AbracadabraSteve Miller Band

Album

Abracadabra

Label

Capitol Records

Genre

Funk Rock

Composer(s)

Steve Miller

Entered Chart

May 29, 1982

Peak Date

Sep 4, 1982

Released

May 1982

Recorded

1981

Catalog #

Capitol 5126

B-Side

Give It Up

Written entirely by Steve Miller, this catchy pop song with mild sexual innuendo contains lyrics of the simplistic "June moon spoon" variety: I see magic in your eyes I hear the magic in your sighs Just when I think I'm gonna get away I hear those words that you always say Yes, the man who once spoke of the pompatus of love was now rhyming "abracadabra" with "reach out and grab ya." It's certainly not the song that got Miller into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, but "Abracadabra" was a huge hit, spending two weeks at #1 in the US in September 1982. Rock bands like ZZ Top, Van Halen, and Yes added synthesizers to their mix in the '80s and scored huge hits by adapting to the sound of the decade. The Steve Miller Band started out as a blues band in the '60s, evolving into a rock outfit in the '70s. They often sprinkled electronic effects into their songs, so the keyboards and synth stabs in this song weren't out of character. The lyrics were inspired by Diana Ross and the Supremes, whom Miller had met while performing together on NBC's Hullabaloo in 1966. "'Abracadabra' started off as a great piece of music with really atrocious lyrics," Miller explained to The Dallas Morning News. "One day I was out skiing in Sun Valley and, lo and behold, who did I see on the mountain but Diana Ross. I skied down off the mountain to go have lunch. I had played with Diana Ross and the Supremes on Hullabaloo in the '60s, and I started thinking about the Supremes and I wrote the lyrics to 'Abracadabra' in 15 minutes." The video was the first that Miller made. One of most low-profile frontmen in rock, Miller stayed out of the spotlight and was rarely seen in public off the stage, but in 1982 MTV was becoming a force and you needed a video to sell records. Miller was never going to be a video star, so this video did a little sleight of hand, playing up the magic theme with magicians performing various tricks. Miller is incognito, wearing sunglasses while playing the guitar and moving in slow motion. The clip was directed by Peter Conn, who was one of the first to integrate computer effects into videos. "Abracadabra" was the last US Top 40 hit for the Steve Miller Band, and their third #1, following "The Joker" and "Rock 'N' Me." The song got plenty of airplay, but couldn't fill arenas for Miller, who was falling out of favor. "We were considered a dinosaur group," he told The Word regarding this period. "Punk was in, new wave, the hair bands - the guys in the green tights and two-foot hairdos - it seemed at the time that our run was over." The group was only drawing a few thousand fans to their big arena shows, marking the end of their run as a huge concert draw. Miller took six years off from touring, but resumed again in 1988 ("I was just bored to tears," he said). By this time, he had entered the realm of classic rock, and was once again filling arenas. Over the next few decades, he kept a consistent but reasonable touring schedule, playing about 50 shows a year, mostly in the US. This was one of just two songs Miller wrote for the album - most of the tracks were written by his drummer Gary Mallaber and guitarist John Massaro. Mallaber also produced the album with Miller. The album version runs 5:08; the single was edited down to a radio-friendly 3:37. Sugar Ray covered this in 1999 on their album 14:59. Their version was used in an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and in the 2002 movie Clockstoppers. This was used in the 2005 French film L'anniversaire, and also in the movies Lost Islands (2008) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013). "Abracadabra" works surprisingly well in an old-timey jazz style, as Robin McKelle proved with her 2008 cover. Songs about a bewitching love often do well in this genre.

I heat up, I can't cool down
You got me spinning
'Round and 'round
'Round and 'round and 'round it goes
Where it stops nobody knows

Every time you call my name
I heat up like a burning flame
Burning flame full of desire
Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher

Abra abracadabra
I wanna reach out and grab ya
Abra abracadabra
Abracadabra

You make me hot, you make me sigh
You make me laugh, you make me cry
Keep me burning for your love
With the touch of a velvet glove

Abra abracadabra
I wanna reach out and grab ya
Abra abracadabra
Abracadabra

I feel the magic in your caress
I feel magic when I touch your dress
Silk and satin, leather and lace
Black panties with an angel's face

I see magic in your eyes
I hear the magic in your sighs
Just when I think I'm gonna get away
I hear those words that you always say

Abra abracadabra
I wanna reach out and grab ya
Abra abracadabra
Abracadabra

Every time you call my name
I heat up like a burning flame
Burning flame full of desire
Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher
Yeah, yeah

I heat up, I can't cool down
My situation goes 'round and 'round
I heat up, I can't cool down
My situation goes 'round and 'round
I heat up, I can't cool down
My situation goes 'round and 'round

I heat up (I heat up), I can't cool down (can't cool down)
My situation goes 'round and 'round ('round and 'round)
I heat up (I heat up), I can't cool down (can't cool down)
My situation goes 'round and 'round ('round and 'round)
I heat up, I heat up (can't cool, can't cool down)
'Round and 'round