Take The Money And Run
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STEVE MILLER BAND: The Steve Miller Band are a Psychedelic Rock band from the late 1960's. The bands original line up consisted of five members (Steve Miller - Guitar/Vocals, James Cooke - Guitar, Lonnie Turner - Bass, Tim Davis - Drums and Jim Peterman - Organ.) The band has a completely different line up now (six members) with Steve Miller being the only continuous member (1967-Present.) The band has had 32 past members. The Steve Miller Band are a very successful psychedelic rock band (1967-Present, that's over FOUR - nearly FIVE - decades!) | A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SONG 'TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN': Take the money and run is obviously a song created by the Steve Miller Band. The song is telling a story about a guy called Billy Joe and a girl named Bobbie Sue (the lyrics are extremely easy to follow.) Them two characters are described in very similar manner to Bonnie and Clyde (So the song could be written around them... but it doesn't say whether it is or isn't.) It is one of the many hit singles made by the Steve Miller Band in the 1970's. People say that the claps that come after the two lines "They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso" and "Billie Mack is a detective down in Texas" are very similar to the 1941 song "Deep In The Heart Of Texas." |
WHAT INSTRUMENTS ARE USED?:
Drums - This is the first instrument to make a statement with its short groovy intro. The drums just sit on a basic 4/4 rock rhythm with the hi-hat hitting on every beat, the bass drum twice on beat one (two quaver notes) and the snare on beat three, throughout the whole song. The drummer throws in a hit on other cymbals (probably just the crash) every now any then. He also has a lot of snare fills throughout the song.
Vocals - The vocals are the next thing to enter the song. The vocals are continuous up until the end of the song (2.10 - 2.25).
I think the vocals in this are very mono tonal, they don't really vary, it just sounds like they sit on one note throughout most of the song. I think the most memorable vocal parts are the little fills towards the end, such as the little growl at 2.00 in.
The Two Electric Guitars - The guitars start at about 0.10 and from there on they play the same thing, G F C C throughout the whole song. The verses, chorus', it's all the same. Each chord last for two beats so, G for two beats, F for two beats and then C for four beats (So that's two bars all together). The guitars are played very loosely/strummy with sixteenth notes played throughout.
Bass Guitar - The bass player starts at the same time as the guitars. It does the exact same thing as the guitars - G F C. Instead of sixteenth notes the bass plays:
G - quaver quaver crotchet
F - quaver quaver crotchet
C - quaver quaver crotchet
C - quaver quaver crotchet
In the second C which is always half way through the second bar. The bass has a few little fills (mostly on just them three notes.)
Backing Vocals - The vocals are being accompanied a lot in this song. You can really hear the backing vocals in the song. Below is the lyrics tho the song, the words highlighted white are when the backing vocalist are also singing:
This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie Sue took the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey
You know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today
Singin'
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
WHAT WE CAN'T LOSE?:
This is a very simple song, you can hear everything that's 'going on' so it's easy to get everything we need. I think we kept everything.
1.) The drums were kept exactly the same (obviously our drummer had his own fills) but the intro groove was near enough replicated. We can't add insane drumming, we've just got to keep it how it is... basic and simple. The complete opposite of our previous song.
2.) Same with the guitars, they have got to be loose and relaxed. Just sitting on the four simple chords (well three.) And we can't add any crazy guitar solo, in fact, we can't add any guitar solo because there isn't any.
3.) The bass, exactly the same as the guitar, sitting on the three chords just playing a simple groove. With the occasionally - not too fancy might add - little bass fills.
4.) The vocals are easy enough to keep the same. Just sitting on the one note singing with ease. However it's the little vocal fills every so often that make this song what it is. I think that's what the singers should replicate before even working on the harmonies. The little yells and growls add so much to the song, you take them away then the song becomes, well... boring.
5.) If we were to take out the backing vocalists, the singing would definitely become very 'samey' and the listener would get bored (well I know I would.) Which is why the have to say and can;t be over done with anything to fancy, just keep it how it is and where it is.
The aim of what we have to do is basically replicate our chosen song. And to replicate something means to make an exact copy/reproduce something. So in order to do that we obviously can not lose anything! Not one single thing.
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG:
The basic information of the song are things like structure, key, tempo etc.
The original key to this song is G major, However we moved it up two semi tones. So we were playing it in A Major.
The structure to this song is very basic. It contains the usual verse, chorus and instrumental.
- INTRO (0.00 - 0.11) 4 BARS
- VERSE 1 (0.11 - 0.51) 16 BARS
- CHORUS (0.51 - 1.10) 8 BARS
- VERSE 2 (1.10 - 1.49) 16 BARS
- CHORUS (1.49 - 2.08) 8 BARS
- INSTRUMENTAL (2.08 - 2.27) 8 BARS
- CHORUS - Fade out (2.27 - 2.51) 8 BARS
Me and my brother tried to work out the tempo for this song and we thought is was around - BPM 100.
But again when you try to click to it (or even put on a click to it) it feels like the song varies in tempo.
WHAT'S MAKES IT SO ICONIC?
