‘Fly Like an Eagle’ is a song written by American musician Steve Miller for the album of the same name. The song was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976 and in the United States in December 1976. It went to number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the week of March 12, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits (1974–1978). It is often played in tandem with ‘Space Intro’. On the album, the song segues into ‘Wild Mountain Honey’.
The band first performed the song in 1973 while performing at New York City's Felt Forum on a bill with The Marshall Tucker Band, Buddy Guy, and Junior Wells. An earlier 1973 version features a more bluesy and less funk-inspired rhythm, with the guitar taking the synthesizer parts (albeit with similar delay effects). The lyrics are slightly different, indicating that the place the eagle wants to fly away from is a Native American reservation. The final, funk-inspired album version pays homage to ‘Slippin' into Darkness’ by War (1971). It was re-recorded for the eponymous album released in 1976. The intro riff was first used in a slightly different form on Miller's 1969 track ‘My Dark Hour’ (which featured Paul McCartney).
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."
Billboard described the song as "uncharacteristically thoughtful, but rivetingly attention grabbing." Cash Box said that the single edit "preserves the high points of the original while cutting the time just about in half."
Label – Capitol
Songwriter – Steve Miller
Producer – Steve Miller
SONG LYRICS
[Intro](Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
[Chorus 2]
I wanna fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Til I'm free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
[Verse]
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
Oh, oh, there's a solution
[Chorus 2]
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Til I'm free
Fly through the revolution
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
[Bridge]
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
Doo, doo, doo-doo
[Chorus 2]
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Til I'm free
Fly through the revolution
[Bridge]
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick)
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
[Chorus 1]
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
[Spacey Outro]