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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This was written by Paul Pena, a blind folk singer from Cape Cod. Pena played the Newport Folk Festival in 1969, but was unable to launch a successful career.

For much of his life, Pena's royalties from writing this were his only income.

The radio version substitutes the line "Funky kicks going down in the city" for "Funky sh-t going down in the city."

Comments:

This use to be my traveling song. Thanks God I don't travel much any more. Paul Pena's original version smokes Steve Miller's version. Great song!!
- Jim, Long Beach, CA

Being from Madison, WI, I can say with utmost certainty that Steve and Boz kicked it here in the mid to late '60s, and that Ben Sidran still lives here in Madtown. And to a previous commentor who stated about the "guitar intro" - you mean the synthesizer intro which cuts into the guitar intro? It pisses me off that modern corporate radio slices off the best part of the song to "fit the format", and the budget! You gotta free up that EXPENSIVE airtime for more commercial crap. As far the "S-bomb", I still hear occasionally the uncensored version. The censored version was what you got if you bought the 45, which happened to be what a lot of stations played back in the mid-'70s. It also is what appeared on the Greatest Hits album. But at least they left the great synth-intro on there! Anybody out there know what synth he used? My somewhat-educated guess is that he had an ARP 2600.
- Jesse, Madison, WI

ALERT!!! Play the YouTube Video on the right to listen to the full version of this song, it includes the GREAT guitar intro that seems to always be left out of every radio station version. Shame on you DJ's that edit this wonderful song!! They did the same thing with Abracadabra except they cut off the last 2 minutes at the end, tisk tisk!
- john, Grand Island, NY

I'd highly recommend that everyone check out Paul Pena's original version, whether you like the Steve Miller version or not. Also, Paul Pena was featured in a documentary from 1999 called Genghis Blues. It's really an incredible story.
- Tom, Rochester, NY

Steve Miller Band just made some great fun good-time rock & roll! He was really big in 1976-1977. I believe he & Boz Scaggs also played together as youngsters in Texas long before either of them became successes. Of all his great hits I have to say that "Jet Airliner" is probably my favorite. I especially like the extended version that includes the 1-minute long song "Threshold" at the beginning, then jams on the rhythm guitar for another whole minute before the singing starts. That song just jams. I'm glad to have seen him in concert 3 times now (1996, 2005, 2007). Though Cream's "Crossroads" came well before "Jet Airliner", I never really knew that song well and so never noticed the similar riffs until recent years. In hindsight I must admit that it does sound a little like Steve Miller might've borrowed the riff from "Crossroads" for "Jet Airliner". Infact, at his most recent concert that I just saw back in May, 2007 he played a cover of "Crossroads". So without actually admitting it perhaps he's acknowledging the obvious & doesn't try to hide it. I don't know. Anyhow, not being familiar with "Crossroads" at the time, the riff always seemed like a perfect fit for "Jet Airliner" and so for me "Jet Airliner" stands alone as a great song. And it is.
- David, Deerfield Beach, FL

You don't F--k with the classics, that's why the FCC doesn't touch the radio station...I know from experience working at a college FM station, and the FCC never EVER checks up on us, even if a few F-bombs and S--ts get over the airwaves. They're more concerned with talk radio shows like Howard Stern in the past and Mancow. Not to mention the hip-hop/rap and alternative stations. Rarely they'll pick on classic rock.
- Robert, Chicago, IL

The riff in the beginning of the song sounds a lot like "Crossroads" by Cream
- Tom, East Lyme, CT

J.J. Cale wrote "Call Me The Breeze," not Paul Pena.
- Joe, Los Angeles, CA

Just want to add to the misheard line list... Let's not forget "Big ol' Jed had a rhino"
- Tim, Washington, DC

Just wanted to make a correction to a comment above. I may be wrong but I think the song "Call me the breeze" was actually written by J.J. Cale. At least he gets the credit for it on the album I have of his songs. That album also includes "Cocaine" and "After Midnight".
- Chris, Maputo, Africa

This song was used as a "music montage" in an episode of "The West Wing" in 2005. The scenario was life on the campaign trail with candidates and staff constantly getting on and off jet airplanes.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

saw him do this live and it was awsome
- ¿?, gold beach, OR

paul pena did so much more than jet airliner. not only is the original far superior to steve miller's but he also wrote " they call me the breeze",recorded by many great blues artists. the man is basically a genius. unfortuneately genius goes largely unnoticed in our society. therefore, iguess, nickelback must be great? hmmmm....
- tim, kelowna

The line "Funky s--t going down in the city" actually is played on FM radio a lot, totally uncensored. Same with "Money" by Pink Floyd. It amazes me that the FCC is in a deep sleep al the time and totally ignores this!!!!!!!
- Barry, New York, NC

This song possibly has one of the most misheard lines: there are many out there who mistake the line "big ol' jet airliner" for such lines as "we don't chat in a line out", "big ol' Jap in a lighthouse", "bit of cheddar rind-on", "big ol' shed of lino" or "railroad track outta 'lignment"...the mind boggles...cool song tho'!
- John, Fremantle, Australia

i thought it was "we go jet airliner"
- pete, nowra, Australia

awesome song
- Shana, Pembroke, Canada

I've heard more than one person sing the first line of the chorus as, "Bingo jet had a light on". Hilarious.
- Adam, Jupiter, FL

I don't know what this song means, But I love it. My ex, Dave loves Steve Miller. Really big Steve Miller fan. And when we used to go to drinking or just driving in his car he would sing to this and every Steve Miller song out loud. At first it was kinda dorky to me, but later I found myself really liking Steve Miller as well. My favorite song is Dance, Dance, Dance.
- Iris, El Paso, TX

the phrase "I've got to keep on keepin' on" was used in the 2001 movie Joe Dirt, as Joe's "motto"
- tom, louisville, OK

The Paul Pena-album New Train that features this song was recorded in 1973 and released in 2000. It was the album's producer Ben Sidran, the keyboard player with Steve Miller, that provided Steve the song. The late Grateful Dead singer Jerry Garcia sings a duet with Paul on New Train. Paul retired in the 70's from the music industry to take care of his ill wife. His wife died in 1991, Paul later recorded Tuva-music, after eight years of studying this amazing vocal skill.
- Leo, Hilversum, Netherlands