Fly Like An Eagle

Album: Fly Like An Eagle (1976)
Charted: 2
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Songfacts®:

  • This introspective and inspirational song reminds us that time is always ticking away, so we'd better make the most of it. The message of freedom through revolution is one Steve Miller picked up when he formed his Steve Miller band in San Francisco in 1966, a time and place that centered him in the counterculture as America was ramping up the Vietnam War.
  • There's a message of compassion in the song, as Miller sings:

    Feed the babies
    Who don't have enough to eat
    Shoe the children
    With no shoes on their feet
    House the people
    Livin' in the street


    Most of Miller's hits from this time period were lighthearted story songs ("Take The Money And Run") or tunes about having a good time ("Rock 'N Me," "Swingtown"). "Fly Like An Eagle" stood out for its powerful message and call to action.
  • Miller used a lot of synthesizer on this song, but he kept it simple, using it mostly for sound effects and atmosphere. Because he was a guitar player, he didn't feel the need to get too intricate with it, and he got a very basic model that was easy to use: an ARP Odyssey.

    "I kept finding that the people who played them were way too complex, and could never remember how they got their sounds or anything," he explained in The Guitar Greats. "So I went to a little local music store and asked them if they had an idiot synthesizer, one with a stop that says 'flute' or 'French horn' or whatever, and they said they had just what I needed, and showed me this very simple synthesizer that none of the players would ever be seen with – it really hurt my keyboard player to have to use it, because he didn't want the other guys to see him with it. I took it home and started fooling around with it, and got all these sounds – it was very easy to use, and there were no problems with it."
  • The Steve Miller Band is often considered a jam band, and Miller gives this song as an example why. In a 2008 interview to promote his Live In Chicago DVD, he said: "'Fly Like An Eagle' is always about 12 minutes long (in concert). We have always built our recordings so they have room for spontaneity. My jazz and blues influence is what started us as a jam band originally. 'Fly Like An Eagle' was developed over a period of time as a jam. To me it's much more interesting to see a musician be spontaneous than it is to see someone perform perfectly something they do note for note the same way every night."
  • The song begins with a 1:14 instrumental section called "Space Intro" on the original 1976 album, which made the whole piece two separate tracks. On some Greatest Hits releases, it shows up as one song. Some radio stations play both "Space Intro" and "Fly Like An Eagle" as one song. Miller's next album, Book Of Dreams, opens with an instrumental intro to the song "Jet Airliner" called "Threshold." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jim - Oxnard, CA
  • The song echoes out on the fade with some beeps that Miller and his mastering engineer, Jim Gains, found during the mixing process on a piece of tape that had been erased. Those little beeps are typical of what could be left behind on analog tape that didn't get thoroughly erased.
  • The radio edit is cut down to 3 minutes from the 4:42 album version, with most of the outro, including the beeps, removed. This is the version used on the Greatest Hits 1974–78 album, which outsold all of Miller's studio albums combined.
  • The guitar work was cloned from earlier Steve Miller song, "My Dark Hour."
  • Miller wrote and recorded most of his albums Fly Like An Eagle and Book of Dreams (1977) in the same sessions from 1975-1976. After taking a year off, he got together with his drummer Gary Malliber and bass player Lonnie Turner, and they worked up about 25 songs in less than two weeks. Over the next 18 months, Miller worked on them at his home studio, doing vocals and arrangements. Both albums were ready in 1976, but Book of Dreams was held back a year.
  • According to drummer Gary Mallaber, there are no overdubs on this song other than the ending sound effects - it was recorded live and took them just three takes.
  • A key component to this song is the Hammond B3 organ, which was played by an outside musician, Joachim Young.
  • Seal covered this song, incorporating a bit of his hit "Crazy" in the lyrics. His version was used in the 1996 movie Space Jam, starring Michael Jordan. Seal's cover reached #13 in the UK and #10 in the US.
  • In 1998, the US Postal Service started using "Fly Like An Eagle" in their commercials, drawing emphasis to their logo, an eagle.
  • The heavy metal band In This Moment covered "Fly Like An Eagle" for their 2020 album Mother. Their version came about when vocalist Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth were up in Albany working on the record. The pair came up with a groovy synthwave piece both loved.

