Time Keeps on Slippin': An Overview of Steve Miller's hit "Fly Like an Eagle"

by Liz Publika

Preparing the Art of Time volume for ARTpublika Magazine got me thinking of time-related songs that have proliferated pop culture. There are lots, from “Time” by Pink Floyd to “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper to “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. It seems like the theme has been covered by almost every genre across almost every decade in one form or another. That makes sense, time touches all of us, there are no exceptions. But the song that I kept coming back to is Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” 

Hourglass

“Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future,” is a damn good line. I caught myself humming it on multiple occasions, including moments that had nothing to do with the volume I was working on. By the time I wrapped up prep, it had become a personal mantra. And, it also made me realize that I know virtually nothing about the song itself. So, here we are. Turns out, Miller wrote it in 1973, but it had gone through some changes before it was recorded in 1975 and finally released in 1976. 

Art is subjective and so people read into the lyrics. Some have suggested that it’s a song meant to talk about the fleeting nature of time, others believe it’s linked to drug use, and others still argue that it’s an argument about rising above and helping people. Personally, I can see all three being true. But what I think is the coolest information that I have learned about it boils down to its background. This, kids, is what the history of rock ‘n’ roll is all about. 

Initially, it had a bluesy feel to it. That, and it was some 15 to 20 minutes long, thanks to the supposed freedom of psychedelic music. The funk-influences came later. But its guitar riffs were actually pulled from Miller’s 1969 song “My Dark Hour,” which was apparently co-written and features none other than Paul McCartney. His contribution was rather extensive; he added backing vocals, guitar, bass, and drums to the track. The single was released on the Steve Miller Band’s third album Brave New World . 

Apparently The Beatles had quarreled over a contract; something about signing with a new financial manager, Allen Klein. “There was a big argument and they all went, leaving me at the studio,” said McCartney, who met Miller when he was hanging around at London’s Olympic Studios after the fact. “Steve Miller happened to be around: ‘Hi, how you doing? Is the studio free?’ I said: ‘Well, it looks like it is now, mate.’ He said: ‘Mind if I use it?’ So I ended up drumming on a track of his that night,” recalled McCartney. Paul Ramon is credited on the single, allegedly its an alias he got into the habit of using to stay at hotels. It was later appropriated by The Ramones.

The jam session laid the foundation for “Fly Like an Eagle,” which was released seven years later. “It was a time when I really matured as a writer and I started writing much better songs,” stated Miller in 2022. “I was developing my music. Things that I had been working on for a long period all came together. ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ is a combination of electronic music and a really funky groove.” Seems like appropriate information to learn before the release of the Art of Time. 

"Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future..."

Note* Image via Canva.