The thing that makes this song so iconic, I think, are two things. The first thing being the drums. That intro the drummer plays is probably the most memorable part of the song. And the way he holds the simple, groovy beat throughout the song.
The second thing being the vocals. When I say vocals I don't mean the main melody that is sung throughout the song, I mean the little vocal fills every now and then (yeah's, oh's, growls etc.) I know it's such a little thing in the song but I think them little vocal fills are what makes the song what it is today!
Drums - This is the first instrument to make a statement with its short groovy intro. The drums just sit on a basic 4/4 rock rhythm with the hi-hat hitting on every beat, the bass drum twice on beat one (two quaver notes) and the snare on beat three, throughout the whole song. The drummer throws in a hit on other cymbals (probably just the crash) every now any then. He also has a lot of snare fills throughout the song.
Vocals - The vocals are the next thing to enter the song. The vocals are continuous up until the end of the song (2.10 - 2.25).
I think the vocals in this are very mono tonal, they don't really vary, it just sounds like they sit on one note throughout most of the song. I think the most memorable vocal parts are the little fills towards the end, such as the little growl at 2.00 in.
The Two Electric Guitars - The guitars start at about 0.10 and from there on they play the same thing, G F C C throughout the whole song. The verses, chorus', it's all the same. Each chord last for two beats so, G for two beats, F for two beats and then C for four beats (So that's two bars all together). The guitars are played very loosely/strummy with sixteenth notes played throughout.
Bass Guitar - The bass player starts at the same time as the guitars. It does the exact same thing as the guitars - G F C. Instead of sixteenth notes the bass plays:
G - quaver quaver crotchet
F - quaver quaver crotchet
C - quaver quaver crotchet
C - quaver quaver crotchet
In the second C which is always half way through the second bar. The bass has a few little fills (mostly on just them three notes.)
Backing Vocals - The vocals are being accompanied a lot in this song. You can really hear the backing vocals in the song. Below is the lyrics tho the song, the words highlighted white are when the backing vocalist are also singing:
This here's a story about Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue
Two young lovers with nothin' better to do
Than sit around the house, get high, and watch the tube
And here is what happened when they decided to cut loose
They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle
Bobbie Sue took the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas
You know he knows just exactly what the facts is
He ain't gonna let those two escape justice
He makes his livin' off of the people's taxes
Bobbie Sue, whoa, whoa, she slipped away
Billy Joe caught up to her the very next day
They got the money, hey
You know they got away
They headed down south and they're still running today
Singin'
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
Go on take the money and run
WHAT WE CAN'T LOSE?:
This is a very simple song, you can hear everything that's 'going on' so it's easy to get everything we need. I think we kept everything.
1.) The drums were kept exactly the same (obviously our drummer had his own fills) but the intro groove was near enough replicated. We can't add insane drumming, we've just got to keep it how it is... basic and simple. The complete opposite of our previous song.
2.) Same with the guitars, they have got to be loose and relaxed. Just sitting on the four simple chords (well three.) And we can't add any crazy guitar solo, in fact, we can't add any guitar solo because there isn't any.
3.) The bass, exactly the same as the guitar, sitting on the three chords just playing a simple groove. With the occasionally - not too fancy might add - little bass fills.
4.) The vocals are easy enough to keep the same. Just sitting on the one note singing with ease. However it's the little vocal fills every so often that make this song what it is. I think that's what the singers should replicate before even working on the harmonies. The little yells and growls add so much to the song, you take them away then the song becomes, well... boring.
5.) If we were to take out the backing vocalists, the singing would definitely become very 'samey' and the listener would get bored (well I know I would.) Which is why the have to say and can;t be over done with anything to fancy, just keep it how it is and where it is.
The aim of what we have to do is basically replicate our chosen song. And to replicate something means to make an exact copy/reproduce something. So in order to do that we obviously can not lose anything! Not one single thing.
BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG:
The basic information of the song are things like structure, key, tempo etc.
The original key to this song is G major, However we moved it up two semi tones. So we were playing it in A Major.
The structure to this song is very basic. It contains the usual verse, chorus and instrumental.
- INTRO (0.00 - 0.11) 4 BARS
- VERSE 1 (0.11 - 0.51) 16 BARS
- CHORUS (0.51 - 1.10) 8 BARS
- VERSE 2 (1.10 - 1.49) 16 BARS
- CHORUS (1.49 - 2.08) 8 BARS
- INSTRUMENTAL (2.08 - 2.27) 8 BARS
- CHORUS - Fade out (2.27 - 2.51) 8 BARS
Me and my brother tried to work out the tempo for this song and we thought is was around - BPM 100.
But again when you try to click to it (or even put on a click to it) it feels like the song varies in tempo.
WHAT'S MAKES IT SO ICONIC?
The thing that makes this song so iconic, I think, are two things. The first thing being the drums. That intro the drummer plays is probably the most memorable part of the song. And the way he holds the simple, groovy beat throughout the song.
The second thing being the vocals. When I say vocals I don't mean the main melody that is sung throughout the song, I mean the little vocal fills every now and then (yeah's, oh's, growls etc.) I know it's such a little thing in the song but I think them little vocal fills are what makes the song what it is today!