Courtesy of AXS TV
Courtesy of AXS TVSteve Miller is the latest music legend to be featured on an episode of the AXS TV series The Big Interview with Dan Rather. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s in-depth conversation with Rather will premiere on the high-def network tonight at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
During the show, Miller discusses his love of the blues and the various musicians who influenced him, including late electric guitar pioneer Les Paul, who was his godfather and who personally encouraged his interest in music.
He also talks about the enigmatic phrase from his classic hit “The Joker,” “pompitous of love,” and his approach to writing lyrics.
As seen in a clip posted on AXS TV’s official YouTube channel, Miller tells Rather that “pompitous of love” means “whatever you want it to mean.”
He then recalls that sometime around 1969, Paul McCartney gave him some good advice when he asked him about how he wrote lyrics.
“He said, ‘You know, you just [do] whatever works,'” Miller recalls. “And I kind of [went], ‘Oh! You mean just whatever’s funny or good is OK? It doesn’t have to [be] that heavy?'”
“The truth of the matter is, things that feel spontaneous have a much longer life than things that have got a lot of burnt brain tissue to make them perfect.”
Miller also reveals the inspirations behind his hits “Gangster of Love” and “Abracadabra.”
Copyright © 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.