    "I don't remember why, but we started singing 'The time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping' from 'Fly Like An Eagle' and Maria's eyes lit up," Howorth recalled to HMV. "I wanted to keep it as the original and not use it as a cover, but she loved it so much that we stuck with Steve Miller."

Comments: 38

  • Moosehead from Scyoung bleed sang the fly like an eagle part in How you do Dat? shout out to P
  • Idunomann from IdkI always thought this song was about suicide ngl
  • Marnie Hunter from OnThe 70s had so many amazing bands.
  • The Zen Archer from Athens OhThe timely beep at the end of the song wasn't planned. When they played the recording, they found that something was beeping in rhythm at the end. They decided to leave it in. 11/17/20
  • EmeraldjenWhen I was little, I used to think this song was recorded inside Chuck E Cheese's for some reason. :P
  • Jim from Roanoke, VaSpace rock? You bet. The "Eagle" is the lunar lander from the first mission to land on the moon, in the "Sea" of Tranquility. Notice the "beeps" that close the track--similar to the sounds heard during the lunar mission. For my two cents, Miller is protesting the millions spent on putting a man on the moon while people were impoverished at home. Time slipping into the future? Sure, the time was now to solve the poverty problems at home. but the eye on the future was gazing at more space missions. Revolution? The situation was, and still is, revolting.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 6th 1977, "Fly Like An Eagle" by the Steve Miller Band peaked at #2 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on December 12th, 1976 at position #73 and spent 20 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 6 of those 20 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    It also reached #2 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart...
    The two weeks it was at #2 on the Top 100; the #1 record for both those weeks was "Love Theme from 'A Star Is Born'" by Barbra Streisand...
    Was track two of side one on the band's ninth studio album, 'Fly Like an Eagle', and the album peaked at #3 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
    Two other tracks from the album also made the Top 100; "Take the Money and Run" (#11) and "Rock'n Me" (#1 for 1 week)...
    Mr. Miller celebrated his 70th birthday five months ago on October 5th (2013).
  • Brian from Denver, CoStevie gives us his brilliant solution to end poverty (although there are none): "the revolution". What revolution? The one in the Bible, kids. The world dictator who will arrive with answers to all the world's economic problems......socialism on a global scale......despite the fact that socialism goes against the laws of economics (perhaps after enough societies collapse, you libtards will learn, but I doubt it). Stevie, Stevie, Stevie.....I hope Satan (a musician himself) is rewarding you for being such a good little spokesman.
  • Douglas from Nowra, Australiaits totally,completely,for sure, right on, about drugs man..
  • Art from Mpls, MnI don't think the song is about drugs at all though it is trippy sounding. I think joe is right on about that. Steve's a good guy and he was doing versions of this song way back in 1970 when i first saw him in phoenix. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Steve did acid back then but I can't think of one other song he did about drugs except for space cowboy maybe (that's debatable too) - it just wasn't his style . Steve's did do many songs about social injustice and this is just one more of them . Boz Skaggs was in his early bands and I don't remember him doing any drug songs either. I was a huge fan of his before he got famous because of this song and was glad to see him finally get some recognition after making 7 albums beforehand. Now I'm not gonna sit here and tell you i never did drugs myself but I think ppl who think this is a drug song probably did a few too many drugs themselves maybe and it's wishful thinking on their part. When I did acid back then I sure wasn't thinking about shoeing the children who don't have enough to eat - it was more like wow why is my 2nd toe longer than my big toe kinda stuff. A lot of people read way to much into songs and folks Paul McCartney's not dead either. Anyway regardless what it's about it's always fun to debate it.
  • Sam Crespo from Nyc, NyI think some of you are in denial assuming people might insult you or the song. This song clearly relates to drug use. Particularly drugs that make you hallucinate. Theres nothing wrong with accepting this fact. This was what was going on in the late 60s and early 70s. How is it that we all accept the fact that Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is a euphemism for LSD but deny Fly Like an Eagle not being about the same thing? The psychedlic sound effects pretty much gives it away. And do we really want to fly like an eagle and let our spirits carry us? Thats how you feel on acid let me tell ya. Been there done that. Its doesnt take away the fact that its a great song because he is saying that he he just wants to get away from it all but at the same time help the less fortunate. Remember this song came out a few months after the Vietnam War ended but millions of Americans were distraught for the fact we never wanted this war and that close to a million lives were lost. That meant many many families broken, homeless, hungry, it was a really bad time. Steve Miller is a genius for this song and weather or not he himself takes acid, i dont care. He thought about the people who felt this way. Mainly the hippies. Good Job Steve!
  • Larry from Wayne, Pa"Threshold" is the instrumental introduction to "Jet Airliner" (basically the first verse without the vocals). It's fun to sing along to, if you know the words to the first verse. It's on a different album than "Space Intro/Fly Like an Eagle."
  • Billy from West Unity, OhAn easy song to get lost in. Fact is the whole album is/was a tremendous work of art
  • William from Pheonix, Azthis song is awsome..come on everyone knows it is just flat out great. who agrees?
  • Christian from Charlotte, NcThis song isn't about doing drugs or tripping out. Its about helping people and reaching higher heights by feeling good about benefiting others. You have to be more open minded about things, not everything is about drugs.
  • Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiI also like the space intro.They also used Seal's Fly Like an Eagle for Space Jam with Michael Jordan.
  • Jennifer Harris from Grand Blanc, MiI like both Steve Miller band and Seal's,but I like Seal's better.
  • Ptheoc from Tulsa, OkSteve Miller had been rockin hard since the sixties. He was now realizing that the important things of life are not just that you are rich and famous. It's is not about the getting, but what is to be done with it!
  • Pete from Nowra, Australiais this song about drugs ???????????? maybe , just maybe its a song about , soaring to new heights , reaching new endeavours , striving to be the best you can ...... just maybe
  • Bobpape from Austin, TxGees! Some of you people gotta get off that druggie mind-set where you would find criptic references to drugs in church hymns!
  • Evan from Boston, MaThis song is definatly about being high
  • Hannah from Modesto, Cajust to clear things up, space intro and threshold, are two totally different things.
  • Tom from East Lyme, CtActually, I think that the "space intro" is called "Threshold"
  • Nate from PwI think this song is both about drugs and about revolution/reform. Time keeps on slippin' seems like an acid trip. But Fly on through the revolution, and the talk of feeding babies and houseing people on the street is saying theres a better way to do things than the current political system.
  • Joe from Los Angeles, CaThe song has nothing to do with drugs and the synthesizer was a cheap little toy. You can check my interviews with Steve on several OFF The RECORD programs. He learned his first guitar chords from Les Paul and learned his songwriting and performance crafts from the greatest bluesmen of the 50s & 60s.
  • Johnny from Los Angeles, CaI think it's about the hippie lifestyle (a combination of what you guys are saying). Many Steve Miller songs were about hippies. This is a great song, Steve Millers best. Love the intro w/ synth.
  • Patrick from Tallapoosa, GaYou don't have to be on drugs, just kinda relaxed, almost asleep to feel the effects of this song. It almost feels like you're flying through space.
  • Leah from Brooklyn, NyStill waiting for the corroborative source of proof that this song is about anything except the unfulfilled needs of society...feeding hungry babies, housing homeless people, get shoes for barefoot children.
  • Alex from Watertucky, MiFor your information the song IS about drugs. Before you go saying it isn't do some research.
  • Alex from Fort Mill, ScThe synth in this song sounds like something out of Super Mario.
  • Rob from Vancouver, CanadaI'm sure this song is about drugs. Tobacco, aspirin,
    Coors....you name it.
  • John from Boston, MaYeah, it's a spirit song, I never took LSD, but I'm pretty sure your spirit doesn't carry you
  • Sam from Champaign, IlI've always thought this song was about the eradication of poverty, and how we should act today to "feed the babies," etc. instead of wait for some later date, because we've allowed so much time to pass already without solving the problem.
  • Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScGod! Some people think that every song has to be about drugs! This one definitely isn't! It's more of a spritual song to me.
  • Martijn from Helmond, NetherlandsDo you people see a drug reference in every song????
    Slippin'into the future is just a poetic descrition of what time does. Come off it, please.
  • Zain from Richmond, Canadathis song is about an acid trip. the line "time keeps on slippin..." describes the effects on lsd during its later stages.
  • Jordan from Springfeild, Arthe neville brothers have an excellent version of this song
  • Jason from Monterrey, MexicoOne of the most spaced out synth's were used in this song.
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