Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Take the Money and Run (song)

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Released
  
April 1976

Length
  
2:50

Writer(s)
  
Steve Miller

Genre
  
Rock

Label
  
Capitol

Producer(s)
  
Steve Miller

"Take the Money and Run" is a song recorded in 1976 by the Steve Miller Band. A song about two young (possibly teenage) bandits and the police officer pursuing them, it was one of the many hit singles produced by the Steve Miller Band in the 1970s and featured on Fly Like an Eagle. The song peaked at #11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and also charted well in Australia.

Contents

The two lines "They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso" and "Billie Mack is a detective down in Texas" are followed by claps in a manner similar to "Deep in the Heart of Texas". The difference is that "Deep in the Heart of Texas" has four claps and "Take the Money and Run" has five.

The song is about "Billy Joe and Bobby Sue", described in a similar manner to Bonnie and Clyde, who were from Dallas.

Personnel

  • Steve Miller–guitar, lead vocals
  • Lonnie Turner–bass
  • Gary Mallaber–drums, percussion

    • Other versions

  • Canadian country music singer Julian Austin recorded the song for his 2000 album Back in Your Life. His version peaked at #4 on the RPM country singles chart.
  • The song was played by a part-time Alabama employee before the 2010 Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium in reference to Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and the alleged "pay for play" scandal involving his father Cecil. The employee was later fired.
  • Steve Miller recorded an unreleased demo of this song's lyrics set to the music of his other song, The Joker.
  • Run-DMC recorded a version on their final album, Crown Royal, released in 2001.

    • A cover version of this song was used in a 2014 Taco Bell commercial promoting the spicy chicken crunchwrap slider.

    References

    Take the Money and Run (song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA