What I enjoy most about this song is the guitars. Both the lead and bass guitars do a great job of shining with their own bits during the intro and again during the bridge. This song contains truly great solos for both lead guitar and bass. But the thing I love most is during the vocals, when the guitars are creating these pulses that drive the song forward. It's a small thing that isn't very showy, but it's vitally important. That pulsing guitar during the verses give this song a remarkable amount of energy and intensity. Before I leave the music, I think it's important to also note that the drums aren't just here, they're also building the energy, and adding just enough variety at key points to get your attention any time the song risks becoming repetitive.
I'm not entirely sure about the meaning of the lyrics, other than that he's traveling around and wants to be with his lady. I kind of enjoy the poetry of the words more than their meaning. When he says he traveled to "Philadelphia, Atlanta, L.A." I enjoy the way those words all sound together, even if there's no particular lyrical significance to those three cities. I do think it's a little weird that he goes from L.A. to "Northern California where the girls are warm." From what I understand, the weather in Northern California is a bit more like Tacoma than L.A. I'm not sure folks in Northern California are known for being particularly warm. But I still like the poetry and clever near-rhyme of that line.
My verdict: Like it. What's left to say. This is a song that is pretty much just that visceral kind of fun that defies description, and it's pretty easy to sing along to, which is important in a song like that.
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